Published on 12, July, 2020
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In this instance, it would probably be helpful to you to say so - especially given what your doctor thinks, and that you've been referred for assessment.
Generally, though, I'm not so sure. Thinking back to my pre-diagnosis period - even though I was convinced I would get the diagnosis - I felt wary about saying anything in case it backfired on me in some way. Having said that, though, there weren't many instances where it would have mattered one way or the other. I'm not really sure whether it's right to say 'I have Asperger's' in something like a job application/interview if you haven't actually been diagnosed. I don't think I would have done. But others may think differently.
In your situation with an evening class, though, I would probably have said 'yes' to that question.
I'm generally not keen to tell people but did tell the teacher of an evening language course. I would not really choose to do such a course if there wasn't a need for it, and you can't really learn speaking without some degree of role play, I suppose. So I felt quite tense most of the first lesson especially after the teacher had asked another student to read something with more passion. I was terrified he would make me read anything. So when we got as homework to introduce ourselves I wrote in there that I'm awful at role play and trying to tease me out of my shell is likely to result in the opposite, and did use the A word, because it seemed it may sound like a lame excuse otherwise. So far it has gone well and I'm a lot more relaxed now. I have no idea if he has really understood what I meant, but I hope in case the situation arises in some way he will realise it quickly enough and save me from embarrassment. The kind of people teaching such classes are usually good at things like that, they don't need to practise this in their mind over and over again first...
I would hope, if the evening class is with a recognised educational institution or an organisation like the WEA, that you would be treated with respect - not worse, nor as 'weird', but as any other disabled person would.
I feel happier having my diagnosis for precisely that reason. If anything, I think I was treated worse and as weird before I had the diagnosis - because I had no other way to explain why I did certain things a certain way, and why my behaviour was what it was.
Of course, there will always be people with whom it won't compute. Just as there will always, unfortunately, be homophobes, racists, sexists, fanatics, etc...