Friends with Asperger's Syndrome

This post is "off topic" for regular readers of my blog, but it's so big in my life right now that I feel compelled to get it out, as I often do, through writing. So here it is: I have several close friends who I love for being smart, witty, and a little different. But I am often irritated by them because they don't like to go out where we can interact with others, frequently hurt my feelings by acting in superior ways, and mystify me when they go off into their own world.

Recently, I've discovered that what is different about these individuals is that they have Asperger's Syndrome. In my research quest, I found a YouTube video by someone who appears to be able to speak from their point of view. As I begin to understand and cope with this, I wonder if my new-found knowledge alters my ability to interrelate with them in the future. I don't know. I'm just figuring this out. I need an Asperger's caregivers support group!

For many years I thought that they might "come around" to enjoying parties, get pleasure from meeting new people, and share their feelings with me. They won't. Individuals with Asperger's can be taught through early interventions to be more social and interactive, but my friends probably weren't. And although they probably understand that they have Asperger's, they probably will never be able to talk to me about it in a generally acknowledged "normal" way. I feel suddenly alone, cut off from them in a way. The warm relationship that I thought we had is, in many ways, not shared. What's different? Does it matter? More research ahead.