Autism, including Asperger's Syndrome, is not a 'disease' in it's current definition. It is a condition or disorder, and is better defined as a disability, like losing the ability to walk. it is not contagious - it is developed through genetic disposition or physical/mental trauma (i.e. brain damage and/or nervous breakdown).
There IS a tendancy for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome to be over diagnosed, and this is for two main reasons - firstly, in places where healthcare is paid for, it allows the specialists to make money. Secondly, it gives those suffering from it justification for acts that they might not otherwise get away with, and generally makes things easier for everyone - people don't have to treat those suffering from Autism and Asperger's the same as everyone else, thus they can care about them less.
That said, there is no doubt that Autism and Asperger's Syndrome is a genuine condition, that has a profound effect on many people's lives, just like many other forms of mental illness and learning disability, which are often treated similarly in the fact that they are invisible illnesses that are rarely seen and often cause great misery for people affected by them until they are properly diagnosed and treated, if not cured.
The main issue is that we are more than just thinking machines. The majority of our cognative differences, our identities and personalites, comes from our experiences. But you get beyond that, into the subconscious, where we don't really have too much control over our thoughts, actions, and impulses, and here is where the issues lie. No matter how much you try and teach someone with Autism and Asperger's something, even if they really want to learn it, if it's within the scope of their condition, it will be beyond them. They might understand the reasons why they should, how they should, and so forth - but that doesn't mean they are able to.
And, s0denone, don't worry about it - it's fairly standard for Asperger's Syndrome to feel like that. You'll probably still feel the same when you are 30 - I know I do. You've just got to try and not let it get to you - and not let people get to you. You will think and feel differently, and you need to embrace that. The majority of humanity has a tendency to act like dicks towards each other, yet only spot when others act like dicks to them, rarely admitting when they act like dicks to other people. There are those few that don't, naturally, and while most people believe they belong in this category, the majority of them fail to remain in it for very long.
In my experience, those with Asperger's and related issues tend to be amongst the best people, simple because they simply don't bother with all the complexity that human society tries to bring to life. But in reality, things can really be THAT simple, if you want them to be, and ignoring the rules of society is very much a good thing. Most creative thinkers fall into this category. You'll probably get moaned at a lot for being inappropriate and crossing the line, but in most cases, those with Asperger's, including myself, will simply look around confused, shrug, and say "There was a line? Where? Oh, I'm sorry," before wandering off and carrying on as normal. You'll get a lot of people hate you simply because you'll make them look and feel bad - you'll make them unable to avoid the fact that they are being dicks, even when they are trying to dehumanise you by calling you a dick.
In the end, it doesn't matter - they'll change the goal posts so much to fit their own ends you won't even bother playing by their rules. You'll create your own - and in time, you'll come to be happy with them, so happy that others will be jealous and wonder why they can't do that. The trick is that they can - once they stop trying to fit in with those ever-changing goal posts and being dicks to everyone else.
So, you think your mother should have got an abortion - you are probably right. I was declared a phantom and died while within my mother's womb, and wish I stayed dead. Life and fate conspired otherwise. There's a multitude of children born every day into a world and a life they neither wanted nor asked for, and given the choice, would wish for exactly the same thing. But they are here now - we are here now. We have two choices - be dicks to others because we wish we weren't here, which pretty much sums up the majority of the human race, or seek out ways to be happy and make the world better for others. We're the ones to do it - we don't just cross the lines and break the rules, we don't even SEE them!
