Disclosure: "I have Autism" VS "I have Aspergers"

Post Reply New Topic

For those of you with Aspergers, do you find you get a different reaction if you tell people you have Aspergers to if you say you have Autism? Does one elicit a more positive response than the other or any other differences in reaction you've noticed?

My gut instinct is people react better when I tell them I have Aspergers. I think people think Autism sounds more "learning difficulties" and Aspergers people are more intelligent (even though it's not that simple in reality) but other times I feel Autism sums up my troubles better and that I might not always be that capable. They may think Aspies are just socially awkward and nerdy.

I have found people generally don't even understand there's a connection between the labels autism and asperger's. I tend to say I have high functioning autism which used to be called asperger's syndrome. Then they're confused and ask me what I mean and then I get to explain it instead of people assuming they understand.

The term 'autism' seems to be more well-known than 'Asperger's', even if many people don't really understand what it is. Telling people that you have the latter is more likely to lead to a long conversation as to what it is.

Where I live (Brazil), if I say that I am Aspie nobody will understand what I am talking about. If I say I'm autistic, they'll think I paint the walls with my feces. Better not say anything and be treated like an "eccentric" guy.

I use "autistic spectrum."

And how do people react?

"Autism Spectrum" is probably the most apt description. Maybe meant to cause the least offense and embasrassment (to the autistic person).

Asperger's is a form of autism---but it is not "classic" autism.

Personally, it doesn't really matter.

I would say that I’m on the “autism spectrum,” but it’s pretty rare that I would find a reason to tell anyone.

The only time I ever tell anyone is if someone is terribly upset with whatever I have said or done. I hate talking about myself or my issues to anyone. People generally pack that stuff away and use it against you at some point. Everyone seems to have their own "mythology" of these things whether they are accurate or fact-based. People also like to be blissfully uninformed, and it looks like hardly anyone will go out of their way to "read up" on a subject.

It is not until recently that I know what it actually is. Years ago when I was about 5 years old we had visitors who I believe are relations and they have an autistic sone and I was playing with him. I was told "Remember he has autism" which didn't mean anything to me. He wanted to play and I wanted to play and we seemed to get on fine. I did not see him after as it is the only time I remember that theynpaid a visit. My dad was related to half the village he came from (The next village along from here) and while he was out driving someone would wave and he would wave back and my mum would ask "Who's that?" and he would say "A relative", and my mum would ask "How is he related?" and my dad wouldn't know! However I believe this family may have been on my mums sisters husbands side somewhere which is another local family we are rarely in touch with or not at all, so it could be they came up with my aunt and uncle?
Anyway. About a three years ago I had someone say he thought I had asperges. He said it twice as he was convinced by the way I was typing. Not sure how as I believe my spelling was correct etc. He said he looked after people with asperges in his last job. Anyway. A lady from the same Christian site I became rather chatty to online, and we met up for a date etc and became an item for a while (Mostly online but she paid several visits). Now her son was diagnosed as being autistic and she was tested and found to have asperges. Now with her son, I could definately see he had a few ssues which he was struggling with, but with her I couldn't see any issues that I didn't have. Ok, she said if she was anxious she said she rocked back and fore, which I don't do, but apart from that I couldn't see a difference. Actually she shared a few things which I tended to do or have like prosoprognosia etc... so we were concerned at first that we may miss each other when we met up, but as I had seen a picture of her and she looked unique, we met and were fine. The guy who said I had asperges maried my ex.girlfriend which I am pleased about as we had finished dating and I was very concerned that she would be ok as I just didn't know how the ending of us being an item would effect her. I know I am a bit oversensitive and she said she was so I was imagining it to be many times worse for her... Something which I didn't want her to go through. So when he declared interest to me I was quick to introduce them.
And then I had someone I know tell me his story. I had not seen him for a while. He had committed suicide and it was found after he did it that he had asperges syndrome, so as he was telling me about it, he said that I most definately have it.
Now I knew nothing much about it because when I used to ask the girlfriend she used to say that she thinks differently. The way she said she thinks was definately different to the way I think but at the time though I know I disn't think like her (She said she had her own languagenin her mind and she would then translate into english and when I spoke she would translate to her own unique language in her mind. I don't do that! Though what I do a LOT of is think in pictures. I am a visual thinker though I also think automatically in a way that I don't know how it works. There are like a deep inner brain which is very visual and deep thinking, and an outer brain which is what I am typing to you with now and is not a visual brain if that makes sense. It just works somehow! Maybenthis is how normal people think? Who knows! Umm. I also have a spiritual side which combines to work with the deep visual brain somehow...).
Anyway... It is only for the last month or three that I have slowly started to understand what asperges and autism actually are. It has been quite a revelation to me for two reasons. One is to find that people do think in very different aays and secondly that I maybe on the spectrum.
Am I on the spectrum? I can just see you lot placing bets on some sort of secret gambling forum! Haha! If I was into gambling I would be hesitent incase I lose my money!

Funny you made this thread, because I was thinking of making a similar one only yesterday.

For me, I always disclose that I have Aspergers rather than autism. As autism is a spectrum, it's less clear where I fall on it if I tell people I'm autistic. Aspergers gives more of a "high-functioning" impression, and I think it's a more accurate characterisation of me.

I have not yet encountered a situation that I would feel would be helped by disclosure.

Aspergers and ASD are terms that are both poorly defined as well as poorly understood. I am reluctant to use a term that then requires an explanation.

The people I've disclosed to already had at least some knowledge, but I don't disclose often. I've never found a situation where it would really help.

I usually stick to things like I am introverted, shy, like my privacy, like to work alone etc. exactly because unlike Autism/Aspergers these labels are well understood. This is known as disclosing the symptoms or disclosing the traits.

Pretty much this in the US as well, at least until recently.

NO body has ever heard of aspergers at all. Ten years ago even most American therapists, and shrinks had never even heard of aspergers. Forget about laymen.

Everyone has heard of "autism", but most have a distorted idea of what autism is.

And in the RARE occasions that I HAVE actually told folks about myself being aspie, its not either/or anyway. You end up using both words. You end up saying something like "I have a mild form of autism. It's called 'aspergers'".

No response.