I always have used the "on a need to know basis". I don't generally volunteer anything related to ASD unless I feel it will be needed to help my son in the specific situation.

If you plan on being in the same school (and district) for many years something you say now could come back in a negative way years later.

When my son was younger (he's 13 now) I would reference him as unique, quirky, or following his own drum beat if a behavior seemed puzzling to other parents. I think it is best to be cautious at first and as time goes on you will know which parents will be receptive when you share his diagnosis.

I hope this doesn't come off as being ashamed in any way of my son or his autism. I see it more as protecting his privacy. As he is a teen now I want him to be the person to share this about himself.

I love EthanMom's response! So great. I'm considering doing this at my own son's school. In general I'm very open with other parents, because I want to take away the "weird kid" perception and bring understanding to the situation. My explanations have always been well received.

Don't bring it up until you need to. By that I mean don't try an introductory explanation. After he does something that has the neurotypical friends going "Huh?" then mention the traits of ASD as manifested by your son to them and their parents.

You need to go with him and watch to see how things go. Any friend worth having will understand

I agree in principle, but sometimes it's just too obvious to shrug it off. When it came to friends/parents we would just mention it and say that he has a tendency to respond to certain things differently. When it came to sports, my son played soccer, we just didn't mention it... he was doing the best he could and most of the parents were "soccer friends" and we didn't feel it necessary to mention it. I don't know if it's different in smaller towns, but in the city I found that mentioning ASD is usually followed by , "oh I know someone with that" and they are usually curious to find out more (in a good way). Cheers.