Sad fact is that when people hear autism, they think Rainman types. Even if the word was part of a sentence along the lines of "I have Asperger's syndrom, it is a kind of really mild autism..." I'm not sure what it is that makes them only register the autism part though... stupidity probably.
Which is excatly why it is a good idea to allow people to get to know you at least a little before telling them about AS. Allow them to see that you aren't Rainman so to speak.
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Once I knew everything, then I got smarter, now the only thing I know is that I know nothing.
Strange how that worked out isn't it?