Do Most People You Meet Need To Be Informed?

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Whenever you go to a club or meet someone, do you usually inform them that you are autistic?
For me, it's a yes.... well my parents inform anyway. Practically all my relatives know, and teachers at my school know. And even if I go to an optician or doctor etc., my parents always tell them. This also includes club staff. Apparentely it is so they don't think I'm weird.
I myself don't like to mention it, I have only told a few friends.

Are most people you know informed?

I don't tell anyone.

My boyfriend knows though.

My parents did the informing when I was a kid. Mostly my mother.

I seldom tell anyone. Its not like people with Diabetes or Migraines go around telling everyone they have a problem wrong with them so why should we have to announce it? Just have to learn how to behave properly in public so your behavior doesn't warrant explanation.

I've made a point of being public about my diagnosis because most people have so many misconceptions about autism. I want to raise awareness so that people will generally have a better understanding of the condition and hopefully it will become easier for us to live in the world when we don't all have to be afraid that people might find out. It's actually rather a lot like what's happened in the gay community. People talk about "passing for straight" or "being in the closet". And there's the same story in the autistic community where we talk about "passing for normal". But the ideal world is one in which neither of those things would be necessary. So that's the reason why I make a point of being "out of the closet".

Here's an example of what I mean:
http://ontap.riaforge.org/blog/index.cf ... 8125FC5C7C

Being honest and just are good qualities. We shouldn't be forced to tone down our honesty or our concern for justice.

Michael John Carly, the founder of GRASP feels similarly from what I understand... Joseph Shapiro interviewed him for NPR's show All Things Considered here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=5488463

Incidentally, I don't begrudge anyone for choosing to "pass for normal" if you can. If you can and that's what you want, I'm happy for you. I don't think everyone needs to be "out" and choosing to do it is scary and difficult... I'm doing it because it's important to me to help other people with autism and this is something I can do. But everybody has to make their own decision about if, when and how to disclose.

I don't, but would like to, because my behaviour is drawing a lot of attention to myself.

And I am unable to do a couple of things that are seen as important or are required of me. Such as an approaching trip that is sponsored by my employer. I have no idea what to do about it...

If I informed them, they'd question and deny it. That's what happened most of the time so far. Because I'm an adult, because I can talk most of the time (and when I can't, people can't comprehend why) and am outgoing and impulsive due to H in ADHD.

When people where I live hear the word autism, they think of these little withdrawn children.

I'd need people to be informed of the my AS+HFA traits or HFA+AS traits though. I have no idea how to stay employed in a regular job with all the meltdowns, freak outs, routines, inability to do stuff and the ADHD symptoms on top...

So, no. Most people I know are not informed. I wish they were.

no.

but I found out that my close friends have been "warning" people about my behaviour before they would introduce them to me. no wonder why I get along so well with them and fail miserably with people who just happen to meet me and expect me to behave like a normal human being

I don't keep it a secret, but I don't know that I've been so open about it that everyone knows I'm autistic. I recently wrote a Facebook note about Baron-Cohen coming out as opposed to a prenatal autism test, so more people probably realize I am autistic now though I did not explicitly say so in the note.

I personally want people to know, but I generally don't know how to tell people without making myself look bad.

Too much trouble to always talk about it. Anyone who's a potential friend and I don't want to push away with my social disfunction need to know.

As far as needing to be informed? No. I've managed thus far, although most people have labeled the ADHD quite correctly--even though they poorly understand it. I've mentioned Asperger's to people, but find it difficult to properly describe to people and end up doing what I normally do--fuddling my words.

I rarely tell anyone. With regards to people I know, only my parents, doctor, and two of my friends who I have known for a long time and who I am relatively close with know. I have told a few other people who I knew that I wouldn't be seeing often in order to gauge their responses, and I decided that keeping it a secret from people who I don't already know very well. The people on a set I was working on all started acting very strange, one person told me that I 'just need to snap out of it.' Basically, I think that most people just don't get it.

I want people to know, because I want people to understand and accept me for who I am, but as soon as I say it is like autism, most people who know what that is just cringe and bite their tongues.

I am undiagnosed AS (in progress) so there ios nothing to tell but I frequently tell people who deal with my son (3 yrs with severe to moderate autism). I find that people deal with him much better if they know.

Assuming I am ultimately diagnosed AS I do not plan to tell anyone other than probably immediate family.