Does the average person know what Asperger’s syndrome is?

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If you were to tell someone on the street you have Asperger’s syndrome how would they react? Do they even know what it is?

Probably not, like they probably would not know what it is exactly. Though some homeless people have seemed to get an ability to read people better....So like maybe one of them could see there is something different about me. I know I probably talked to a schizophrenic person at a bus stop. I mean they wanted to make some conversation but they did seem a bit crazy so like I kinda played along, just didn't want them to feel all alone I guess. But like he was telling me some pretty crazy things but like I figured he was high and/or messed up in the head so IDK it wasn't my place to give him a lesson of reality so well all I could really do was listen to some of the things he said and sort of go along with it. LIke he seemed so convinced in some of his crazyness it may have done more harm than good to have tried to set him straight. Not sure...But yeah he didn't seem like a bad dude, just well crazy. Like the stuff he said did not make sense but well I only had so much time to wait for my bus so I did talk to them a little.

Last edited by Sweetleaf on 29 Jan 2021, 11:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The standard for "average" has been slipping in recent years. I would say "no".

I doubt that the average person knows what AS is.

Mean or median? Ordered by height or weight?

Probably not...

No, the average person probably doesn't know what Asperger's Syndrome is. Quite a few might have heard of it and know some stereotype, but very few actually know what it is.

I think most are familiar with the word, around here at least, but I highly doubt that many of them would know much about it. Even medical professionals often tend to only be familiar with the text book stereotypes.

People are usually busy dealing with the complexities of their own lives to know the detail of something that doesnt impact them.

Some people don't know what AS is. I don't think my boyfriend has ever heard of it in his life, as his family all seem to be NTs. He even thinks autism is another word for dyslexia (reading dyslexia).

Not really. Up until a few years ago I had heard of it, and knew it was a dissability, but I did not know what is was or how it effected people.
I did not even realize that people could think in different ways so in my case, as I have a few traits (Awaiting to be assessed) I assumed that I was different through my upbringing.
I actually had people tell me they thought I had aspergers or autism and I thought that they were joking, but they seemed to be serious which puzzled me!
Until about five years ago, where even then I hardly knew a thing, I started dating a lady who had aspergers syndrome and I was completely baffled as to what it was because when I asked her, apart from two things, all the other traits I shared so I was puzzled as to what it was. (I mean, if you ask someone and they share traits that you also have, and you are thinking you are not on the spectrum but you know the other person is, and she tells you things that you see as normal for your life, you can be puzzled to try to fathom out just what aspergers syndrome is).

One think that did not make sense to my thinking when I asked was being told "We are wired differently" because I could not comprehend that in my mind, as somehow I can't think in these terms of being wired differently, as I can't comprehend what being wired differently would be like.
But if you told me that you had brain connections that did not make it and so rhe brain has overdeveloped other areas instead, it would make perfect sense for me to comprehend. That gives me a perfectly logical explanation as to what is going on in someones mind. I can comprehend that as it makes sense, and I can relate to it.

These are my thoughts in answering your reply. (And I do not know if I am on the specteum, but I think I am due to the traits I have).

I did not even know what NT meant or was until I joined this site and asked when I saw the term being used.

I think the odds are good that people will have heard about at least one Aspie, if only from Rain Man, but won't have much idea of the range of AS. They may expect you to be very much like their sole example.

What street?

My street probably would.

Many will be familiar with the name but have a limited stereotyped view of what it is.

I work within mental health services for children and its shocking how many health professionals have outmoded stereotyped views, so its hardly surprising that the wider public are so ill informed.

A colleague and I often play 'Autism Bingo' in meetings waiting to hear the inevitable

"He/she is only a little but Autistic"

"Its no big deal, we are all a bit Autistic"

"Well, she doesnt look Autistic"

"Obviously he cant feel emotions"

"She wont be able to understand humour"

and the classic

"The pandemic wont bother 'them' much as they dont like being around other people anyway'

We have a long way to go.

Rainman is not Aspie. He would be seen as being autistic with savant skills.

People who have some knowledge of Asperger’s and autism tend to think people with Asperger’s are “little professor types” as children, then they become someone who is smart, but socially awkward and maybe hygienically-challenged. They have jobs in IT or science.

People with Asperger’s are never seen as people institutionalized like Rainman.

^
Exactly.

Rain Man was an "idiot savant", and an autistic of the classic Kanner type (ie 'low functioning', level 3, whatever).

Not an 'aspie'.

If you're looking for a pop culture stereotypical "person with aspergers" your go to is not Rain Man, but Sheldon Leonard in the Big Bang Theory sitcom. Or even Spock in Star Trek.

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But to answer the question in the title of the thread... OF COURSE NOT!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !

Assume that folks you encounter have never even heard of aspergers. And if you encounter a member of the minority who have heard of it: assume that they have no idea of what it is.

The term "autism" has been around a lot longer than the term "aspergers" has been (in the non German speaking world) so unlike aspergers, most folks HAVE at least heard of autism. Though they may not really grasp what autism is, and not grasp that it is now considered to be a "spectrum".