To add to this:

Asperger's syndrome is a right brained autism. The effects generally don't affect intelligence, though our typical intelligence is above average and many are at the genius level. Our deficits are in interpersonal nonverbal communication. We can speak well, though intonation and affect may seem odd to "normals". With effort, we can train ourselves to act "normally". This works OK in business and even in normal social situations, though not always. The real deficit is in the difficult dance of actions and emotions known as romance. This includes attraction, courting, seduction, and continuing romantic interplay. It's impossible to fake, and is responsible for incredible hidden misery. If we're lucky, we'll find a nurturing woman that understands, or at least accepts who we are. If not, it's a life wasted chasing that which is supposed to "come naturally".

I don't know a single aspie guy that can parse the phrase "be yourself". It can't be handled logically, though most people understand it implicitly. Therefore, it's the worst possible advice to give a socially grieving aspie.

Many/most aspies can earn far above what's necessary to live comfortably. We feel little incentive to contribute to a greater society though, due to being socially/sexually ostracized by it. In the beginning we did, but we got punished for helping, so we detach.

Non-aspie autistics may have much bigger problems, since their autism is left brained and their deficit is in understanding/grokking our civilization and its technology. I can't truly speak to this since I've been blessed with a good left brain. Perhaps the autistics can excel in art, or other intuitive skills. I don't know.

Autistics have difficulty controlling emotions. Aspies have their emotions so well controlled you'll never quite know what the feel unless you take them at their word. Autistics may well be unemployable in any normal venue. Aspies likely work with you and you'd never know it, nor their social pain either. Both autistics and aspies have great sensitivity to stimulation - far more than normals can imagine - and their amygdala is in a constant state of stimulation. This makes the understanding and differentiation of others quite secondary to making sure we have a way out, and we can handle the perceived danger that the amygdala triggers.

Some of us are visual and think in pictures. Some don't. I don't. I can compose music in my head and listen to it. Others can't. Some of us are incredibly kinesthetic, though the society has a problem with that modality. We are all different in individual ways.

We don't like surprises. Not even good ones. They are terrifying.

Lastly, these are generalizations and there are exceptions to all the "rules". There's probably more useful info in these posts than in many books and websites on the subject.

It's unfortunate that DSM V decided to aggregate aspies and autistics - they are two different syndromes and the aggregation is not useful to anyone, other than possibly the politicians and bureaucrats.