Openness about autism

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How open are you about your autism? Do you tell other people your autistic, or do you hide it?

Not at all open - My wife and oldest child, and my own parents know. The medical professionals who treat me know.

Open on the internet, secretive in real life.

Anyone I meet more than twice knows and all my facebook friends know.

I tell my professors, and I've told a few of my friends (I've actually had really long conversations with all three of the friends I told about it, they think it's really interesting).

Pretty much this. My friends and family know, mainly because I share my blogs on Facebook. My friends are cool about it. They're a bit older than me so they try to help out when they can. My employer knows because I got my job through being on a disability service.
One famous Australian rock band knows but that's because I had a meltdown at their show. Besides that, I keep it to myself.

What band was it?

I have AS, just to be clear, and I don't care who knows. I'm open about it. I'm hanging out with a new friend on Friday and up and told her that I have AS (and what it is, since she didn't know). In turn, she told me a related secret about herself. One friend said, "Well, that explains a lot!" when I told him (he'd never understood why I don't hug people when everyone else we know does, for example). Another friend apologised profusely for using "autistic" in a mocking way in my presense and swore never to do it again, whether or not I was around. Most people either asked questions about it, or were just like, "Oh, yeah, okay." Another of my friends has alcohol-induced schizophrenia -- she's very open about it, which encouraged me to be open about AS. They don't treat me any differently than they ever did.

However, I would NEVER mention it on a job interview out here in the Midwest. While I think it would make little difference on the East or West Coast, I think here it would put me right out of the running. To me, AS is a personal thing -- my choice who I tell and who I don't. However, I'm not the least bit ashamed of it, so I see no problem telling my friends or anyone who flat-out asks. (Only had one employer do so, and all she said was "I wish you had told me that earlier!")

I tell no one. Only people that know is my family, husband, aspie friends, doctors, mother in law, brother in law and his ex. Maybe my dad in law knows too and my sister in law. My husband has a mouth. I am sure my old school mates on my facebook know because I am in aspie groups there. Also my husband's friend knows I have it. I am sure my brother's friends know too. I have said on some forums I have it.

This is pretty much the only place I talk openly about my autism. I hardly ever mention it anywhere else.

I'm open about it, around the people that I trust. The only people that I don't mention it to, are NTs, who are 24 or younger.

i'm pretty open about it. people sometimes treat me differently when they learn but i'm getting used to it. i don't tell people if it doesn't come up.
i have had long conversations with curious people about my as. a lot people have this view of autism that limits their imagination to an uncommunicative person rocking in a corner. it's good to open their minds up.

I have found it necc. to be rather somewhat open about it....too many difficulties, struggles, mis communications rise up in my line of work on a day to day basis...that need some kind of explanation....

Everyone here thinks autism is rain man and aspergers is the guy off of Boston legal. I'd be crazy to tell anyone but the people that ought to know.

ditto although u would notice that im at least strange if u would see me in real live

Ma told everyone around here, and for good reason; people won't think I'm that strange loner who's a step away from abducting their children or shooting up the place. I'm friendly, and people would see it if I could show it. (Who do you think the police would turn to as a suspect if something happened? I know the local police too, so all is well there.)

I don't interact with anyone outside of the 'net (yet), but I'm sure some people will need to know eventually when I move outside of my shell.