Why I dont like telling people i have it

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When I was in year 11 of school, I had not been diagnosed with AS very long. I was very upset about it, and trying to ignore it, basically I just tried to forget it was there.

Anyway I had to go with my family for a meal, to the house of some of our old friends from years back. They were very close friends of my parents from long time ago . And their son didnt go to my school, but he knew lots of people in my year.

Well I went to the meal over the weekend, and went back to school the next monday. Anyway I was sitting in class, and I could over-hear people behind me talking about me quietly. They were saying that the son of the family, his parents had warned him that I had mental problems, and that I was a psychopath (which is not true- nothing like that has ever been said about me). And I didnt even know that the family knew I had AS, although I realise my parents must have told them sometime before. Amd he had passed it on to people in my year at school. So now I know that if people find out I have it they will jump to the conclusion that just because of having AS I am "mental" and a "psychopath".

This is the reaction that I get, or that I'm 'ret*d'. But by openly admitting I have it; I can prove I'm *not* these things. It's difficult to do though. I've told more people in the last month than in the rest of my life and it's scary. But I want to educate people.

I've never told anyone, unless they knew already.

I tell everybody and anybody that I'm Autistic, and I even have an Autistic Pride poster that I made and stuck to my notebook. But sometimes people don't believe that I'm Autistic because I'm a popular/sports teams/rap music/NIKE shoes type of person, and they have some stereotypes about Autistic folks.

People think of autistic people as ret*d. So I don't tell anyone.

I don't tell everyone I meet, but almost everyone who knows me personally is aware that I have it. Most people are misinformed about a lot of psychological issues. Before I was diagnosed, I didn't even really know what autism was.

Whenever I tell anyone about it, I make sure that I thoroughly explain what it is and answer all of their questions. Ignorance is what makes people call us 'psycopaths' or 'mental'. Tell people that you have AS, and then (more importantly) explain to them what it is.

I think it is interesting how many people think that autism and retardation always go together - when the truth is that some autistic people are ret*d just like some NT people are ret*d - I think it is just that it is so much more dramatic with autistic people . . . people are generally silly about that sort of thing . . .

I try to start discussions about autism at work sometimes - if I can bring it up - and they all think that it is so 'sad' when someone has a child with autism and that they hope there is a cure soon - I have made up a story that I read so much about autism because I know someone who was recently diagnosed (this is not a lie but simply stretching the truth) - and I had to put some meat on the story the other day and said that this person at church had a 12 year old who was recently diagnosed with a minor form of autism and this one lady said 'Is that her only child?' and I said 'Yes' (becuase I was most curious where this was going) and she said 'It must be so sad to have a child like that - is she young enough that she can still have more?'
It is important to note that this person is not a bad person - this is simply a great example of the way people feel about us . . .

Wait until I get my book published . . . it will blow their minds to find out about me

I look forward to reading it

Anyways, I tend to be rather selective about who I would want to tell, I posted a while back about the troubles I had in grade school when others found out that I got DX'ed with ADHD, which back in 1991 was a term that had yet to grace the american lexicon.

During the course of counseling, the idea was brought up to do a radio show on WRST, our campus radio station about AS. I would be comfortable with doing that since I would remain rather anonymous as people wouldn't have a face to go with my name.

But I feel less comfortable with telling professors that I have it since I don't want them looking at me as being someone "different" than everyone else.

I tend to keep it quiet too. That was really rude of that kids parents to tell him that.

Kids at school are jerks, try not to let them bug you. You'll have the last laugh in the end.

I usually don't tell people the word "syndrome" as they associate it with other things.

I just explain that I have an illness that makes me think differently, and get anxious sometimes.

I just tell people that I'm Eccentric and Intelligent.

I tell most people, often even just out of the blue which often gives even more silly reactions. Some of them understand, some of them don't, but i think those of them who don't even considered me "weird" before i told them so i stopped caring about their opinion...it's way too tiring to care about it anyway. I think it's their problem, not mine.

Since most people have never even heard of Asperger's, I don't say anything. I think when I can answer the question, "What's that?" in a few concise sentences I might feel differently about telling people. Right now though, I just don't like telling anyone that there's something different about me - period. I feel like there's enough wrong with me already.

Only one friend Of mine knows it, But just from people knowing me they have called me a pscopath! They always call me that... and monster, freak, idiot.... they also call me Elmo (WICH I HATE!) because I like Elmo from sesame street, and i have red hair. as it was explained to me "Your a freak who has a shirt that says Elmo on the back. you look like him and your ugly. your a monster!" school is horrible... I just came home early because of problems with my advanced english teacher, who has no understanding od AS or people who have it. *Sigh*

I don't tell people that I have AS unless I've known them for a long time. That way, the person has a good year to see and appreciate how Intelligent I am. I don't want to tell someone just for them to confuse my condition with Mental Retardation, or for some person to bluntly say, "You're just a little bit Slow." I've also dealt with people who don't have any idea what AS is. If I tell them that it's High Functioning Autism, sirens go off in their heads and they start thinking, Rainman and they might try to boss me around, to see if I'm weak enough to be Submissive. That's why I don't tell anyone anymore, unless I feel that I can absolutley trust that person to the max.

Thats exactly how I feel. its best not to tell them unless you fully trust them, and know that they will like youfor whoyou are.

i tend to tell just about everybody who stands still long enough. however, i do work in education, where people tend to know more about AS than the general populace. the reaction is usually "really?!" i think they are surprised, but then, that gives them an opportunity to learn more about AS in adults.