Aspergers Disclosure in a cover letter/resume

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There is no good reason to disclose you have an ASD before you are hired, NONE.

If you require absolutely require accommodations then you can disclose AFTER you are hired, they still must provide the accommodation, and can't retaliate against you for not disclosing earlier.

I think sooner or later, you may need to disclose your need for accommodations. Autistic people need help with keeping a job too. With hypersensitivities of our senses, it's easy to get distracted, leading to poor performance or even the loss of a job. There's concerns about autistic shutdowns and burnouts too which Amythest Schaber talked about in her videos. I wear hearing protection at work so that I can concentrate better.

Deception is never a good practice for someone with poor social skills.

Your autistic handicaps are going to get you fired eventually, if you don't disclose them, simply because you will be perceived as weird, difficult, stubborn, uncooperative and insubordinate. If you DO disclose your disability, then once hired, you cannot be fired because of it. OTOH, if the workplace causes you severe stress over time, being fired might be a good thing.

Do not use the term Asperger under any circumstances. That has become, thanks to the Mass Media, "The Psycho-Killer Disorder." Simply refer to it as a diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder, and list it at the very end, under "disabilities." Do not offer any description or explanation, unless explicitly asked about it (but be prepared to, just in case).

If you want to be taken seriously,

I wouldn't add it.

Somebody once told me that some companies have a fixed amount/percentage of people with disabilities they need to hire, so disclosing might actually increase your chances to be hired. Can someone confirm this?

It depends on the setting but let me provide some insight on how to handle this in a professional business setting.

I don't disclose outright with a label, but I do but I mention trouble with social skills or drop hints whenever I apply for jobs and sometimes when I work with new teams. It's all about framing the issue as teamwork skills, and that this has been a growth opportunity for you.

In interviews, when asked about my biggest weakness, I will mention that a challenge for me sometimes seeming less than thoughtful or considerate or attentive in team situations when it was unintended (but also talking about how I was cognizant of this and improving on it). When I applied to business school - I mentioned that I was extremely socially awkward and inept growing up and how I improved on that over my professional career. When I work in teams, sometimes I will mention to my team that I may miss social cues at times, talk over people, seem inconsiderate of other peoples ideas etc and that I apologize ahead of time and welcome any feedback - of course, this is a bit of an understatement, but it still prepares the people I work with for any awkwardness down the road.

I will also mention that while you shouldn't label yourself as having Aspergers or Autism, you can still mention that you have an interest in Autism and Aspergers issues. I put down volunteering with Autism organizations in my resume which would send a positive signal to any employer or recruiter that also cared about this.