I 
just want to say that you've got a great 
webpage Kevin. I'm a 22-year-old with Asperger 
Syndrome and I can certainly relate to your 
problems at school and with employment.

I remember when I was in Grade 1 having 
difficulty following oral instructions.  
Instead of clarifying these instructions, my 
Grade 1 teacher singled me out for ridicule in 
front of the class by pointing out my 
eccentricities, thus condoning teasing. The 
kids took it from there. I think this was the 
first time I felt bad about myself and realized 
that I was different from other kids. It's 
an unfortunate fact that bullies can sniff 
out Aspies a mile away and make life miserable 
for them. I can recall many incidents of 
teasing during school when the teachers 
looked the other way. Often employers are 
looking for someone who is fast and 
friendly; a team player. I can understand 
why they can would want this, but dammit, we 
Aspies need work too. Many employers don't 
seem to understand that social skills do not 
come naturally for everybody and mistake 
this isolation for snobishness. 
When employers get tired of us, they let us 
go and we accumulate a series of bad references 
that makes it harder for us to get work again. Employers need to learn to accept 
people who are different.