Why would someone pretend to have aspergers?

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But you would think actually getting sympathy from people for something they were faking might make them feel guilty later.
Maybe for the same reason why people say they have ADHD when they get distracted in class. Or why people say they have OCD when something a little off bothers them.
Everyone has quirks. Maybe another reason is because some people don't know the difference between a few quirks and a disability.

Accept on line people lie about everything. The autonomy is not always a good thing. Some lie about being Aspie the same reason some people will lie about having any other disorder. There are cancer scams, imaginary people, death of relatives, and a million other lies to get attention.

However, I was diagnosed with dyslexia at 27. I was and still and told that I write poorly. My dad was in his late 30's before he was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADD. Some of us older folks have not had the benefit of diagnoses. It hurts to be told you are just being lazy or careless -- my grandparents died not believing there was something different about my dad. His brothers and sisters still tell him he is making it up You should hear some of the sh**y things they say about his PTSD from Dessert Storm and Afghanistan tours.

Sometimes, people with say they are Aspie because their is something not typical but they don't have the resources or are afraid to find out what is different/wrong.

I guess without as much of the joking, I should be clear...

that honestly my belief would be someone who might be very mildly autistic trying to make excuses for short-comings.

there is a reason that we call people NT, and those people have a scale too... not everybody fits the exact range of typical... I would be willing to bet that there is a logarithmic scale where you could easily assign a percentage that represented a measurable scale (al la amplitude)

Someone who has similar issues but never struggled to fight them (perhaps someone who is socially awkward but was protected from bullying so they never worked to become less awkward) might assign their selves as somewhere in an autistic scale in order to make an excuse as to why they don't need to become less socially awkward.

So far, I don't know a ton of autistic people offline in a super close way... but then again I don't know a lot of people offline in much more than a casual friendship way. But I know NT people who are inept in general... and they would probably jump at the opportunity to have an excuse for that in order to get away with it

to Trainbuff specifically: I actually really appreciate external validation so your words are very nice and I want to say thanks I figure you are probably right BAP or otherwise but I get insecure about stuff so its easier to come in cold and turn up the heat as I learn.

^This. I think a lot of people really just don't understand the difference. If they read about a disorder and can identify with some of it, they think they have it. They don't understand that it has to be pervasive and pretty much affect your entire life.

I know when I have talked to people about what ADHD is like (years ago, I don't bother anymore) some will just roll their eyes and say, well everyone has those problems. That's why some people dimiss it as not being a real disorder. And it's also why some people will think they have it too, even though their issues are really mild in comparison to someone who actually has ADHD. They think because they can check several symptoms off a list, they must have it too.

Personally I have never heard of anyone pretending to have Asperger's, other than people talking about it here. Does this really happen a lot? I really don't understand how someone would benefit from doing so.

The person who I know who faked it did it because to her Asperger's was preferable to depression and social anxiety. She'd rather have had an excuse for being the way she was than those, despite not matching enough traits and the traits she matched being behaviors that developed after being bullied.

She wanted to be autistic. It would let her fit in with a group. It'd give an explanation that was one that made her feel less broken. It would let her not have to worry about being the way that she is.

She faked by convincing herself. And then she admitted that it was all a lie later on (and was seeing a good counselor who was helping with her issues).

I don't think this is hugely common, but I've seen it happen.

Yup. I totally understand that.

I am starting to get the impression there are more accusations or assumptions that someone is faking, then people actually faking.

Some of my friends started saying they thought they might be Aspergic (and one of them outright claimed he was) to try and pass off their normal less than polite tendencies.

They didn't stop until I offered to give all of their parents numbers to the person that diagnosed me so they could find out for sure

Why would someone pretend to have AS? My guess is so they can say whatever they want and get away with it or be rude all they want and get away with it or have people go easier on them so they wouldn't be forced to socialize or so they can have things go their way and get special treatment.


Same reason why someone would fake a disability by being in a wheelchair so they get all these accommodations (That is what I have heard) or people faking a learning disability so they get more time on their tests or more time on their school work or have their work modified so they wouldn't have to do as much (also what I have heard). But I honestly think it be hard to fake it because then people know know it's BS because you can't be normal and then disabled the next day. Plus for schools to accommodate the student, the parents are going to need to get an IEP for their child and have doctor records so can parents really pretend their kid has a disability as well for these school accommodations? I am not sure how it works in college though like if you need your IEP records medical records to get accommodations.

