Would you disclose....

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My brother mentioned yesterday that he and my sister will be both be going for their dx of Asperger's next year. They are going to get assessed at the same time. I just sat there and nodded my head. I am in the process of diagnosis. They are just really tweaking where i sit on the spectrum at the moment. I feel my brother most likely is Aspie too, but i doubt my sister is.

I don't really have anything to do with my siblings due to abuse issues growing up.

Would you have told that you are in the middle of diagnosis?

I'm still experimenting with telling people I have AS. I am still undiagnosed, though, so my situation is quite a bit different than yours. The reactions of coworkers I've told have ranged from denial to being very supportive, so it's a mixed bag. When I finally get my diagnosis, that will change things for me, I think.

As for your situation, I'd say it has more to do with the fact that you don't get along with your siblings. I'd have probably done the same in your role.

In your situation, I can't see a reason not too. It sounds like a personal problem between you and your siblings, not really related directly to autism.

I personally lean towards disclosure. Some are really into disclosure because they are also working hard on advocacy. I suspect that in the future I will end up there as well. But the common advice is to judge each situation carefully. People can be real jerks and revealing your ASD can cause problems.

I should have also disclosed that when i got my son diagnosed with LFA, it ripped my whole family apart because our parents don't believe in it.

I don't tell my family anything, really. I told my oldest sister, my father's first daughter, and she seemed to understand at the time, but when I couldn't go to my father's funeral, they really didn't get it... despite having full understanding for our nephew, who has social anxiety disorder and could not go. There wasn't even going to be anyone there who would've been negative and confrontational. If it weren't for my mother being there, I would've gone. She didn't have him buried. She told people he'd be buried at the same time as her. I have no idea where she's buried or if she's buried. They both might be on my brother's (her son's) fireplace mantel. Who knows.

But that experience taught me not to bother telling people if I don't completely trust them. I treat it like a secret. If someone can keep a secret, they will respect me enough to know this about me. It's a lot easier for my son to tell people and it's a lot easier for people to understand my son when I tell them. There's no judgment or weirdness. It's like it makes sense to them and they think it's cool. I'm convinced me saying the same about me wouldn't get the same response, though. But I think it's awesome that it works for him. Probably because he's a kid. At some point, he might stop telling people. Who knows.

Yea of course I would if the topic came up. It's akin to saying that I love cooking, I'm a quiet person, I love concerts... I mean it's just a word that encompasses a wider variety of traits that describe me. The people I'd tell probably already know how I am to some degree and I'd just be giving them a word to describe me better than, "She's aloof."

I want people to understand me... I'm going to try to explain to them to the best of my ability why I am the way I am. There's no reason to hide that unless you're vulnerable and in danger.

In the scenario you described, I would have told them, as AS has genetic ties and thus you having it means a greater chance of them having it as well.

I think I would, given my relationship with my two siblings... actually, they already know (my brother, two years older, has known since I was diagnosed, and I think my sister, a year younger, knew a couple of years later)... but if you don't feel comfortable disclosing personal information like that and if you don't have a good relationship with them due to problems while growing up, I wouldn't worry about it and feel pressured to do so.

I think that would be a great opportunity to disclose.