"You Don't Look Autistic"

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People have told me that I seemed very intelligent when I say I have autism/Asperger's.

Does that mean that looking autistic is bad?

Not in my world.

nt,s think that we should rock 24/7 and not be able to talk

Those who have known me since high school or before, when I bring up the possibility/likelihood, they pause then it seems to make sense. To those whose experience of me is only from my adult years, they freak out a little and are instantly dismissive because I don't 'appear' that way to them.


M.

I've been told I look ret*d... oh my. I've had a couple people ask if I'm Autistic or a nerd after just meeting me, and I don't even know for sure if I'm spectrum yet.

u should get a diagnose

I usually get soo many stares, and ppl usually say whats wrong with her? is she mentally ret*d? never autism, i wish there was a distinct look for autism. we were at a car show benefit for a cure for musclar dystrophy today, and one guy didnt know what it was, so i pointed to a guy who clearly had it, and the guy goes "ohh your lucky, your condition isnt noticable" except he said disease not condition but we wont go there. It made me think like sometimes i wish it was, sometimes i wish i was known as autistic rather then mentally ret*d just once. So i totally know what u mean by not looking autistic, there is no look, just characteristics such as flapping or rocking, and even then people dont always notice, so your not alone!

Look at my dx history in my profile... I might just have other things with similar symptoms... I have social problems, obcessions, fidgity "stims?" and space out, tantrums as child... I for sure am bipolar and female... an expert I couldn't afford would have to sort me out.

Yeah I have gotten a few times from people. The first time in my life to my face was when I was 15 from a few girls on my softball team. I don't think I ever got that again till I was 21 by a stranger.

Those girls watched Rain Man and saw how good his memory is and how he talks about fasts, they compared him to me and asked if I am autistic. They even assumed I was a savant. I had to tell them my memory isn't that good.

But I was asked lot of times in my childhood if I am ret*d and was also called it a lot and made fun of.

Well just so you know, there are physical disabilities that are invisible as well.

For instance, I have fibromyalgia. No one can see it, but it's there. I have arthritis, but not a disfiguring type, and no one can see that either. When I say I need to stop and rest, people wonder why? When you try to tell them about it, and the pain, they think you're just a malingerer. So it's not much different than this.

I know people with dyspraxia, and they look completely typical, till they start to speak.

We are all different, and it's probably a good idea never to assume another's life is easier or better, because everyone has something going on whether you can plainly see it or not.

My daughter has Asperger's and is gifted. I most likely have Asperger's as well, and I believe my dad did. Everyone on my dad's side of the family is fairly on the eccentric side, so i think it runs rampant. The most disconnected family of people you've ever seen too!

An adult with Asperger's gave me some fine advice, if the label gets you something you need, use it, If it doesn't, it's not necessary to tell those who don't need to know. Knowledge of this does not necessarily bring understanding. Not yet anyway

Say
"You don't look dumb and ignorant!"

I've gotten the good ol' "you don't look like you have it" comments and I once has someone not believe me. She was trying to be helpful to say that she was sure that I didn;t have a disorder and that I was just a bit excitable and quirky. I said i had a diagnosis, but was still not believed. Another time I had a teacher assume i had it with out me even saying I did: on the first day of class, we all were telling our majors and schools we want to transfer to. I explained about occupational therapy and autism and san jose state that is iin the middle of silicon valley which has a high population on the spectrum. first she commented on autism and how it was important that people work in that field and said "we difinitely need to find a cure" and said that she had a student with aspergers once and said "maybe you know him"

I think aspies do look a little "geeky" but it is frustrating i get people saying you "don't seem like you have a disability" maybe they mean well but still it does piss me off.

My doctor told me that I'm not autistic, although she's never heard about the AS. Probably the word "autism" is all that she knows. So, I'm self-diagnosed.

"i find their lack of information disturbing"