For AS, anyone can say they have it and people who don't know them well or don't know them at all would just believe it and excuse anything they do.

I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as a child and stayed with the same doctor for four years according to my mum. She called it Aspergen Syndrome, which confused me for the longest time. As a senior in high school I began to research the disorder and found that I did have a lot of the 'quirks' and yet... Now that I'm older and not a child more often than not I'll tell someone that I am Aspie and they'll tell me that it is impossible. Even my mother will scold me and tell me 'not to hide behind the diagnosis'. I'm not hiding, I'm merely letting people know... I don't understand.. When I knew nothing about being Aspie I didn't know why I did what I did, but now that I know and try to explain to people it's using it as an excuse...?

I feel that people should except you for who you are. It doesn't matter what quirks or how different you are or whether you are green, blue or orange. At the diability agency I goto we are not to make fun of each others differences and are taught to except everyone and to learn about everyones disability even if the person does not bring out the typical symptoms of the disability that, that person is suppose to bring out. I don't feel that us Aspies would intentionally use our other disabilities ( I hate using that word) to get away with things even how elementry they are. I still feel that people need to be educated and understand alot more about us AS and people who are gifted ( I dont like the label disabled ) down syndrome, cerabal pausey for example and let people know that using our disability whatever it is and faking that disability as a way to get away with things such as car parking, or to get out of working or doing something against the law is wrong and should not be tolerated, neither should the taunts from people who accuse people who have a geniune disability of the same thing and then go and slander that accusation intentionally to put that person down due to not accepting that person for who they are and for that person being different or outside the box of normal or its the unknown they are scared of, interesting how they have gone to such lengths as as to write it down on a AS website they must be feeling guilty an apology is in order I say and oh yes I am capable of using a computer and to think, spell and to write this response on my own.

Hypochondriacs: the biggest epidemic facing our modern world

In this day and age we all have access to information previously only known by doctors and psychiatrists. There are ups and downs to this. Awareness of many conditions (such as those that fall on the Autism Spectrum) is on the rise, leading perhaps one day to a more educated public. However, in many cases, those studying the human mind without a teacher to warn against it, might find themselves 'resembling' every item in the DSM. I don't think the vast majority of people know they're doing it. Heck! Even Freud did it! Perhaps some of them, when faced with the less appealing sides to a diagnosis, will revert back to the whole "No, I was just kidding, I don't really have [[insert Dx here]]" thing.

No its not an excuse you have all the right to talk about your Aspergers, I talk about it all the time in a good way a positive way I'm proud to be who I am I tend to talk about Aspergers to people because I do act different and respond different to NTs and I tend to take things literally so I feel its polite to let people know just in case I suddenly have a autistic meltdown a spack according to other people and stand up and start throwing chairs and hitting things and yelling. I've been reported to the real estate by neighbours in my set of units when I had a couple of meltdowns and they were unaware, did not know I had Aspergers the real estate found out I have Aspergers Syndrome from my Mum and the real estate agent kindly went out of her way which is rare for a real estate agent to find out more about Aspergers Syndrome to even buying a book about Aspergers and looking up the internet to understand me more and to find out what things upset me and makes me have a meltdown which was nice of her and I appreciate it. But there are the minority who choose not to understand and not except you for who you are and aren't interested at all if you mention Aspergers at all they will accuse you for being a attention seeker a fake, pretending to use Aspergers syndrome which mind you they think its made up and have no idea that Aspergers even exists and take what you say totally round the wrong way misinterprate and not understand what you say. Believe you me I have that problem on a regular basis were I live and I would not want you to go through that. Be selective and careful on who you tell.

This is the most civil forum I have ever frequented, lol!

I guess people fake it because they just want to act like a punk and get away with it.

I know some people fake stuff but I wouldn't ever do it myself. It makes no sense to me.

Back when I first got online a real life friend of mine seemed to think that I must be making all kinds of stuff up to impress my online friends or whatever. I never did that and don't understand why my friend would think I would do that or what I would even get out of doing that. If I made a bunch of stuff up online no matter how people reacted I wouldn't benefit from it because I would know it's not true. I don't like lying.