I'm 18 years old, am diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, have no car or license (I may never get them because of my illness), not very popular in school, everybody hates me, nobody shows any respect for me, and no friends in school. To make a long story short, I'm an outcast in life. Most parents are always giving their kids encouragement. Mine are always putting me down. My little brother shows absolutely no respect for me. My dad says I'm his biggest disappointment in life and that I'm an embarrassment to the family. My mom wants to run my life even though I'm almost a legal adult. My school teachers don't want me in their classes. Everyone in school hates me. The girls don't want anything to do with me.

With all these personal problems, more than anything, I want a girlfriend. But I've had no success. Even when I say hi in a friendly way to a girl, the only response I get is "get lost". The guys say girls only go out with muscular guys, and I'm as weak as a kitten (literally!). The girls say they don't go out with freaks, and I'm not a freak. My dad says girls are only attracted to guys with a car. My science teacher says girls only go out with guys who are rich. Well, there is one girl who likes me, just as a friend though. She lives in New Jersey. We talk on AOL. She already has a boyfriend. And I'm the kind of guy who doesn't flirt with girls who already have boyfriends. Most of the girls in my school even lie that they have a boyfriend just to avoid me. This girl in New Jersey is my best friend. She loves me just as a friend. She even once said she sees something in me that no other girl can. She also said that there is a girl for every guy in the world. Although I believe her, I haven't found my girl yet.

In a few years, me and my dad will be moving to Saskatoon where mom and dad say I'll be attending college. I am very skilled with a computer and they think I should enter a computer science course. I'm kind of nervous that the girls in college will treat me the same way girls do in my school.

What kind of girl should I look for and how will I know if she's the one for me?

It saddens me to no end when I hear about children or adults with any kind of disability being put down and disrespected because of that disability.

You can't change the way your parents or teachers treat you, but you can change the way you feel about yourself.

Have your doctor recommend a good therapist that will help you with your self-esteem. Also ask about support groups for people with the same diagnosis.

Don't worry about finding the "right" girl for a while. Work on yourself through counseling, and as you regain your self-esteem and feel better about yourself, you will have a lot of friends

Your on-line friend sounds like a jewel and sees you as the wonderful person that you really are. It's always easier to talk to someone through a keyboard than it is face to face, but you need to find a professional to help you work through the feelings that your parents and teachers have left you with.

If working with computers is what you want to do, then by all means go to college and get all the education that you can on them. In the meantime, work on yourself…as you learn to respect yourself, you will get the respect of others.

I know it seems impossible right now, but you can do it…work on progress, not perfection.