Do you tell?

Do you tell people you have Asperger's? Why or why not?

I was recently diagnosed with Asperger's and I don't know whether to tell people or not. Most people are uneducated about it and consider it a mental disorder. I think it could make things worse telling them.

Are there any decent brochures to give people on Asperger's to educate them?

Firstly, take it easy on the posting thing! I can see that you've just joined but you don't want to overwhelm everyone. Anyway, who exactly do you want to tell? In my opinion, you should only consider telling yuor immediate family, but at best you should tell no-one. You should only need to broadcast it if it's: a) a legal requirement; or b) it can be advantageus for you to do so. It would'nt be advantageous for you to tell all of your friends/colleagues, and the same goes for workmates. It WOULD be advantageous to let your parents know, and maybe your siblings. If you've got a partner, then obviously he/she should know too.

Kevin

latecomer wrote:Do you tell people you have Asperger's? Why or why not?

I was recently diagnosed with Asperger's and I don't know whether to tell people or not. Most people are uneducated about it and consider it a mental disorder. I think it could make things worse telling them.

Are there any decent brochures to give people on Asperger's to educate them?

Nothing good can ever come from it so not much point really. Tell your family if you must, and if you have a partner then it will probably be advantageous to tell them otherwise the r'ship will be harder than maybe it needs to be. Other than that, not much point in telling people really. It gets you nothing but could potentially back-fire.

Lesson learnt recently, refrain from telling people in general. There is so much miss-information about Aspergers in the community and even many professionals are ignorant.

I came across a video on You Tube recently, "In my mind", a young man defines Aspergers in relation to him. My psychologist brought it to my attention because it reminded her of me. The similarities of my experience with Aspergers were confronting, especially when he describes being half autistic and the child inside him. If you also relate to this video perhaps you could use it to explain Aspergers to family and close friends.

Is that the guy that pronounces Asperger's as "ass burgers" and says that when you have AS you're "half autistic" and "half not", it makes you immature and like Spongebob Squarepants, makes you illiterate and only able to learn from TV and not books. Hardly an authority on the subject, is he

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbgUjmeC-4o

I prefer jawsus myself...

UK-SW wrote:Is that the guy that pronounces Asperger's as "ass burgers" and says that when you have AS you're "half autistic" and "half not", it makes you immature and like Spongebob Squarepants, makes you illiterate and only able to learn from TV and not books. Hardly an authority on the subject, is he

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbgUjmeC-4o

I prefer jawsus myself...

He was diagnosed at 6 years of age and gives an insight into how Aspergers impacts on his personality/thinking. Believe he is the perfect authority on how Aspergers relates to him and I'm sure many can relate to his story. His referrence to Spongebob square pants was to highlight his never ending interest in cartoons, child entertainment interests.

He does not present as an illiterate, he cannot process written words and therefore he does not read books like most people because it is a difficult task. I have the same processing difficulties with words and have used television as my medium for learning.

UK-SW obviously your experience living with Aspergers is vastly different and personality is an opposite. People that new this young man well commented as to his gentle and kind nature.

Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe the young man was presented with awards for his insight of living with Aspergers.

Meh, it's purely a personal matter. I wouldn't exactly know how to approach people with the subject, but I feel more comfortable working with those around me if they know to a degree why I act as I do. I would hate to think they think of me as cold and aloof, whereas when they are presented with information it makes for more understanding and less awkwardness in general.

Sarcastica wrote:He was diagnosed at 6 years of age and gives an insight into how Aspergers impacts on his personality/thinking. Believe he is the perfect authority on how Aspergers relates to him and I'm sure many can relate to his story. His referrence to Spongebob square pants was to highlight his never ending interest in cartoons, child entertainment interests.

He does not present as an illiterate, he cannot process written words and therefore he does not read books like most people because it is a difficult task. I have the same processing difficulties with words and have used television as my medium for learning.

I can't relate to anything he says and I've never heard anyone else with AS articulate those thoughts either. Much of what he says is just scientifically incorrect. *shrug*

Sarcastica wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe the young man was presented with awards for his insight of living with Aspergers.

I wouldn't know, I only know about his YouTube video.

Anyway...now that people have stated a difference in opinion the thread will now be locked

Personally I like to use my diagnosis to see who is worth being around. I find that if they can't get around my disorders without asking stupid questions and saying crap that they must not be worth being around. Other than that, I just tell close friends and family, baring legalities anyway.