What do you think about the term "aspie"?

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Well, as the title suggests. What do you think of "aspie"?

The other day I heard someone saying they don't like the term. But I wasn't given an explanation to why, so I thought that any of you guys might have an opinion?

Personally, I don't really have one. But after giving it some extra thought, I think it's quite comfortable to have a shorter word when "people with aspergers" is too long and stiff-sounding, especially when I have to say it several times in a conversation.
But on the other hand, my mind also draws parallels to when people use shorter versions of words in a negative way. Like when you hear someone saying "Japs" instead of "Japanese", you just know that it wasn't well intentioned. However, I assume that the term was born is the AS community, so I guess it's ok?

Geez, I got into a thought-explosion here. That wasn't the point of this. I just want to know if any of you have an opinion...

I, too, think it's just useful as shorthand for when it gets too labor-intensive to keep saying "people with Asperger's," "person with Asperger's," "people with Asperger's," "person with Asperger's" "people with Asperger's," "person with Asperger's" ........over and over again in the course of one conversation.

I use it informally but if there's a serious discussion on here I'll opt for "Asperger's" when the tone is serious.

Personally I don't find anything insulting or trivializing in it, though I've read here that some people do. I find it just shorthand -- like saying "fridge" instead of "refrigerator" or TV (or British "telly") instead of "television" all the time.

To me it's no more and no less than a convenient abbreviation that isn't such a mouthful.

Then again, there are people with autism that is not of the Asperger's kind, so "aspie" isn't the correct abbreviation for them.

Yes, strictly speaking, the term "Asperger's" is now increasingly a colloquial one, as the DSM now calls it ASD Level 1. Asperger's in essence still exists as a set of traits and symptoms, just under that different name.

In the UK the word Asperger's is still in use alongside "ASD level 1," not just in the ICD-10 but particularly colloquially speaking. Even a new documentary (on TV tonight) is called "Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me."

The general public awareness is only really just catching up to a thing called "Asperger's" even though the diagnostic officialdom has already moved on to another name for it!

That documentary is on tonight at 9pm, BBC 2!

I'm so looking forward to it -- it's not often you get a public figure doing a documentary about their autism. It's a great opportunity for the general viewing public to learn something about the so-called higher functioning levels of autism, as I think there is still a general disbelief in them.

I'm thinking too, not so much about the people who try to claim being Aspie as an excuse or thinking it's cool, but more about the people who in fact accuse Aspies of those same things, lol!

I have a friend who deep down really doesn't believe my diagnosis even though he was there before and after it. He doesn't believe the sensory processing is different, for example, and that when I can't have loud music I'm just being spoilt or weird or something. I hope he watches this show -- if he doesn't believe me about my traits then maybe he'll take it from Chris Packham, lol.

Personally I like the term "Aspie" and I am now comfortable referring to myself as one. I like to think of it as a less anxiety ridden term for our condition rather than such a clinical reference like Asperger's Syndrome which sounds terrifying, to me anyways. It took me long enough to accept this reality so any name that lessens the "scary effect" is OK by me. Take it from someone who suffers from ridiculous anxiety.

"Aspie" is more like an affectionate nickname really, kinda like how the world refers to us Canadians as "Canucks" or Australians as "Aussies" or New Zealanders as "Kiwis". All of those terms are simply affectionate nicknames that are not considered to be derogatory even in the countries they're used in. Heck, many of us Canadians refer to each other as Canucks.

So, I think Aspie is a term I'm comfortable with and will keep using.

_________________
*** High Functioning Autism - Asperger's Syndrome ***

ADHD, OCD, and PTSD.

Keep calm and stim away.

It's better than "Sperg," that's for sure.

I'm not actually an "Aspie," even though I present as one. I had a severe speech delay.

Even the latest DSM has a diagnosis called "level one autism without speech delay" which is to "aspergers" what "half-a-dozen" is to "six". The same gosh darn thing. So there are still gonna be folks who could rightly be called aspie for the foreseeable future.

"Aspie" is better than "person with aspergers".

Someone started a thread in the "Adult" subforum with the word "Aspires" for "folks with aspergers" in its title. Probably a typo, but it's kinda an interesting possible term for it as well.

Originally the word "Oakie" just meant "someone from Oklahoma".

Then during the dust bowl of the thirties when folks fled the prairie Midwest for California "Oakie" became an insult like the N word used by Californians at the refugees from the Dust Bowl (its all chronicled in the "Grapes of Wrath"). .

But then in the late Sixties country singer Merle Haggard reclaimed the word in his hit song "I'm Proud to be an Oakie From Muskogee".

So yes, words with that "ee" sound on the end can be neutral, perjorative, or positive. Its all what you make it mean.

The term was invented to counteract all of the negative stigmas associated with Autism. For a period of time, it worked as it helped people gain much-needed self-esteem. This was especially true for some adults who had been mis and undiagnosed for decades. Some "aspies" overcompensated by going too far the other way making it about aspie supremacy. Eventually, a backlash against the term developed especially after the elimination of the diagnosis and the popularization of online bullying of people by calling them "Assburgers" . Critics said that people that identified with the term did so because they did not want an association with low functioning autistics. Another words aspies were being defined by the Aspie supremacist minority. The term has become increasingly associated with elitism, overdiagnosis, and socially awkward geniuses who do not have "real autism".

As mentioned the term has survived but is just basically a descriptor. A lot of the positive elements are not there anymore. That angers me as I view it as a missed opportunity.

I prefer the term autism or autistic or AS (not ASD). Ironically, 'Aspie' just doesn't work in German all that well. Actually, I have, yet, to be in a social situation where it came up. Eventhough, I do wonder if autism will eventually be something that one mentions as casually today as being LGBTQ. If so then I definitely would want 'Aspie' to fall out of usage. I'm 'AS' is less pejorative, more inclusive, and sounds casual enough.

I like the word, aspie. I think it's kind of cool and futuristic.

It used to common on WP for folks to talk about "aspies, and auties". Which is fine by me.

I recall one post were someone even wrote "all of us aspies, auties, and willies". By"willies" he meant "folks with William's syndrome". William's Syndrome is a rare condition, even compared to ASDs. Though its comparable to ASDs. In fact it's often dubbed in the popular press as being "the opposite of autism". That because the distinctive trait of folks who have it is that they have a compulsion to socialize. They have to get in your face and interact with you (in marked contrast to extreme autistics who ignore you and just stay in their own world).

ADHD (formerly known as ADD) is a distinct, but comparable condition to aspergers, and to HFA, but folks who have it don't have their own moniker like "aspie". Not sure what you would call them. ADHDers ? Or maybe "ADDers"?

If you happened to African American, and had ADHD, would that mean that you were a "Black Adder"?