Do you wish Asperger's wasn't so invisible?

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I seriously wish it was visible. If people are driven away from me because I had a recognizable AS face then all for the better.

Can you elaborate a little more? What do you mean by "visible?"

Sometimes I do because I think people just see me as "socially awkward" , "strange" or "rude" etc. but they don't see me as someone with a disability and it's much more acceptable to dismiss or be mean to someone who's just a rude or has a bad personality etc. then it is to be mean to/dismiss someone with a serious disability.

I definitely think our AS would be taken much more seriously (or at least believed) if there was some sort of physical sign of having it. A lot of people seem to disregard our problem or accuse us of making it up simply because we show no physical sign of having anything "wrong" with us so to speak. They can't fathom that there's anything wrong with us because "You look so normal!" IE: "It's perfectly OK to bully us but don't you dare make fun of that cripple or person with down's syndrome!"

This is especially prevalent in the work place. Bosses accuse us of having an "attitude" problem that's solely our fault. While on the other hand the customers just think we are blunt, rude people who need to smile more.

Yes and no. This "invisible disability" is frustrating at times because other people struggle to understand our struggles. But on the other hand, as it is a spectrum disorder, making it visible might lead to incorrect preconceptions about how impaired we are, etc.

It would be similar to something like Down's Syndrome, which has a visible characteristic. This syndrome is typically associated with a below average IQ, so when we see someone with Down's Syndrome, we might assume they have a lower IQ. However, people with this syndrome don't always have intellectual impairment. It must be frustrating for those of normal intelligence to have the low IQ stereotype attached to them. At least with AS, by looking at us, you can't make any assumptions about our impairments, so we wouldn't be assumed to rock in the corner, have no empathy, or any other stereotypes.

Yes it's frustrating, but being accepted as weird allowed me to experience things I probably would have not ...actually I know it. Had I been diagnosed during my childhood or adolescence, I would not have been able to join the Army. The experience was a great boost to my confidence. In retrospect I marvel at how oblivious I was, but when emulating NT behavior, I had mastered denial ...or so it seemed. I eventually became aware of my aspergers by first realizing my son had it.

Part of the problem is that many people have met very high functioning people or people who claim to have it but don't. It never occurs to them that there are aspies who lock themselves up at home 23 hours a day because they can't cope with the world. So, part of the invisibility of AS is due to the reclusive nature of many people with AS.

I know what you mean. It's a bit like, I've met 2 people before in my life who have Mental Retardation , one was physically able and the other one was in a wheelchair. The physically able one was more embarrassing to be with; everyone gave him funny looks and were afraid of him, even though he was harmless. He had the mind of a 3-year-old, but because he was standing about, people thought he was some sort of nutter - even though he was always smiling and happy. But the one in the wheelchair was less embarrassing to be with. He could only say one word, and was always very, very happy too, and he would babble and wave his arms about gleefully when someone made eye contact with him, but because he was in a wheelchair, people smiled at him and never humiliated him, or they just didn't look. Even teenagers didn't take the mickey.

It doesn't seem fair. I wish people would be a lot more considerate.

At times, yes, I wish it weren't such a hidden disability, because it frustrates me how people think I should act "normal" because I LOOK "normal." But overall, if it weren't an invisible condition, I probably wouldn't have been able to achieve what I have, due to more overt discrimination. I can "fly under the radar" for the most part, which has its advantages in the NT adult world of jobs and higher education.

Yes and no. Visible means I may get stared at for looking different.

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes I wish I were in a wheelchair, so people might be more understanding.

Judging by the way people stare or laugh at me often, I might aswell either look seriously ret*d or just hideously deformed, it's just a shame psychiatrists can't see what the public see, because then I'll get the help that I want. But, life is always the wrong way round; psychiatrists only see the normal side of me just by looking or hearing me talk, and the general public see the insane side of me just by looking at me or hearing me talk.

No offense to anyone here, because we all walk different paths. But, I just turned 40 and it did me more good to not be identified as an Aspie and to have to deal with life as I could than to have people holding doors for me and throwing me pity parties.
Now, I can tell people I want to include, and I can leave people in the dark I want to exclude.

I've shouldered massive challenges and faced enormous doses of fear while doing a lot of cool stuff.

I don't want a sign, and wouldn't wear one if they were cool like Air Jordans.