"You definitely don't have Asperger's"

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I've had this too, from well-meaning people and rude people alike. My response is "that's fascinating, where did you receive your training in psychiatry?"

Their answer is invariably that they don't have any, and then I just say: "exactly."

I've had people who I don't know, tell me I don't have Autism. None of them are trained diagnose people either. What a surprise.

I've had that; one of my closest friends, who was my teacher in high school told me I couldn't have it. When I told him I was fairly certain I had AS, and proceeded to list off the ways in which I met the DSM criteria, he said he didn't think I had it because he'd had another kid on his forensics team (one of my friends too) who had it, and he hated being touched, where I was okay with it. I must not have it because I enjoy hugs and don't have a problem being touched for the most part. He thought my sensory problems, difficulty with change and poor social skills all had to do with the fact that I was highly sensitive. I just decided not to bring it up around him again.

Mhmm, I told my friend that I have HFA traits and similarities and he told me that his cousin was diagnosed with AS. He said that since I wasn't similar to his cousin, there was no way I could have HFA. I don't care much, just funny that he bases attributes of people on other people.

This woman does not know what she is talking about (this is directed at the original post) and quite frankly this is discrimination. Unfortunately it seems the statutes are not written for people like us. I think aspies need to start picketing and demanding that we are not being treated as humans and are rights are being violated. Who's with me? Honestly I would do it in a second.

Anyways, I just do not understand why it is so hard for NTs to learn about us and treat us with respect. I mean if you did this to someone who was handicapped, Jewish or African-American than no one one would want to know this woman. Such Ignorance. It is just the legacy of bigotry that mars most modern societies. It is a virus and a disease.

I have had this before: "you talk too much to be an aspie" or "you seem completely normal to me"

And get this I read an article that talks about acting and aspies and how many do really well at it. I mean I have heard numerous times that Tom Hanks is supposedly asperger.

It is not surprising that many of the things we know about math, science, and technology were all improved by supposed aspies. It makes perfect sense to me that aspies change the world in many ways. It seems NTs do not give them enough credit.

I had a professor that would talk about Autism and AS all the time, often making false statements. Then, when i woulf try to politely inform him of his mistakes, he would dismiss my comments as though I hadn't the slightest idea of what I was talking about. When he learned of my AS, he was fascinated by how high functioning I am. Another professor knew almost immediately when he met me that I was on the spectrum. I never confirmed his suspicion, but he admitted to me that he had suspected it.

People shouldn't make assumptions about a condition that they do not have. "Well I know someone who has it..." Think of it like this:

I have a Tic Disorder where my vocal tics fade completely, then come back the next day or so. It doesn't qualify as Tourettes, but if someone asks I tell them I have Tourettes because I don't want to take the time to explain. Now the typical "Isn't that where people yell out swear words and stuff?" comes and I have to explain for them that I don't swear with my tics.

It's a mistake we make as "humans" that they make themselves. Everyone does them, but I kind of restrain what and who I tell my neurological status to.

OP: I also have run into people with singular thinking such as this (thinking that people with AS all have the same problems), oftentimes they don't understand that the condition is a spectrum condition and that no two people who have it are alike in most regards. This seems to come from the thinking that AS has specific symptoms that must hold true regardless of the person, in order for the diagnosis to be accurate, when in reality there are multiple symptoms, only a few of which are even necessary to fit in with the diagnosis.

Most people don't realize that some learn how to cope with what we have, while others are unable to, and the ability to cope doesn't mitigate the effects, it just makes it less obvious for everyone else. Which can be both a blessing and curse, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, someone who can cope would be called a liar, on the other hand, someone who's unable to cope is viewed as "broken". We can't win either way.

I hate when people do that. Not so much on a sense of 'discrimination' so much as not believing me (because I try to be honest) and from feeling that they probably don't have enough information to make a proper decision on that sort of thing.

Agreed on it generally being out of ignorance, and on saying 'how are you more qualified than a doctor who's certified to diagnose?' I figure it can also be a form of discrimination/bigotry (even if not always). I feel like they should at least know what they're talking about, or check with the person before making their own assumptions. (E.g. 'I'm not X, I'm Y. If you're going to _____, do your research.')