It makes me nuts but culturally folks have been trained and "shown" in almost all movies and on TV that autism is _always visible._ While I'm sensitive to it and annoyed,

other than from doctors, I can't see how anyone would think any differently. For most people it isn't ableism, it's wrong-programming. I'd go even further to say that

historically, autism researchers were probably even more ableist than the general public. NeuroTribes is a big book by Steve Silberman that goes into a lot of history that I won't be

able to recall correctly but I forgive John and Jane Q Public for misunderstanding autism. *I* misunderstood autism until I slowly unpeeled the onion on my own self-then-doctor diagnosis. My

moderators in some forums can be quite harsh about banning people after one or two "offenses" for breaking rules these people can't possibly know yet. I'm cautious about

saying I'm "aspie" to autistics because Asperger is problematic. But, I write for a broad audience including the general public and I can _convey a general sense_ to the

public with the word aspie or I can experience what I've experienced time and time again. Me: "I guess this is as good a time as any. I'm autistic." Them: <rrzzzzt>

_System Down due to Cognitive Dissonance._ Maybe even in 5 years or so that'll change but right now, saying "I'm autistic" to a person who doesn't know anyone with

autism causes them to go into that mental place: "_But ... they don't look autistic. Is he pulling my leg. I don't think so ... "_ I have to watch facial expressions and

I can sense "oh, crap. Now I'm going to have to explain myself ... again" for not "correctly saying what I wanted to say." It's complicated. I just want to

build bridges.