I respect your thoughts, and clearly there isn’t a right answer – just what feels appropriate to each individual person.

Gavin Bollard: To be honest, it’s like saying that a Maltese terrier has a mild type of canine-ism compared to a Doberman. They’re different, but they’re both dogs – and thus both quite different from cats.

What a lovely metaphor!

A also share your fear about the use of genetics to prevent births of those with autistic genetic markings.

Whilst it’s theoretical only right now, I’m sure it won’t stay that way.

If I was destined to start my life 50 years in the future would I never be born? Not a comfortable thought at all.

leica: So I’m starting to see some of my traits as just traits. Is it AS? I don’t know. Would knowing change them? No, but learning what I do differently and developing ways of making the most of those traits hopefully will. *knock wood*

Yes – in my book at least, knowing and understanding your traits is immensely liberating and puts many things into perspective. You have to choose the path that works best for you, and if that means not applying a label then that’s the way to go.

I personally find a label to be important, because it allows others an easy starting point to describe my condition. They may know nothing about Asperger’s but if they are interested, they can go away and do some reading – I don’t have to spend a lot of time explaining everything if I don’t want to.

I also think there are many people who dismiss conditions that people themselves have diagnosed without professional input. One of the reasons why I feel getting the Asperger’s box officially ticked is that I can then wave a piece of paper in front of people’s noses if I have to – a last resort tactic if you like.

That is a very well thought out way of explaining your condition to people. Indeed it makes so much sense to me that I think I’ll likely use something similar once I eventually go public – which I think is looking like an inevitable step in the not too distant future.

I’m certainly not going to be using the word ‘mild’ in any of my descriptions though…

All people on the spectrum bring a different set of strengths and weaknesses. One is not always necessarily better or more desirable than the other. Just different.

I’m not only comfortable with my aspergers but I consider it to be part of my identity. I would not be the same without it.

I’m always fearful of a possible “cure” because I wonder; if they managed to prevent creation of any more people on the spectrum, would it really be a “good thing” for humanity as a species?

I agree with Rachel in the previous comments about wanting to escape labels. In fact, lately, I keep wondering about the differences between traits and disorders.

I asked my GP about getting AS diagnosed and he mentioned he didn’t like the idea because he didn’t think labels did any good, but often did harm.

So I’m starting to see some of my traits as just traits. Is it AS? I don’t know. Would knowing change them? No, but learning what I do differently and developing ways of making the most of those traits hopefully will. *knock wood*

Very thought-provoking article – thanks.

Some of my friends have been shocked when I told them that I have high-functioning autism, because I mask it fairly well, and because they were accustomed to thinking of autism only in its most severe form. But their shock means that they understand that I’m dealing with a pervasive and difficult condition. I’m not sure that calling it “mild autism” would get the same message across.