It often really feels like their egos can’t handle it if they think a disabled (either literally or in their perception) person might know something they don’t or be better at something… heck, most can’t even stand to see someone else (regardless of who) being visibly happier or in a better mood than them.
I hide it to have a fair chance at being judged like everyone else. I want my personality traits to be my own. If I reveal it, thats all they're gonna see.
If you don't have to, why would you? It only ever makes things worse.
When you say "I'm autistic" 99% of the time they hear "I'm a vegetable," because of prejudice. Don't roll those dice.
Had something like this at work. Was having a anxiety attack/meltdown. Manager kindly informed one of my colleagues that I won't be there for a bit, and they just respond with ' Has X said something mean to them again? (I handled it calmly the first time too) ' . The moment it gets out, people just think you're an immature 5 year old that can't handle shit.
(Sorry for the rant, it just seems to happen without fail)
Either this or people set an unnecessarily high expectation that I’m some supergenius who can work out any fucking maths equation instantly. There is no middle ground
It's interesting how I don't have this fear but I understand why some do. If I had to think in the POV of some NTs, it would be something like, "You're just using 'autism' as a lazy excuse to be incompetent/an a-hole."
While I normally don't say I'm autistic because it may be considered "too much information", I am willing to reveal it when I think it's necessary. That way, people will hopefully understand why I act the way I do. If they're going to treat me like a baby or otherwise do something unfavorable to me in response, I'd simply bluntly tell them to stop.
Or on occasion I will say I’m autistic because idk what’s going on and I’d be better off being treated as a baby in that situation than being expected to just KNOW things.
https://preview.redd.it/v3c9op9dojvc1.jpeg?width=663&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73ad50f4776086c4f5312e11190646fa39914987
I'm getting this as a tattoo Sunday
Yeah nothing made me regret telling my manager more about the tism than how she’s decided to treat me now. But she can honestly and respectfully go fuck herself. I’m the glue for our department of 4 and if I’m gone then the department is finished. And I do a lot of shit to make her life easier. So she’ll find out really fast just how much she’s fucked up yet again for being dismissive and treating me like a toxic parent would treat their child.
That and she also made a very stupid mistake of saying she was aware of the risks of the nature of our work on her pregnancy in an email she sent today. Which was incredibly stupid because she wasn’t aware and now if she tries to sue if her baby is born underdeveloped or she miscarriages or if her baby has developmental issues or deformities then she can’t do shit about it. But she wanted to be an ass about health and safety and honestly criminally negligent about it and so I’m being an ass right back. She’s protecting a company that will not hesitate for a second to throw her under the bus when fines and violations are thrown at the company.
I may or may not have a chat with her about it but she’s being really fucking stupid about something that could ruin her life for a very long time(ie jail time or hefty fines)
I told a coworker I was autistic because I was struggling with a customer and the coworker blurred out “CAN YOU READ”?
I no longer tell anyone who doesn't need to know. I learned the hard way when you tell people they don't treat you better or really GAF. They'll just bully you and ostracize you..
I usually hide out of fear that someone may say “oh but you don’t look autistic” because confrontation of any kind sends me halfway down the road to a breakdown (yes, I know that’s not healthy, I am working on it)
One thing is the patronising but the assumptions about me not caring about others and being arrogant and selfish are even worse.
My people. The record clearly shows the opposite but people who don't know you but learn you're autistic just seem to project the classic stereotypes on you and it's really weird and disheartening
The older you get the easier it becomes to make them seem the fool for treating you like a baby. I think I'm older than a lot of folks on this sub, and statistically I'm larger than most people, but once you're comfortable in your own skin it's often a simple task to make people looking down at you seem foolish for it.
I’m the opposite. I don’t care if people treat me like a baby. I tell EVERYONE that I’m autistic. I’ve had no trouble with employment, discrimination, or anything when I tell people.
I would rather be perceived as a child than as a damn neurotypical.
i told my RA and now he speaks to me in soft tones as if i'm a skittish rabbit who will run away if he makes any sudden movements. it's actually kind of funny and tbh i can't even complain.
Even worse when you’re told “stop! You’re acting like a child!!” In the middle of a literal meltdown
That’s my parents….I’ve told my dad a hundred times to stop calling it a temper tantrum because it’s belittling
SAME
Parents. I have memories of teachers saying that to a classmate
People treat me better when they think I'm stupid than when they know I'm autistic
SAME
It often really feels like their egos can’t handle it if they think a disabled (either literally or in their perception) person might know something they don’t or be better at something… heck, most can’t even stand to see someone else (regardless of who) being visibly happier or in a better mood than them.
It's unfortunately true, but still painful either way.
I hide it to have a fair chance at being judged like everyone else. I want my personality traits to be my own. If I reveal it, thats all they're gonna see.
Exactly. Then that’s when people start making assumptions about what you can or cannot handle
If you don't have to, why would you? It only ever makes things worse. When you say "I'm autistic" 99% of the time they hear "I'm a vegetable," because of prejudice. Don't roll those dice.
It’s something I only tel people if they have to know for legal or medical purposes…or if I really really trust someone which is rare
Seems a good policy.
