Problem with the word "Aspie"

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So the reason I joined this site is to get more insight on this diagnosis. My boyfriend has high-functioning Asperger's and I have a very difficult time coping and managing his behavior. I'm considered Neurotypical, apparently. In any case, we've been going to a ground counseling sessions for people with Asperger's. To make it easier to refer to those with Asperger's, they call themselves "Aspies". I seem to have a problem with this. Every time I hear it or read it, it makes me cringe. I feel it's a negative labeling. It sounds derogatory to me.

Anyone else deal with this issue?

'Aspie' is a word. It has no more emotional content than what you put into it.

It's not negative; it's just a shortened form of "Asperger's".

If they're calling themselves Aspies, then you can be pretty sure they're okay with it.

I have never heard the word uttered in real life except once.

And that was out of my own mouth. I was shaking hands with a guy I just met at an outdoor AS/Autism support group activity, and said "so...are you an aspie?". He grinned and said "well... HFA...same thing."

The first time I ever saw it in print was in "the Aspie Hangout"- the name of another aspie website I used to go to before I found WP.

Folks use it here constantly. A young lady here even calls herself "Makala the Aspie".

So, no, it never occurs to me to find it derogatory.


Beats the hell out of having to say "a person with aspergers" (rather say two syllables than have ot say seven).

<--- Robin the aspie.

Personally, I'm proud to be an aspie.

It's a cute little word. People identify with it.

When I first encountered this word, it seemed too 'cute' to me. But as I kept hanging around here on WP, I got used to it. I don't find it derogatory and I use it freely when I talk about Asperger's.

I don't mind "Aspie", but I usually use "autistic" for myself because the Aspie stereotype doesn't really fit me, and because I prefer to identify with the whole spectrum rather than just the nerdy, highly-verbal, talk-your-ear-off, socially-awkward portion of it. Plus, recently with the DSM-5, it's all called autism spectrum disorder anyway.

But the way I figure it, as long as others understand you, it's your autism and you can call it what you like. Aspie is as good a word as any.

So tell us about your guy. What's he like? Do you have trouble communicating, or is it more of a culture clash?

Honestly, even though I've caught myself using the term a few times, I generally try to avoid addressing myself or other people as "aspies". I don't know, it just sounds like the type of term that neurotypicals would make fun of and turn into some sort of an insult.

I don't think its derogatory, its just a shorter way to refer to ones self as having aspergers syndrome.

This is probably odd, but the term Aspie implies community and acceptance to me. And as the world is full of cold labels and judgments, that is sometimes appealing, more so than diagnostic accuracy.

I should probably also note, I just generally don't like the sound of names or terms ending in "ie" or "y". That particular sound just sounds annoying to my ears, as do many other high pitched sounds.