Telling people about your AS?

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I've decided to wait for my official diagnosis before really opening up about my Aspergers. Since I've told 2 of my good friends who don't really seem to believe me and demand that I get a diagnosis before talking about it further, I suspect people who do not know me so well will possibly react even worse if I tell them I have AS.

I plan to be relatively open about it when I get diagnosed, but would prefer that people know me before they know I have Aspergers. I don't want to be meeting someone for the first time who already knows they're meeting "that Aspergers guy".

What have your experiences with telling coworkers, friends, family or classmates been like?

Really, I'm just looking for advice on how and when I should be telling people about AS. Any suggestions?

I used to be open about it in my early teens but that was before I knew what it really was. I just assumed it meant me having troubles doing my schoolwork.


Then when I started to read about it, I started to get quiet about it.


Kids in my school didn't seem to take notice in it or care, my family already knew because my parents were the ones who got me diagnosed and they told my brothers. Nothing changed.
I have told some people online only because they asked what mental problems I have and some found out on their own by reading some of my posts on a forum we went to.
as*holes I run into on IM say I'm stupid or crazy and log off after I say I have AS. I thought it was funny.

My ex's found out on their own. My first one found out by reading my blogs on myspace, my second one found out by typing in my photobucket in a search engine and he found me on here. My current boyfriend found out only because I told him but he asked.


My first boyfriend assumed lot of things I did was all related to AS including my personality, my second boyfriend criticized about about everything I did. What I did wasn't AS to him, it was PDD and I was too low functioning lol and he acted like I was ret*d. My third one doesn't see anything different about me and doesn't have a problem with my childish interests.

I wouldn't tell anyone really. I quit doing that. I only do it if they ask me.

I'd tell them if they ask you if you have anything, like do you have ADD or something or brain damage, that's when you tell them. It be risky though because things could change like they start treating you differently or they start expecting things out of you like being an expert in math or being a genius or have any other stereotypes of AS and then they find out you don't have those stereotypes so they go "You don't have AS." That's my biggest fear.

I figure, once I test someone out for how they may react then I can determine whether or not its safe to inform them. I sorta have visions in my head of becoming an AS soldier, trying to dispel every myth and teach people everything I can about it. The reality will probably be much different, but I think i might at least try it. I'll probably have to learn how open i can be about this by trial and error; sure i might get hurt but its the only way to learn right?

I didn't tell anyone until I had an official diagnosis. I don't think they would have believed me without one.

The only people I've told so far are my immediate family (parents and brother). That was a very stressful occasion but they reacted very well, not all families do.

I may have to tell my employer because of problems I'm having at work but I'm very nervous about doing so. I have no intention of telling workmates. It's none of their business and I think I would get pity from a few and predjudice from most. I don't want either.

In general I would not tell anyone who doesn't need to know.

While most people now know what Autism is, few know anything about Asperger's.
So, if you just say "I have Asperger's" then they don't know what that means.
You'd have to launch into a detailed explanation of your eccentricities (some of which they may not have otherwise noticed) in order to be understood.
It's just not worth the effort.
I'll just let them keep thinking I'm a bit odd. Because really, people with Asperger's ARE a bit odd, so I guess in a way they already know.

I told my roomate the first time a few days ago. I don't think he knew what it was.

Hmm...I've only had a self-diagnosis for a few months, but i feel like several times a day I notice things that prove I have AS and feel that it could be so much easier if i could just tell people about it, rather than make excuses. I imagine things would be much easier if everyone knew about AS and accepted it as much as they've come to accept other diseases and disorders over the past 20 years or so. I still think it is worthwhile to raise awareness of AS, if not for our own benefit, then for the benefit of future generations.

I was careful about it, but what the heck, at my age I think I should be making people more aware of it. One man I have known for years suggested I keep quiet about it but that kind of means that I should be ashamed and hide it doesn't it? Its no good me trying to pretend to be normal, something always lets me down, usually something I say or smiling at the wrong time or some other thing and anyway, the ropes are getting tighter around our necks these days and its about time we started loosening them, by that I mean that there are so many rules about what we can say and what we can't, what we should do and what we shouldn't that if they get any tighter, we will all be robots and then us ASDs will really struggle to survive.

I know I haven't worded this very well, but hopefully you will get what I mean

I kinda let anybody knows who wants to know, i dont walk around saying im autistic, but if im out to eat, i get sooo many stares, or in a mall or something i get stares A LOT, so if i feel like its needed, ill tell my bf to let maybe the manager of that store im in or the waitress whos serving us that I'm autistic. Thats about it haha, other then that i kinda just go on my way haha.

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Being Normal Is Vastly Overrated

Basically, I told my closest friends and I as I got to know my other friends better and knew they're trustworthy, I told them. Now, I'm more trusting sort of. I typically find people who seem capapable of really understanding us and giving them hints and clues that I'm an Aspie. Just bringing it on more and more until the right time when I can outwardly say it if they haven't already figured it out like I hope they will. -Power Girl

I don't tell my (very few) friends becuase they are teenagers and the first thing they would do is make the old a** burgers jokes which I don't need to put up with I'll only tell people who only really need to know like an employer or doctor or some other important type of person.

I'm not official official, but it's pretty sure. I happen to work in a field where I have contact with lots of parents and lots of children/students with disabilities. I'm pretty open about it all. It's also suprising to parents to learn that AS is a kind of high functioning autism. It's also suprising to them when I can relate to them not only as a person who understands disabilities but as a parent of a child with a disability. I always tell people especially when I need them to understand why I say/do/think "weird" things sometimes.

I Have only told a few people, mostly select friends. Most of my teachers don't even know I have it.

I have never told anyone, even when it probably would have helped with work and school. I just think there are too many negative outcomes.