Should I quit? How do I approach this topic with my boss?

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This is very good advice.

Given this: "Due to some screw ups I made when I first started at this job, I had a hunch the boss would never trust me with a key." It seems to me that the reason the boss didn't give you a key is that you screwed up in the beginning. Sometimes it's hard to shake a negative first impression.

A co-worker once told me something that her dad told her: a job is not about having friends. A job is an exchange of time, attention and skill for money and possibly other benefits. It's great if you get other stuff, like co-workers who are friends or managers who are mentors or whatever, but that's all extra.

The main thing is you get paid to do a job, not to be friends or equals or have any other kind of relationship with other employees. It's always better to look for work while employed, so if you find yourself in a bad spot, remember you are there for the paycheck. Then stick with it until you have a start date for your next job, then hand in your notice.

I had another job immediately after quitting this one.

He knows I'm on the spectrum because I told him. I didn't want to tell him, but I had no choice. When I was making mistakes in the beginning, my boss pretty much said to me (and I'm paraphrasing) "I can't believe it. This is totally unacceptable. You're one of the worst employees I've ever seen. There better be a good explanation for this. Do you have any conditions or impairments which might explain why you're struggling so much?"

I likely would have been fired if I didn't disclose my condition. I disclosed it because at the time I wanted to keep my job.

Initally I thought my early screw-ups were why I didn't get a key. But I mentioned the fact that I had another coworker who was clearly on the spectrum and screwed up severely in the beginning. As far as I know, he never disclosed his condition to my boss though. And this coworker eventually got a key. Once he got a key, I realized initial mistakes have nothing to do with whether or not you get a key. The reason I didn't get a key had to be solely because I disclosed my condition.

But to play devil's advocate, lets say my bad first impression really was the only reason I didn't get a key. In that case, it is still a good idea to quit. It's pointless to stay at a job where you're going to be forever haunted by your bad first impression.

I said I had another job right after leaving this one. Ironically, I even worked my way up to getting a key at my new job. And for what it's worth, my new job was pretty selective about who they gave keys to. But the management at my new job focused more on my abilities, not my disabilities.

I'm glad you found this job. Any plans for college?

Unless the pay is good and having a key isn't important. The main thing with a job is the compensation, aka paycheck.

I am glad you got another job so fast. I guess the economy keeps changing. I know some people who recently were out of work for more than two years of continuously trying very hard and that is painful. Once you have been close to that, you look at the "should I quit" question very carefully.

I already have a college degree.

In any case, I think I might have gotten the last laugh as far as my old boss is concerned. After I quit, they found a replacement for me right away. But the replacement turned out to suck and got fired within a few months. And ever since, my old boss has had a hard time finding and keeping good employees. It even reached the point where he begged me to come back (obviously I declined).

I can't help but wonder if my old boss's recent struggles might be karma trying to teach him a lesson.

In retrospect, I bet he wishes he gave me a key so I would have stayed.