I've gotten similar weirdness from laypeople. If I say I was diagnosed with autism at the age of 14, some people say "But you can't become autistic at the age of 14!" (Well, yeah, the initial diagnosis was based heavily on a developmental history given by my mother. Hello!?)
I don't understand why you get that impression.
Is is perhaps more of a worry for you that people will think this - rather than a reality?
It's a bit of a worry but also has some genuine ramifications, as I'll readily admit that my case of AS is either lesser or more uncertain than most others here, for various reasons.
For one thing, I seem to be the only one here who takes everything personally, suggesting this is un-Aspie-like in nature and perhaps something an Aspie wouldn't do. I also seem to be one of the most emotionally volatile members, one of very few who express feelings so readily.
Communicating in ways different than other members here goes against the validity of a self-DX. That's a concern, for me anyhow.
From what I've read about Asperger's, it's not so uncommon for us to be emotionally volatile. The idea that we are all unemotional like Dr Spock is yet another one of the many stereotypes about autism that abound in our society.
I've noticed that you do seem to take personally posts that are not directed to you. It's almost as if some kind of internal critic is activated by what someone says and it triggers insecurity or anger or whatever in response. So you have this reaction, and, as a thread reader, I think: "Say what?" "C'mon Batman, the person was saying what he or she thinks--you're not a target and you don't have to fit with it or agree with it." It's made me puzzled about what theory of mind you are operating with. Seriously. I've been tempted at times to add the qualifier (Note to Batman, I'm not talking about you) but doing so would be ridiculous.
In this case, however, Note to Batman: I am talking about you. You are a puzzle.
Yup!
And sometimes I still think there's something wrong. But all in all I've had a good and an interesting life. I feel grateful. But parts of it majorly sucked until I got into my late 20s. It's hard to be clueless, to not feel normal, to wonder what is wrong and why. Later on, it's fun to celebrate uniqueness.
My opinion--I think it's natural for parents to encourage their kids to work to improve on their weaknesses, thereby making for an overall well-rounded person. For aspie kids, though, it might make more sense to encourage kids to improve on their strengths to help to solidify skills and self-worth.
haha thanks yall. 
so id like to ask that any further welcome to AFF's be directed to me directly via PM. seriously, i love it and probably need it but lets stay ON TOPIC so that the next guy or gal can enjoy this thread.
Marieke, I think taking care of a family takes plenty of intelligence and you're young so there is plenty of time to worry about going back to school later on if that's what you wish to do.
I also agree with your other comment that an emergency C-Section is NOT a normal part of birth.
im 165 at most, i am still invisible to women.
I feel exactly the same
I tend to also disapprove of the term self-diagnosis, but for very different reasons. Diagnosis sounds very medicalized, I prefer 'self-identified' or something to describe people that other people call 'self-diagnosed'.
And no, your last sentence makes absolutely no sense. Someone is either autistic, or they are not autistic. If they are autistic, then this does not change whether they are unidentified, self-identified, or professionally diagnosed. The person does not become autistic at the moment of professional diagnosis, the person was always autistic regardless of who, if anyone, noticed that they were autistic. The 'logic' you are using would make it so that an autistic person is not autistic until a medical professional notices that they are, which is like saying that a redwood tree is not a redwood tree until a botanist comes and tells it it's a redwood tree.
I don't think that the 'jackass' thing is actually that common. I think that a lot of people want it to be common, however, and their constant complaining about it furthers the stereotype. There are a few reasons to want it to be common:
1. Some autistic people don't want to be identified with the stereotype, so instead of saying it's a stereotype, they say "Oh I'm not like that" in the hopes that complaining about 'self-diagnosed jackasses' will differentiate them, themselves, from those 'jackasses'. It's a status thing.
2. Other people, they just want to continue to be able to ridicule autistic people, and it's really hard to ridicule them and stay really pissed off at them if they can be said to have a condition causing them to not understand or be unable to comply with certain social norms.
3. Other people just want to reinforce the social norms in other ways, and therefore want to be able to redefine autistic people's trouble with them as a moral problem rather than a neurological variation. So they do this so they can keep moralizing about how awful autistic people's manners are, without feeling guilty about it.
And a lot of people will claim to know all these people who are "really doing that," but it's really in order to denigrate an entire category of people without having to think about it. It's sort of like people who rant about gay people and use the excuse that they knew a gay child molester once. (Even though straight child molesters are more common.) It's using a single example to reinforce a broad prejudice.
Most of these are just attacks on autistic people who for whatever reason have not been willing or able to seek out a professional to tell them this aspect of who they are (as if they can't possibly know who they are without a professional). People who can't afford professional diagnosis, who reject it on principle as too medical, who are afraid to confront psychiatry another time to get a diagnosis after horrible experiences in the psych system, people whose families refuse to pay for a diagnosis, etc. You're trashing all those people just so you can call a few people jackasses. I hope you're happy with that.