Although I'm 50 years old everyone seems to treat me like a child; the jobcentre, social services, and even the two Asperger's group which I'm a member of. I really resent this, but some times I have to go along with it because there are no other alternatives. Does this happen to other people, and how do they deal with it?

It happens with all professionals unfortunately... you don't even have to be on the spectrum for them to treat you like that...
Unless you are a proffesional that knows there lingo and they know you are, it will always be the case. It is the way they are tought to deal with people, they try to do it in a way that will suit everybody and that everybody can understand, so in essence give a lot of people the feeling they are being looked down upon or treated like a child, I am sure if you speak to them and tell them your concearns???  who knows they may see your point of view and start treating you the way you would like... if you don't tell them, they don't know that a problem is occuring!!

Usually they are then surprised at how clever I am and at my sense of humour.  Some have even accused me of faking it or tell me that I don't have a disability.  

I even had people in my support group laugh when I was telling about a traumatic crime that happened to me.  It was not funny at all.  They said they were laughing because of the way I speak; it was so "cute".  

Training is supposed to be getting better.  They are telling people to assume nothing about a person - as do not judge from first impressions.  I find this is too common in job interviews.  

I keep asking for help.  People cannot understand why I am so smart and can not get a job.  I keep telling them that I need a job placement not just help applying for jobs and "practicing" interviews.  

Sometimes I get better treatment if I do not speak and use notes instead.  They think I am deaf/mute and for some reason seem to treat me more like an adult.

If you promise to be good for the rest of the day, I'll send a serious response tomorrow.

It doesn't happen to me because I don't act like a child, maybe you do?

Good to know.

I have a tendency to act a bit childish, sometimes its just the way I am though...

Cont.d: so long story short..... maybe that's how they view people on the spectrum sometimes?

If you cant act like a child. At least be young a heart.

I was thinking the same thing

Also, it is POSSIBLE that you misinterpret how you are being treated - being sensitive about having being treated in x, y, or z way in the past - people (aspies too) often can "See" slights that are not occuring from everyone - and not just the actual offenders.

We went and visited a high school that was for kids more "disabled"  (they did not speak as well as him for example) than our son - and MY GOSH - she spoke to not only our son, but us as his parents as if we were either, deaf, senile, a baby, or just plain old dumb...- I doubt any kid / person would want to be spoken to like that..but obviously she cannot help it.  So, why be mad at her?  It is like being mad at someone because they are non-verbal.. she had poor communcation skills... for us it was most ineffectice and quite distracting but oh well.  Maybe people who work every day with differntly abled people just get into the habit and do not realize it?

Yes, it can be insulting - but truly it happens to many people.  What about those people who speak to people as if they are a child - when all they are is hard of hearing/old  they are just as smart as ever....

perhaps point it out to the offending persons> Maybe they do not know they are doing it - OR do they speak to everyone that way? if so ignore it...

It sucks when you have a disabilty and you overcome the parts of it that are disabling to a large extent and achieve an autonomous life and then people esp proffesionals who are supposedly supposed to help people with disabilities say you have essentially been faking it the whole time.  Ironically, if you really think about it, what they are saying is that there career is pointless because there is no way to overcome whatever limitations we have.

I have gotten told before I could go to college since I am so smart. But there is no way I can go because my disability is that bad and sure people who are autistic have gone but they don't have the same limitations I have despite the fact I am not as badly effected by it as they are. My learning problems are the worst and it's my road block and one of the worst limitations I have.

Luckily I have never been accused of faking a disability but I have been under estimated to over estimated.

Sometimes people will dumb things down for me when they see I process information differently and have difficulty understanding or difficulty reading between the lines. But they tend to dumb things down too much as if I am too stupid to read between the lines or something.  

An example would be someone hands me two sets of salt and pepper shakers and tells me to put them on each table and then they show me the sets going "This is a set and this is a set" as if I am too stupid to think both salt and pepper shakers go on the table, not one each. This did actually happen but I let it go and didn't make a big fuss about it. She was just trying to help and avoid misunderstandings. I am not sure if this a good example because I don't think it requires reading between the lines if you know what a set is for salt and pepper shakers.

Or what about I get told to take out the trash and they give me each steps to doing it as if I be too stupid to know to put it outside in the trash cans without being told that. Instead of, "can you take out the trash? The trash cans are outside right next to the garage" it be "Can you take the trash out? Just open it and pull the bag out and tie it and take it outside to the trash cans that are right next to the garage and put the bag in one of them and put the lid back on top." As if I'd be too stupid to know to take the bag out out of the trash can and be too stupid to even know to put it in the trash can outside without being told.

Okay if I am confused with the instructions, I will just ask like "which trash?" if I didn't know which trash they wanted me to take out. But yet if they wanted me to put in a new trash liner, I would be expecting to hear, "Can you take the trash out, the trash cans are right next to the garage, also make sure you put in a new bag, I keep them in that bottom drawer there" because no way would I know I am supposed to put in a new trash bag. I would just think they only wanted me to take out the trash and that's it and someone else will put in the new bag. This didn't actually happen but it was a better example of how someone may dumb things down too much because they get too specific it sounds like I am a child or stupid.

But like I say, people tend to dummy things down too much for me and I always let it go because they are doing their best to help me so I understand what they want me to do and there be no misunderstandings. Another reason why I don't tell people I have Asperger's but they seem to figure out my issues anyway without knowing what I have so they end up dummying things down too much.

I swear people have a hard time with shades of gray when it comes to disabilities. It's either this or that because they go way extreme with their support we all of a sudden feel like we are being treated like we are stupid or retarded or a child. But I still give them credit for trying. If I get mad at them for it, then it be Murphy's law. They would see if they tell me to do something without being clear, I misunderstand them, but yet if they tell me clearly to do something, I get mad at them for it because they are treating me like I am stupid. They would be trapped and wouldn't know how to tell me then because nothing be good enough. It's black and white I tell you.

Oh hell. No one treats me like a child. I fought hard to remove myself from childhood and be self-sufficient.
I am a little bit opinionated and arrogant and happy to defnd myself strongly and will not take to people being insulting to me by trying to denounce me as something invalid on the basis of maturity, intellect, class or whatever. I simply refuse to allow anyone to disempower me.

The very detailed instructions - I can't remember or follow long detailed verbal instructions.  Better let me take notes or watch someone do the job - in small bits for a day or two.  Sure I can handle taking out the garbage - done that job.  What I can't handle is the person swearing at me for asking them to move to another table because I need to move that one for some event or even just not moving out of the way while I am carrying the bags outside.  

I don't need help some much with technical aspects of jobs like computer or filing systems - I might need some coaching to "this is how we talk to people on the phone .. when they ask about this, then we tell them this - not really the truth but somewhat a lie".  Now I am learning that it is ok not to tell the whole truth in interviews because the HR person is the enemy who wants to NOT give you the job.