Resources
All personality traits have both positive and negatives sides; when well-utilized, many aspects of Asperger can be positive. It is important, therefore, to learn to use your traits wisely. You can train yourself to keep the negative aspects in the background, and learn to strengthen the aspects that will be helpful to you.
How do you accomplish that? The answer comes in the form of small pieces of answers from many places. Some answers are in your own family; you may find that people with similar traits have learned from trial and error. Some answers can be found through people like Kristina, professionals who have been working with Asperger for many years and have seen specific solutions help others. And many of those answers are hidden in books.
Since positive, proactive books about Asperger have only recently come onto the market and are still limited in number, Kristina strongly suggests you also read self-help books intended for a general audience. While the self-help books for the general market don't specifically address Asperger and some of the suggestions won't work as well for you, many of the suggestions will help. Living with Asperger is an exploration full of progress as you patiently work to find your own answers.
So where should you start? There are many Asperger traits, but the ones that can often negatively affect quality of life the most are communication differences between those with Asperger and those without Asperger. If the whole world had Asperger Syndrome, then the Asperger communication styles would be considered correct -- but Aspies are in the minority, and most people expect a communication style different from what is ideal for you. So Kristina suggests you start with communication and relationship books.
Books designed to help you improve your self-esteem can be useful too. You entered this world with as much confidence as everyone else, but you may have encountered more criticism than others. It is possible to counteract that criticism by surrounding yourself with supportive people and by learning how to break the habit of criticizing and blaming yourself.
To find your favorite communication, relationship, and self-esteem books, we suggest browsing a self-help section of the library, searching on Amazon.com or other online bookstores under keywords such as "interpersonal communication", "building relationships", "making friends", "dating", "getting along in the workplace", and so forth.
Or you can get started by perusing a list of books compiled here -- one that is by no means comprehensive, but which may get you pointed in the right direction.
Enjoy your adventure. Not all the books will be as helpful as others. But occasionally you will come across something that will make a huge difference in your life. And then it will all have been worth it.