Let's clear this up...

[chaoticidealism]

When I say I am "Autistic":

I use "autistic" as a general term for the entire autism spectrum. I think Asperger's and other types of autism are too similar, with too much overlap between them and no clear dividing line, with too many cases on the borderline between them, to be truly separate entities. Certainly you can pick examples of other types

Comments

[chaoticidealism]

(If you've heard this fifty times before, feel free to ignore.) With initiating conversations, have you tried a non-speech method, like maybe PECS? If you can't ask for something you really really need, that could be very annoying. It might be hard to use with strangers (you could get an "I have Autism" card to use for that, though), but with your husband, you could just tell him what you were up to and have some back-up for emergencies. This is assuming that physical actions are easier for you than speech production, so handing somebody a card would be easier than talking to them. Any kind of "I want to talk to you" signal should work, if he knows how to get a conversation going, right?

I've occasionally had that kind of problem, when very stressed. I remember once having to give an assisted transport bus driver my ID card because I couldn't figure out how to start talking to say my own name. That was under extreme stress, though, so I really don't know what it would be like to have that happen every day.

I had the "Mom doesn't want you labeled" thing, too. I got through OK, except when I got out of school and left for college, I didn't really know how to take care of myself. It took a while. I'm finally on my own now, kind of. I wish nobody would have to worry about kids getting labeled... the label shouldn't be shameful. Not knowing why you are different can make things very difficult.

[chaoticidealism]

Well, if it's something that I have to talk about and I haven't been able to verbally do so I do either send an email, or write a letter. It's almost certaintly something psychological going on rather than physical as I find it a lot easier to initiate talking with children (though not when I was a child, obviously). As an adult a lot of the issues are ok, as, as I said, if someone talks to me first I do ok and I can get most things myself that I need, so I rarely need to ask for help. It was more problematic when I was growing up as I wasn't as independant.