Do people notice you are different?

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I know that most NTs aren't educated about Asperger's. Have people ever noticed that something is "off" about you? If so to what degree?

nt's are group oriented. i am not group oriented.

Most people think I'm anxious or shy.
The people who I know who know something about ASDs, when I've told them I have AS, are just basically like "Well, duh." So some people can tell I'm autistic.
The people who can actually tell the difference between shyness and introversion but who aren't that knowledgeable of autism generally think I'm just introverted with sucky social skills. Which is actually true except for the "just" part.

Throughout my life people have noticed that something was 'different' about me, but couldn't name what that difference was exactly. In high school a few individuals (and some teachers) called me strange/weird/odd. Also, a few teachers couldn't understand how I could be quite smart, but terrible when it came to test time (disorganised).

I think quite a few females have had trouble understanding my lack of need to communicate (e.g. social chit-chat) or my lack of interest in divulging personal information. I recall an instance where a female, around my age, saw something in me she didn't like, so she started acting quite defensive and would drop rude comments every so often. She was a very insecure person (she would often boast about how great a person she was). I did not react to her behaviour and treated her quite well - I was polite, I smiled and remained friendly in spite of her attitude. Essentially, I responded to her attitude like water off a duck's back. I did notice, over time, that she progressively became more biting in her attitude. She would sabotage things at work and she would try to ask me personal questions in front of others (questions that are deemed inappropriate according social rules and social chit-chat - there seems to be consensus among chit-chat books about what topics are appropriate to discuss amongst work colleagues, acquaintances, strangers and friends. I would place this person in the work colleague category, so relationship and finance is off limits), for instance, how much rent do you pay? who do you live with? do you have a boyfriend? do you have a girlfriend? Basically, stupid questions I was not going to answer because I had no intention of becoming her 'friend'. Also, information about me does not actually contribute to making her a better person in any shape or form. So, I responded to her tactfully and changed the subject (she actually screeched at me once when I changed the subject). People like her seek information from others to feel better about themselves, and they will try to find something about you that they can later use against you. I have encountered quite a number of these people throughout my life (bullies), so I no longer play their game. I recently read an interesting article about 'choppers' (also known as snipers in some books about dealing with difficult people) here: http://www.baggagereclaim.co.uk/are-you ... -you-down/

The other problem with this individual was that she made a number of judgments based on my appearance, she assumed that I came from a good family and have experienced no serious issues in my life. My interpretation of her overall attitude was that she wished me pain. So, my experience in life has been that when you do not fall in line with another persons game rules they can respond quite viciously (And they do not understand why you aren't falling for their 'charm/charisma' like everyone else).

Anyway, I digress. Yes, people have noticed something different about me and sometimes it makes them feel uncomfortable. Sometimes people jump to the wrong conclusions and label me as gentle, quiet or shy. And 'aloof'.

Yes. I have always been regarded as being "diffferent", "atypical", - and when people are annoyed with me: "too strange"

My mom has always insisted that I was normal, but even my dad and my sister know that I'm not.

In school it seemed like everyone else (including teachers) identified that there was something different about me. When I was in elementary, middle, and high school, I was targeted by so many bullies, and many different groups of people bullied me by repeatedly calling me "crazy".

I remember in seventh grade that one of the teachers told me that there was a movie I should watch, and I didn't know what it was about. I asked why, and she said "I just think you should see it." I didn't see it, but years later, after I found out about autism, I found out that the movie was about autism.

I found out about autism a little more than one year before I got my current job. A few months after I started my current job, one of my coworkers told me directly "You have Asperger's." As far as I know, all of my coworkers have identified that there is something different about me.

I've been very blessed to have friends who still accept me and think I'm just as normal as they are, even after I told them about my Asperger's.

No one has ever come out and said "there's something wrong with you or off about you", that seems kinda rude. But what I can say is that people were actually surprised to find out I had Asperger's. But it's because I rarely socialize, so they only briefly get to speak to me and in those occasions, I'm on my best behavior.

My friends husband said though, that he kinda figured "something was a little different about me, but not in a bad way, he just couldn't put his finger on it." That was the only occasion that someone said anything other than I seem normal.

well i have obvious anxiety so everyone who gets to know me sees that quite clearly eventually in terms of panic attacks and nervous behavior. my friends think i am amusing and find my obsessions endearing. i have been told i am weird a couple of times but i always take it as a compliment

Well, back in high school, supposedly people would ask my younger sister if I was mentally challenged, and if I had Downe's Syndroome. (my sister claimed that my face shape and eyes looked like someone who had that)

More recently, my daughter's psychologist (who works with kids with autism) supposedly noticed something "off" about me and recommended that I should try to get tested, maybe try for disability. (I've only met this woman once, and since I didn't get a clear story about what she actually said, that has to be taken with a grain of salt)

I was often asked '' Why do you always have to be different?''

I've been told I "make people uncomfortable". I'm really not sure what that means. I think my coworkers know. I noticed a book on ASD on my boss's desk...I don't know if he's coincidentally doing some light reading, or my weirdness is obvious enough to make him really suspicious. If my symptoms are that transparent then maybe I should just come out with it.

No one says anything but they just shun me or show outright hostility. So I know I must be seen as a freak but I really don't know exactly what's making me so different from the others. I must be very obviously different.

mostly, people i have told i have Aspergers, have reacted in a way that makes me suspect that they are suspecting ME, for being a liar!! !

thats a good sign

nts think i'm a bit weird, i guess, but that's it. but partly it's because they dont know me. i dont let anyone near me, so how can they tell?
my oldest niece read the book "the curious incident of the dog in the night time" and she asked me if i have asperger syndrome, and i said yes. my other two nieces, brother, and sister in law didnt even know! and those are people i let near me, the only people in the world that i let get close to me.
asperger is the invisible autism. how could they know, when i didnt even know myself for so long?

I've been called: Weird, Shy, a robot, odd, an alien, extremely intorverted, quiet, and so on.....

One person I used to work with a couple years ago asked me directly if I have aspergers.
At least one person I work with now (not sure who) suspects I'm on the spectrum because I came to work one day and someone had left me a small puzzle piece charm on top of my stuff. I haven't told anyone that I currently work with about it, so I guess it just shows.