I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in 7th grade. I had never been very good at making friends and I was teased a lot for a speech impediment. I didn't understand why everyone else seemed to be able to make friends. Even the troublemakers and weirdos seemed to have friends, but I could never seem to find someone to even eat lunch with.
It took me until I was 19 years old to finally feel like I had a true friend. I met this person online and we became friends over the internet and then the phone and finally in person. Our friendship seems like a strange and even dangerous story, but for someone like me it was the only way I was able to find a friend.
Now, through our friendship, I finally have hope and autism doesn't seem like such a bad thing anymore. I am actually grateful that I have autism because it has made me a stronger and more caring person. I see people judging others all the time and choosing to distance themselves from them, but I am willing to give everyone a chance because I know what it's like to be alone. I wish everyone could know what it's like to feel isolated so that they would reach out to others more. Even though it's hard for me to talk to others, I always try to help everyone feel included so that no one else has to feel like they can't have a friend.
Pleasant Grove, UT