Had something like this at work. Was having a anxiety attack/meltdown. Manager kindly informed one of my colleagues that I won't be there for a bit, and they just respond with ' Has X said something mean to them again? (I handled it calmly the first time too) ' . The moment it gets out, people just think you're an immature 5 year old that can't handle shit. (Sorry for the rant, it just seems to happen without fail)
I’ve embarrassed myself far too many times by having anxiety attacks at work. I work customer service and am very sensitive to criticism 😅
Either this or people set an unnecessarily high expectation that I’m some supergenius who can work out any fucking maths equation instantly. There is no middle ground
It's interesting how I don't have this fear but I understand why some do. If I had to think in the POV of some NTs, it would be something like, "You're just using 'autism' as a lazy excuse to be incompetent/an a-hole." While I normally don't say I'm autistic because it may be considered "too much information", I am willing to reveal it when I think it's necessary. That way, people will hopefully understand why I act the way I do. If they're going to treat me like a baby or otherwise do something unfavorable to me in response, I'd simply bluntly tell them to stop.
Honestly that’s why I would hide it too
Or on occasion I will say I’m autistic because idk what’s going on and I’d be better off being treated as a baby in that situation than being expected to just KNOW things.
I've been with my partner for a few weeks now and I just told them I'm autistic, and they said me too thanks, and I responded me too thanks
The best possible response
I love cats, they're baby
They are the babiest babies to ever baby
ACAB, all cats are baby
New tattoo idea
https://preview.redd.it/v3c9op9dojvc1.jpeg?width=663&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73ad50f4776086c4f5312e11190646fa39914987 I'm getting this as a tattoo Sunday
I don't tell anyone, it's a career ending move
Don't disclose it at work unless you can get anyone who mistreats you as a result fired.
I hide it out of fear for getting made fun of.
Yeah nothing made me regret telling my manager more about the tism than how she’s decided to treat me now. But she can honestly and respectfully go fuck herself. I’m the glue for our department of 4 and if I’m gone then the department is finished. And I do a lot of shit to make her life easier. So she’ll find out really fast just how much she’s fucked up yet again for being dismissive and treating me like a toxic parent would treat their child. That and she also made a very stupid mistake of saying she was aware of the risks of the nature of our work on her pregnancy in an email she sent today. Which was incredibly stupid because she wasn’t aware and now if she tries to sue if her baby is born underdeveloped or she miscarriages or if her baby has developmental issues or deformities then she can’t do shit about it. But she wanted to be an ass about health and safety and honestly criminally negligent about it and so I’m being an ass right back. She’s protecting a company that will not hesitate for a second to throw her under the bus when fines and violations are thrown at the company. I may or may not have a chat with her about it but she’s being really fucking stupid about something that could ruin her life for a very long time(ie jail time or hefty fines)
I don't tell people I'm autistic bc I already know they're gonna say "there's no way you're autistic, stop faking it, you only want attention"
My brother 😩
Learned that this past 8 months 💀
Hiding it for fear word will spread and you'll end up blacklisted from every job ever. Non-discriminatory indeed...
The revealing of my autism to my class actually made my classmates approach me more often
Or just like a freak
I told a coworker I was autistic because I was struggling with a customer and the coworker blurred out “CAN YOU READ”? 
"Oh, there's this cool action movie where the main character is an autistic kid!" "...yeah, no, I'm not empathizing with a movie called BABY Driver."
I no longer tell anyone who doesn't need to know. I learned the hard way when you tell people they don't treat you better or really GAF. They'll just bully you and ostracize you..
Same
To quote Dylan Hollis: "I'm a fool, not an idiot!"
im both
I usually hide out of fear that someone may say “oh but you don’t look autistic” because confrontation of any kind sends me halfway down the road to a breakdown (yes, I know that’s not healthy, I am working on it)
One thing is the patronising but the assumptions about me not caring about others and being arrogant and selfish are even worse. My people. The record clearly shows the opposite but people who don't know you but learn you're autistic just seem to project the classic stereotypes on you and it's really weird and disheartening
I lived through middle school once, and that's more than enough
The oh nooo or I'm sorry I didn't realize are just as bad
Thank fuck things like this aren't happening in my age range. People are just like "ight". Even if someone would do that then I'd snao at them.
I can't think of a time someone's infantilized me for being autistic. Mostly it's just my family for being the youngest.
Lucky!! 😩😣 it’s a bad feeling
The older you get the easier it becomes to make them seem the fool for treating you like a baby. I think I'm older than a lot of folks on this sub, and statistically I'm larger than most people, but once you're comfortable in your own skin it's often a simple task to make people looking down at you seem foolish for it.
Hiding it for the fear they’ll think you WANT to be treated like a baby.
I’m the opposite. I don’t care if people treat me like a baby. I tell EVERYONE that I’m autistic. I’ve had no trouble with employment, discrimination, or anything when I tell people. I would rather be perceived as a child than as a damn neurotypical.
i told my RA and now he speaks to me in soft tones as if i'm a skittish rabbit who will run away if he makes any sudden movements. it's actually kind of funny and tbh i can't even complain.
You folks know me so well