What are the upsides and downsides of a diagnosis?

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So, I'm looking into getting an evaluation and I was wondering what are the upsides and downsides of *having* a diagnosis of autism/HFA/Aspergers? The cost issue of the evaluation isn't an issue I'm concerned with, it's the potentially much larger long-term costs of such a diagnosis and usage of that information.

How does it affect employers? Does a diagnosis of autism generally improve or decrease your likelihood of being hired in the event that you actually do have autism and you share that diagnosis with your employer? Does it affect how you are treated in the company (Are fellow employees more understanding of your difficulties and tend to be more accommodating instead of regarding you as the local a**hole, or would they be that much more likely to treat as you as a pariah with *that* disease) by coworkers and your boss?

How confidential are diagnoses kept in the USA?

What would be the longterm wisdom of sharing a diagnosis with a teacher of a group-based course? I mean, sure, he might be willing to make accommodations so that you aren't sand-bagged by your team mates or, if you are, he might make sure it won't significantly affect your grades, but will the knowledge leak out into the "business world" now that your fellow student peers and teacher knows about it and thereby potentially endanger your future employability?

What about health and car insurance companies and how that might affect premiums?

What about the wisdom of sharing a diagnosis with someone you're in love with? Would they tend to be more understanding, or would there be a greater likelihood of being categorized into an "unacceptable category" thereby risking the ruining of the relationship? (I already read about this happening once on WP.) Is there an optimal time to 'share it', such as possibly after you've legally shackled him/her through marriage?

I'm just curious about all the longterm impacts of a diagnosis, and wondering if a diagnosis is at all worth it.

It doesn't affect my premiums. In fact, my driving record is so spotless I could eat a slice of pepperoni pizza off it.

I'm curious about this as well. I'm posting here so I can watch the responses.

Unless you have some specific agenda in mind for a dx, I would say to not get one. I had mine removed officially. That said, I disclosed at my workplace and am very open about it. I just don't think it needs to be on anything official.

Hmm. Interesting.

As far as letting your coworkers know of your diagnosis, I am still working on that one. I, of course, don't have an official diagnosis yet and that changes things considerably, but some concepts will be similar.

Since realizing I have Asperger's, I've experimented a little with telling coworkers about it and have generally gotten either disbelief or positive results. A couple people have tried arguing the point and a couple have been accepting. Luckily, I've had one coworker, a fellow manager, who is very supportive. I've explained it to her and she understands most of it. She agreed to try to explain things to me when I don't understand and I've agreed to try to fix problems when she brings them to my attention. So far, this has helped tremendously because one of my biggest problems was lack of social feedback due to my inability to read facial expressions and body language. Should you choose to disclose your diagnosis to your coworkers, I hope you find someone as supportive.

As for bosses, I haven't told any of my bosses yet because they all hate me and it would just give them more ammunition. I hope to keep that status quo until I get an official diagnosis.

'Intensifier', I think you're on to something there.

We should remember that a professional diagnosis can be useful where there is personal doubt about one's condition, as I have some additional issues aside from just ASD that a professional could help me alleviate.

Regarding employment, there are several 'recommended' or 'optimal' career paths that are discussed at length in numerous threads on this site as well as elsewhere on the internet. Here is an interesting article that I ran into regarding one computer firm's decision to focus their hiring on autistic candidates, as it is theorized that the traits associated with ASD make the individuals more suitable for the kind of work involved:

Software Company Only Hires People With Autism

Once you disclose information about your ASD to any of your coworkers, it'll be no secret any more. Furthermore, my experience suggests that with time you have a strong chance to be accepted as you are.

In the past I have fought with some of my colleagues, but - perhaps I was fortunate - I was eventually accepted by my employer and my boss. I feel they accept me somehow (hope it will last) and know by their instinct what can be expected from me, what are those things I need assistance or support with, and also they seem to be patient when I don't do something up to the standard, maybe being able to sense the relation to my condition.

So, it might be a special region-based decision of mine, I won't disclose information of my future-DX to anybody at my workplace. (They have to find out about this website first.)