You're not autistic!

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Mental health so-called professionals & social workers who deal with autism thought I communicated too well verbally & seemed too intelligent to have anything on the spectrum which is wrong because Aspies tend to be smarter & have a good vocabulary but are just direct & blunt with communication which I am.

I am seeking answers because I feel like I really relate to Aspergers but when I ask people close to me if they think I could be, they just laugh at me. Though people that don't know me as well say, "probably." Though I don't want to get carried away and mock people that do struggle with it just because I'm trying to understand my own, unique struggle.

It makes me mad when people compare others to a stereotype. Where do they get their expert information from? How many professionals have they talked to about it? How many books have they read on the subject. Then again, there I am again assuming that "normal" people have no idea what they are talking about.

On my other forums people say I don't seem autistic. They don't say that like they don't believe I am. Just that I come across really well to them.

I don't, but I don't disclose my autism. I think if people aren't directly exposed to it, they either assume autistic people are completely non-verbal, so I'm always assumed to just "be weird" instead of autistic.

I told a good friend, who has known me for more than a decade, that I think I was on the spectrum. His first reaction wasn't great.

"Oh, Hell No! Aspergers is a fad diagnosis! I've known several aspies and I have to say that I disagree wholehartedly. Just because you're different doesn't mean there's something wrong with you!"

At the time, realizing I may be on the spectrum was a huge life changing event. His negative reaction really hurt and it negatively affected my view of our friendship.

Since then, I got an ASD Dx and I mentioned it in a text to him and he didn't respond to, or acknowledge it. That kinda hurt too because I'm finally figuring myself out and am much more content with who I am. He recently moved to the east cost and I hate to say it, but I didn't see him before he left and I have no idea how long (if ever) it will be until I see him again.

Oh yeah --- right here on Wrong Planet, many times, just for expressing a personal quality that other people on the spectrum thinks is something "only NTs" do or feel or have or experience. Even AFTER I finally got diagnosed. But diagnosis isn't even good enough for some people on here. Would LOVE to hear some of these folks telling my psychologist face to face that they think she's full of sh!t because they think I'm full of sh!t.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/5fTBM_3sdwE[/youtube]

Ugg YouTube you fail me again there is no s or anything oh I'm so frustrated

As far as my family is concerned I'm not any different then the rest of the them. So with that being said, I'm either NT or my whole family could be autistic.

What Does it Mean to 'Look Autistic?' A writer’s reflections on the pain of “passing” for neurotypical - Atlantic Magazine

I also get told that I don't look autistic by many people. I think they're comparing me to Rain Man and their kids.

My mother often says she "knows I have mental problems" and calls out my autistic behavior. But she gets extremely angry and in denial if the possibility of me having ANY sort of mental illness/autism is suggested. *facepalm*

NTs say that stuff ALL THE TIME. I'm only just starting to talk to people about myself, but having a (diagnosed) aspie partner and having worked with people with autism for 4 years I can't tell you how many times I've had these conversations with people about it.

At the weekend I was talking to a friend of a friend who works in mental health. She was reading 'The Reason I Jump'. We were talking about one of her clients and it sounded very much like she could be on the spectrum. I mentioned that and this woman said 'No, she has empathy and she has a sense of humour, so she can't be autistic'. I managed to give a calm response but I wanted to punch her in the face. It worries me when people who work in mental health know nothing about autism.