How many autistic people do you know?

[Nervous Rex]

Only count people you run across in your everyday life.
Don't count people you know of, but don't personally know (like famous people).
Don't count people you met on a site like this or in a support group, doctor's office, social services center, etc.

It occurred to me that I'm experiencing a little bit of frequency illusion. Previously, when I was told someone was autistic, I would say "Oh, okay". I knew it affected their lives, but I didn't really put much thought into how.

Now that I'm aware of how autism affects my life, I am realizing how many other autistic people I know just through natural social connections:

* A coworker.
* One of my high-school acquaintances.
* The son of a friend of my wife.
* The son of a friend of mine.
* The son of a former coworker.
* The daughter of friends of ours.
* One of my wife's students.
* EDIT: One more, the son of a family we know from church.

It makes me wonder how many people know several autistic people, but never really reach an awareness of what autism is or how it affects people's lives. Perhaps a first step toward awareness would be to get people to realize how many autistic people they know.

 

[SeanDIdgeridoo1996]

Unfortunately I don't know any.

 

[Progster]

None that I know of. I think that one or two people I know or have known might have been autistic, but if they were, they either never told me or didn't know it. People aren't very open about such things where I live. Many live their lives undiagnosed. Edit: possibly my brother, but I'm not sure.

 

[Monachopia]

I guess if I think about it I know/knew a few on the Asperger's scale of things, but by characteristics alone, none of them had disclosed their diagnosis.

- my sister / PROBABLY (?) my dad
- a kid at school (I didn't know it back then, but it's obvious that he was/is autistic)
- one / possibly two of my partner's friends

There might be more that I can't think of.

 

[Bolletje]

A few family members of mine are on the spectrum, though only one of them is officially “out”, besides me.

 

[BraidedPony]

My dad, two of my nephews, my grandfather and my uncles.

 

[Mary Terry]

I have 4 autistic people in my family - a sister-in-law, her sister, her mother, and her child who is my nephew. I also know probably over 40 autistic students I have tutored over many years to help them prepare for the GED examination. Autistic people are everywhere if you look for them or seek them out. Most are adept at concealing it, as y'all know.

 

[xudo]

Husband
Best friend
2 guys husband works with
2 other friends, one from high school and one I met last year.

 

[Shamar]

Only count people you run across in your everyday life.
Don't count people you know of, but don't personally know (like famous people).
Don't count people you met on a site like this or in a support group, doctor's office, social services center, etc.

It occurred to me that I'm experiencing a little bit of frequency illusion. Previously, when I was told someone was autistic, I would say "Oh, okay". I knew it affected their lives, but I didn't really put much thought into how.

Now that I'm aware of how autism affects my life, I am realizing how many other autistic people I know just through natural social connections:

* A coworker.
* One of my high-school acquaintances.
* The son of a friend of my wife.
* The son of a friend of mine.
* The son of a former coworker.
* The daughter of friends of ours.
* One of my wife's students.

It makes me wonder how many people know several autistic people, but never really reach an awareness of what autism is or how it affects people's lives. Perhaps a first step toward awareness would be to get people to realize how many autistic people they know.

Grand total 3. My son's friend (autistic), a boy whose parents I met while walking the dog (Asberger's), and a volunteer at a museum I used to volunteer at (Asberger's). All of whom I have not seen in 2-3 years)

 

[Fino]

-4 students
-3 friends
-1 in high-school but haven't seen him in years
-I think my brother is but he's against doctors and such

So I'd say 7!

 

[Jeremiah]

One semi-regular in my rpg group is only one confirmed on the spectrum I know, aside from myself.

 

[Pats]

I only know 1 person who is officially diagnosed with autism - moderate functioning. There are others I think probably are, like a son, daughter and grandchild and probably my mom and her mother were, though, there's no way of ever knowing for sure now. But officially diagnosed, only myself and daughter in law's nephew. So even if self diagnosed, the most would still be under 6.

 

[Major Tom]

There's myself, my son, and several family members on my mom's side that are diagnosed. I think there's a few undiagnosed as well.

 

[clg114]

Only two, both family members. My youngest son and my youngest granddaughter. Oh, there are a few people I suspect are on the spectrum, but I can not count them.

 

[RosaViolet]

2 children, 1 family member. 1 passing ex.
Not many..

 

[Pats]

But at the same time - A few years ago I would not have been counted myself because I didn't know and no one else knew or suspected. I'm sure there are many out there that no one , including themselves, has any idea they are on the spectrum.

 

[tlc]

None that I know of. I think that one or two people I know or have known might have been autistic, but if they were, they either never told me or didn't know it. People aren't very open about such things where I live. Many live their lives undiagnosed. Edit: possibly my brother, but I'm not sure.

Same here. There is very little resource for that around here. I think most people don't even know, or if they did know, feel they are better keeping it private because around here nobody is going to give you any consideration for it. You're better off being known as something more socially accepted like a geek, nerd, whatever.

One guy I used to work with, I'm 99% sure he was. Between all his traits, as well as the way people described him on jobsites. 20 years ago we did some personality test where you would have 2 scores and plot yourself in one quadrant of a graph for everyone to see on the projector. Out of probably 30 people, he and I were the only ones who ended up in the lower left quadrant.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

I know of three males who have an ASD1 diagnosis and one adult male whom I've never seen living next door to my parents and needing round the clock care. He doesn't come outside much. I suspect my former sister-in-law is autistic and undiagnosed. She has struggled and suffered with obviously incorrect diagnoses over the course of her life. My son is semi-diagnosed (by that I mean a psychiatrist said he is probably on the spectrum but didn't think it worth investigating and preferred to focus on his anxiety) and it would not surprise me if my partner is also autistic and/or ADHD.

 

[tlc]

and it would not surprise me if my partner is also autistic and/or ADHD.

Many years ago I checked out this autism dating site. I was surprised that when I looked up people in my area, about half the people I'd ever dated (and one I was married to) were on the first few pages. I also wouldn't be surprised if my last partner was autistic.

 

[Clueless in Canada]

Many years ago I checked out this autism dating site. I was surprised that when I looked up people in my area, about half the people I'd ever dated (and one I was married to) were on the first few pages. I also wouldn't be surprised if my last partner was autistic.

I suppose it makes sense that we would be drawn to others and they to us. My partner and I both had previous marriages with very non-tolerant NTs.