Do you ever tell people you're autistic?

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I'm pretty open about my autism - more so than I used to be. People seem mostly cool with it.

Only to my closest friends - who need to adapt themselves to me in various ways (avoid yelling, certain textures...) and to whom I need to be honest, since that's the kind of friendship I want.


My family would brush it off as me being a crzy b*tch - as they did with the rest of my mental issues.

I usually tell people some point during our first encounter, and if not then most definitely the second time.

Sometimes when I randomly approach strangers on the street or at the supermarket to ask them if they or their child has Autism. The typical response is either a "How did you know?" or "Why do you ask?" at which point I reveal that they are not alone, albeit somewhat less dramatically.

Fallowing the advice of an Autistic friend, I avoid approaching people in groups, just in case on the off chance they're not quite out of the closet just yet.

I find that the most interesting of these encounters are the ones where the adult, or child's guardian, is not even aware that they have Autism. It's like being some kind of holy divine messenger with answer to all life's woes. Again I'm being overly dramatic.

Almost everyone I know knows that I know that they know they know that I have Autism.

I mean I even put it down on my CV (job application form). Normally I just have it down as "High Functioning Autism" unless I think having Autism will improve my chances, then I just put down Autism. Employers always ask about it every time regardless. My favorite noncommittal response was "Mr. Land Name. Just to clarify. You have Autism?", "Yes.", "I see. You carry it well.". Of course putting just Autism by itself raises a lot of curiosity, gives good chance to step up and really pitch it.

Ultimately, I relish informing Police Officers. They normally approach me with a general "You think your so tough?" swagger, then I start talking and the preconception is instantly broken, then the revelation that I have Autism, Ah...

I don't lead with it, but I'm pretty open.

As a Black male this is how most people approach me. Since I'm stereotyped to be hypermasucline, aggressive, and speak ebonics but it throws people off when they see how atypical I am to their expectations.

I generally don't, unless I know them really well and somehow find it necessary (for example, if I feel that I made a faux pas or something)...