How do people react when you tell them you are an Aspie?

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ajlposh
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16 May 2012, 8:21 pm

I am in a co-ed service fraternity, and one night, we had everyone talk about some of our weak points. I bought up that I was awkward (I actually probably have much worse weak points than that, but I digress), and then admitted that I have Asperger's. This had been something I had wanted to tell that group for quite a while, because I consider them my best friends. Everybody was actually quite surprised, saying that I appear quite sociable with them.



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16 May 2012, 8:40 pm

"Is that why you're such a weirdo sometimes?"... :roll:



Dp0p
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16 May 2012, 8:55 pm

tl:dr the l means lazy in this circumstance, they react with disbeleif often because i am an able socialiser and i dont look 'weird' (why do they assume i should look weird to be an aspie?)
umm im tired so im gonna stop typine right about NOW


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2wheels4ever
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16 May 2012, 9:34 pm

It has been positive overall from the few people I've shared it with, and several have been congratulatory and see my saying so as part of my triumphs



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16 May 2012, 11:00 pm

I've told only a small group of people that I may have AS; of them, a common reaction is along the lines of, "you always seemed a little different..." or, "Yeah, I've noticed <insert trait> about you."



EstherJ
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16 May 2012, 11:09 pm

"Asperger's, what's that?"
- ensue long, drawn-out description in lecturing mode.
"Ok, you're not normal."
-trying to continue long, drawn out description, because I like describing it.
"Ok, let's move on to a different topic.."

Every time.



Kinme
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16 May 2012, 11:19 pm

EstherJ wrote:
"Asperger's, what's that?"
- ensue long, drawn-out description in lecturing mode.
"Ok, you're not normal."
-trying to continue long, drawn out description, because I like describing it.
"Ok, let's move on to a different topic.."

Every time.


And that. That way more often than what I put above.



vanhalenkurtz
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17 May 2012, 3:20 am

Kinme wrote:
"Is that why you're such a weirdo sometimes?"


I'd rather have a PhD in weirdo than a GED in normal.


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izzeme
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17 May 2012, 3:59 am

generally, i get something along the lines of "ah, that explains a lot"



NeueZiel
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17 May 2012, 4:28 am

I'm too scared to tell anyone in person because I'm worried they'll be one of those folks that are highly conservative and think I just need a bunch of wallops to the head. My mother has told relatives though, most of them just say "Oh well not surprised, lots of smart people have that."



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17 May 2012, 4:40 am

Depends on the person. I've heard:

"What?!? You... Asperger's?!? Really?!? ...ARE YOU SURE?!?"
"Oh yeah? That's Nice." (disinterested)
"Oh really? That's soooo cool! I like, totally couldn't tell! Yeah, cool!" :?
"Ok. So? What do you want ME to do about it?" :? :? :?
"Yeah. We know."
"WTF is an Ass Burger?"



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17 May 2012, 4:56 am

No reaction. I don't tell anyone. But when my husband tells people, they don't seem to react to it. One time my husband told me a story about how a doctor said to him why can't he just lie to me and he told him because I get very upset if I find out and I have a forum of autism called Asperger's and he said "Say no more."



nikkiDT
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17 May 2012, 5:54 am

They usually say 'Huh? What's that?'. And then I tell them a little bit about it.



Rascal77s
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17 May 2012, 8:13 am

"wtf is that??" or they start talking half speed.



Snar
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17 May 2012, 8:40 am

My wife has always thought that I am on the spectrum and wasn't surprised and my scores; she lives with me and accepts how I am.

I've mentioned that I'm HFA to an ex-colleague and she said that she wasn't surprised in the least - her Uncle is an Aspie and I remind her a lot of him.


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17 May 2012, 9:26 am

I say that I have autism. For the past year, that was met with an expression of appreciating interest. Acquaintances usually go "ah, so that's why you..." and that's it. Talk about unexciting. You would think that with how some people treat the topic of autism like something meant for secrecy, reactions to saying you have autism would tend to be me... anything, really. Louder. More elaborate. Thrilling.

On the occasions at which I did say that I have Asperger's, friends reacted with vehement denial after they read up on it and insisted that I was "nothing like that". I was at a loss about how to react for a moment. That issue was solved when I did say that it means that I have autism, they read up on (classical) autism and then they were just okay with it, treating my autism like just another normal part of me.

If I use the word "Asperger's" it's way too often followed by a doubtful exclamation of "but you don't have/do..." which is ridiculously annoying. If I say autism then the follow up is either a curious question about autism or a statement similar to "so that's why...".

Then of course there are a few people who react with rudeness to either, claiming ASDs don't exist, that ASDs are something else or that I'm not autistic but "ret*d" and/or "insecure and pretend to be impaired".


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