Fear of being 'found out?'

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As I touched on in another topic, that's a big deal for me, but I want to know what everyone else thinks.

I don't advertise the fact that I have AS. I've accepted the fact that I can't not be a bit of an oddball, but the idea of someone who knows the ins and outs of AS, seeing me and putting two and two together, terrifies me. It's the prejudice I fear most, that people who have known me for ages will suddenly see the need to treat me differently.

There's one person in my life right now who scares me more than anything, and she's the mother of a severely autistic girl on my hockey team. This woman, despite being well meaning, doesn't seem to understand discretion lately, she's taken an interest in me as well. She's been inferring that I, more than anyone, should be able to understand her daughter, because I am a bit 'different'...everytime she says something like that I feel a bit sick. I can't tell if she knows or if I'm just being paranoid - but the main thing that's bothering me is that if she does know, she wouldn't think anything of telling everyone else at the rink.

I feel sick just typing this but is that reasonable of me? Does anyone else fear being 'found out?' How do you deal? Or do you feel that telling people about your diagnosis is a positive thing?
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the trials and tribulations of a girl pretending to be normal

I never like telling people I have it. I have many reasons why I don't tell.

i posted an article on my facebook page about famous folks who might have had AS. from that, one of my friends then guessed that i had it. i didn't deny it. he lives far away and doesn't have any contact with the folks i work with, so it's not a big deal.

I personaly don't care if I get "found out" or not. I'm still the same person and if they want to treat me diffrently once they find out I'm autistic, that's their problem, not mine.

Everyone with autism has their own right to how they feel about the issue of telling or not telling people about their autism. As for me, if someone were to ask, I would tell them I had autism. If someone who doesn't know that I have autism begins talking about someone who has autism, I comment that I have a form of autism called Asperger's. I was diagnosed in 2008 and many people around me now know I have Asperger's---in my family, at work, at church, and other places. I have had no negative problems emerge from any of these. But...I can understand where it could be a concern for people. So, I respect everyone's right to deal with this in the manner he or she sees fit.

Personally, I wouldn't want to tell people out of "honesty is the best policy," but because I think the more people can see how many people have it, and that many of us are not the kind of stereotype they might picture, the better they might treat the issue/other people they meet on the spectrum.

If someone asks, I will answer honestly. I don't go around telling people I'm autistic though.

I voted no, but only as a way to not vote yes.

I don't fear being found out. I don't look forward to having to explain it, either. No one policy works best in every situation, except maybe "What would Louis Armstrong do?"

Among close friends, I don't fear being found out since they probably suspect it. It's impolite to ask someone whether they have some disorder, so I doubt that they will ever ask. It's really none of their business anyway. As a high functioning type, I come off as a bit eccentric, but it's not painfully obvious that I have it. I don't understand why someone would want to tell people they have autism when no one asks. Unless it's really needed to explain their overly odd behavior, there's no need to trumpet to the world that you have ASD. To me, it's as weird as telling the world that I have cancer or HIV.

I'm entirely open about the fact that I have Asperger's. I posted on google+ as soon as I got my diagnosis. I'm openly writing a blog in order to try to help educate both people who are possibly on the spectrum and those who are not that are associated with people I know.

The only reason I'd not tell someone who asked is if I was not comfortable speaking to the person at all.

The hockey mom probably doesn't know about you and just said what she did "because you are different." Well, a lot of people can be different & quirky w/o having AS.

As for myself, I don't hide the fact that I have AS, but I don't go out of my way to advertise it either.

I didn't vote, because I haven't told anyone yet, but no-one has asked, not even "why are you different" they just go straight to the bullying, and also I plan on saying it in my speech next year, which will be about Asperger's. (It's too late for this year)

Well ever since a young age I have kinda felt the need to stay under the radar........I did seem pretty clueless, but I did hear when the teachers talked about me behind my back and was paying attention during the parent teacher confrences, maybe the fact I seem oblivious when I am not actually being oblivious has served me well. But yeah I had no clue I had any sort of disorder I just knew I was different and was afraid if I made it too obvious people might cause harm to me........my theory was they would try to get me on medication to try to control me and some teachers did suggest that to my parents and I was aware of it.

I voted "no", but I think I understand the "all honesty" approach as well. On the long term, I guess I'd stick to the latter.

Meanwhile, as long as I have to count with prejudice, I'm more concerned about this, and I'm willing to disclose it only in little steps. (That is, after I got diagnosed and it's positive.)

There's one thing I fear. It's that when I act awkwardly and do wrongs to others in a way that may be a result of having autistic disorder or AS, it's simply not fair for others with ASD to imply in any ways that my "bad behavior" may be a result of having it. Does it make sense? I don't want to use it as an excuse.

I voted no, but it's just because I don't really feel the need to have to explain myself to people who I don't necessarily care about. I mean you don't get NT's explaining that their NT and that's why they behave in their special little way do you?

Only if the topic of conversation directly relates to ASDs and I have reason to say it.