I won't go into details, so i don't trigger too much, but both my parents abused me growing up. My dad more than my mom, and I have a good relationship with my mom, but not my dad. I've accepted he may never be who I need him to be, and have set my boundaries.

Well, a few weeks ago, I was on the phone with my mom, and she said she thinks my dad has Asperger's Syndrome. I researched the symptoms, and my dad seems to fit nearly all of them. Such as: problems with social skills (he has no friends, and hates big gatherings), unusual preoccupations (he is obsessed with dates and genealogy), limited range of interests, and he is very talented in music, although he says he has no "passion" for it, he is just really good at it.

While I can see he may have this... I have this feeling they're trying to excuse what my dad did to me by saying he has Aspergers. But last I heard, there's no symptom that says "abuses their children"!

Sure, I can see that he has been emotionally distant, and doesn't know how to say things, and never understands anyones feelings... But if that was it, I could accept it and move on... But he abused me emotionally and physically and there is no excuse for that.

Either way, I can understand that if he has Asperger's then thats why he acts and does certain things. That part doesn't make him a bad person at all. What makes him bad is that he hurt me... and doesn't care..