My opinion of "Aspie Culture"

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Aspie Culture is BS

It seems like every school shooting the man (always a man) behind the gun has some ASD...

"A lot of people on the Internet love to self-diagnose themselves as having Asperger's Syndrome. That alone disturbs me, because to me, my autistic traits were challenges I had to overcome, not something I took pride in growing up. What makes matters worse is this idea of "Aspie Culture", especially when it is taken to an illogical extreme.

To begin, these people classify anyone who doesn't have Asperger's Syndrome or another autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) as a neurotypical (NT). Essentially, these self-diagnosed autistics declare themselves to be somehow different from everyone else. That if you don't have an ASD, you are an NT, and not to be trusted because you cannot possibly understand what it is like to be excluded or mocked for your eccentricities.

I strongly disagree with this Aspie culture, especially when it seems after every other school shooting or other national tragedy, the person behind the gun was diagnosed with Asperger's. Asperger's is not a disorder or a disease to begin with. While I dislike the Aspie pride and Aspie culture that permeates the air of our Internets, I also do not like the Autism Speaks movement, where parents and other authority figures decide that they are the ones who speak for the autistic populace."

Preview of my page linked.


I was the beneficiary of an overprotective mom and a "social skills" class while otherwise being mainstreamed. However, some of you might classify me as "NT" and dismiss what I say because all I really have had is a NVLD (non verbal learning disability)

I think that if everyone had a social skills class, we'd be better off.

You age is listed as 29. Why are you posting this in the Adolescent forum?

Because it covers issues that affect adolescents, and I'm stuck in teenager life sometimes.

Well, I don't think that being "neurotypical" is reason to dismiss someone's input.
Although neurotypical is an ill-defined word. To me it means an ideal or perfection. A perfectly functioning mind. If such a thing actually exists. I have met some pretty high functioning people who I would probably classify as neurotypical, but not many.
I have been known to utter words of frustration against so called neurotypicals, in anger and frustration. But, I don't feel that they are an enemy. I realize as I get older and learn about autism (now that at least it is recognized as existing) that I have often assumed malice from others due to their not understanding or respecting my experience of life. But this was due to ignorance.

That meaning is inconsistent with the construction of the term. "Typical" means "of or belonging to most people/the average person." If a "perfectly functioning mind" is so rare that you question its existence, "neurotypical" cannot possibly refer to someone with a "perfectly functioning mind."

I suppose so; I took it less literally. Perfection is the wrong word - maybe "ideal" is better, but isn't quite right either. Kind of like a Platonic form. Although my knowledge of Greek philosophy is limited. But I think that's what I mean.
Although I know the term is used in an unwelcoming way sometimes. I'm not sure what aspie culture is though.

Aspie culture is people who refuse any sort of treatment or help and see the world as aspie/NT only.