Those who can hide there autism?

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Even if I wanted to I don't usually have to hide my having Asperger's Syndrome, because most people can't tell that I have it anyway. But if I feel it's necessary, I will tell people.

It's important to note there was a study done that found that while NT people don't usually identify autistic people as being on the spectrum specifically, NT people generally do have the ability to sense that someone is ND in some way even if the autistic person is masking.

So while NTs don't have "autistic-radar" specifically, they do have "ND-radar" even if they don't know why they're feeling that way about a person. Simply put, NTs can tell when someone isn't NT according to the study. The ability to spot someone that is different from them, someone who they might classify as "weird" or "off" in some way. I think the study was mentioned in Living Well On The Spectrum by Valerie Gauss, but my recollection may be incorrect.

I believe therefore that autistic people who believe they are flawless at masking probably aren't as flawless as they think they are and most likely other people pick up on the person being something other than NT.

I have no such delusion; I'm fully aware that even if I try my best at masking, other than for very short interactions, other people will realize that I'm "weird, quirky, eccentric, odd, strange, different, etc". Most importantly, I'm absolutely fine with that. Moreover, I'm not envious when someone claims they mask perfectly and I don't think it's admirable. Great for them, but not something I aspire to or strive for.

My Asperger Syndrome is relatively mild,so I don't really feel the need to hide my condition. I do suffer from Social anxiety,so I mostly stay quiet,and separate myself from most social situations.The only way anyone I have Asperger is if I tell them(which I don't tell anyone besides my parents).

Even my therapist didn't think I had ASD before I was diagnosed. I think before someone gets to know me, I seem like a high strung shy individual because when I end up saying I have autism to explain something people are always shocked but I think they can tell something is a little off at a certain point because eventually, the mask slips. The only people who have been able to tell are those with relatives on the spectrum so when I say I am on it it clicks in to place.

It really is exhausting and you can't keep it up. I want to stim a lot and started off in my new college doing so but then my paranoia and anxiety took hold so I started strictly masking again. You are incredibly drained and eventually end up worse than you would have had you just not masked, with the stress making you seem extra autistic or lose some basic functioning. In my case, thing s like the ability to make even the simplest decisions. I do however have dyspraxia as well which is a specific learning difficulty that affects me.

Rather than mask, I try to be one of the stereotypical eccentrics, such as an absent-minded professor. I had to tell my counsellor about how much distress I'm in after short social encounters, because I was "passing" so well.

^In short social encounters such as transacting business with small talk that lasts less than five minutes (e.g. grocery store, bank, gas station) I don't think there's any way that the other person could tell that I'm autistic.

Longer conversations due to lack of or sporadic eye contact and my mannerisms I'm confident people can pick up on something.

It can help to be prepared with all the information a clerk needs, sometimes including exact change. This gives them no reason to notice anything else.

Being prepared when having prior knowledge of the time and place of conversations in my life is what carried me through in ill suited career in sales. Prior to the dreaded sales calls, I'd commit a half a dozen topics and questions to memory and I'd alternate between commenting on the current event topics (ie small talk) and asking the person the questions knowing that people appreciate when they're asked to talk about themselves.

The problem would come into play only in the rare occasions where the length of the appointment or meeting would come close to or exceed the remaining topics/questions I had. I would start to develop anxiety and try very hard to mask it working to wrap up the appointment as quickly as possible for fear of my behavior noticeably changing and becoming nearly non-verbal.

I felt like I was the wheeled coach in Cinderella that would turn back into a pumpkin after the stroke of midnight.

I have noticed that comedians who interact with the audience develop some standard replies that work in a variety of contingencies.
I also used to visit socially with a mediator, and used to love listening to him field phone calls and smooth things over. He confided that he didn't really get a sense of really knowing what was going on for his clients, he was just testing out things from his "bag of tricks."

Yes, yes, and yes to recent posts. My therapist and ASD evaluator said I mask well b/c of brute force of intelligence. But even so, as you all are saying, I'm obviously ND when I've "run out". It would be nice to get more "scripts" in place to ease the exhaustion, set expectations of others so I can be myself more.

I can hide my autism when I'm asleep.

I always hid it because I didn't know what was wrong with me - if it was obvious someone would have said something a long time ago. I've been called shy, the voice of reason, that it's funny how I put things, too honest, etc. Good grades in school until I quit in grade 11, almost always worked but lied about my education - people assume I went to university. I get by because nobody really knows me. I know people but don't have friends, I'm out all the time but almost always alone, I live alone over 15 years now. At work I got away with it because I'm so detailed and worked alone most of the time. I'm really good at solving issues in a hurry, and people always trusted that when I said I'd do something it would get done on time and on budget. This let me advance.
But at home it has always been a different story. It's like my will is gone when there's nobody there to keep me on my toes, I have no incentive. Laid off now, but working recently at the bottom again as a parts dept warehouse associate, and it feels good. Physically active, not a lot of socializing and my supervisor probably has ASD too. We had some very weird and non-NT conversations, I admitted that I thought I has asperger's and he opened up a lot.
I haven't done my taxes since 2015 although perfectly capable, I start but rarely finish things, I moved in last June and half my things are not put away properly (but I'm not messy or dirty). When stressed (I think that's what causes it) I go into coma-like sleeping for 20 hrs or so and I'm fine when I wake up. When laid off I practically stayed in bed for a week - not sad or anything, just my mind/body playing catch up, I'm fine now. I can learn anything I want to given time, ebooks are so much easier than actual books, I cannot learn anything if I don't see the value in it for me, I own 3 different prescription glasses because my bp goes wonky a lot and I need to use the pair that work best, I'm a quitter and an avoider. I managed most of my life because I had a happy family for a while, and then was responsible for my kids. I would never let down someone or something I was responsible for - whatever the cost to me personally. My single mom of 9 kids always impressed on me "that you do what you gotta do" and I live by that.

Another thing - I apologize for being so long winded. But I noticed when I'm not I keep obsessing about adding things or changing things. Sorry.

I hope you get back to your regular job soon.

Maybe keep the hardware job as a “side hustle”?