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Introducing yourself as an autistic person?

JDW

Hi,

Today my counsellor suggested one way to ensure I get a better response from people and avoid the risk of offending them unwittingly would be to introduce my self as James and tell I have Aspergers Syndrome and that they should not be offended if I do not look at them, behave or say something oddly. 

I can see why this might be helpful but could this also be letting my autism define me or would it be purely accepting that I am autistic and recognising it?

If anyone has any advice on this subject I would be glad to hear it. 

Thanks

Parents

  • I tend not to say, but over the years I've got better at formal suituations and I tend to avoid close social situations because I know my limits. So I pass as NT until something gets noticed.

    So there may be advantages for me keeping quiet. But for someone with more noticeable traits it may be vital to disclose at every opportunity.

    What I have observed is that people I see as milder are often the ones who disclose to everybody. People with more obvious traits seem to be the ones trying to pass (however improbably) as NT. That's possibly an illusion, just the way it seems to happen.

    I've had bad reactions to disclosing - usually because of people's sensational perceptions of what it means, or just lack of understanding. Or else people think I'm making it up as I don't look like the AS person they saw on a TV programme.

    I also hate getting the "does he take sugar reaction" by which I mean they change their entire approach to you as someone deserving overdone sympathy and concern, or even assuming you cannot do anything for yourself.

    I think it has to be down to the individual, and the circumstances. I feel I need to disclose if I think someone wants to be "closer", but usually it frightens them off.

Reply

  • I tend not to say, but over the years I've got better at formal suituations and I tend to avoid close social situations because I know my limits. So I pass as NT until something gets noticed.

    So there may be advantages for me keeping quiet. But for someone with more noticeable traits it may be vital to disclose at every opportunity.

    What I have observed is that people I see as milder are often the ones who disclose to everybody. People with more obvious traits seem to be the ones trying to pass (however improbably) as NT. That's possibly an illusion, just the way it seems to happen.

    I've had bad reactions to disclosing - usually because of people's sensational perceptions of what it means, or just lack of understanding. Or else people think I'm making it up as I don't look like the AS person they saw on a TV programme.

    I also hate getting the "does he take sugar reaction" by which I mean they change their entire approach to you as someone deserving overdone sympathy and concern, or even assuming you cannot do anything for yourself.

    I think it has to be down to the individual, and the circumstances. I feel I need to disclose if I think someone wants to be "closer", but usually it frightens them off.

Children
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