Aspies, does it bother you to be lumped in with autistics?

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The only thing that bothers me is when assumptions are made about who I am or what my abilities are.

If people think that AS and autism are the exact same thing and that we are only capable of what is imagined in the worst of stereotypes, that bothers me.

It's a broad spectrum. And people who hear the word "Autism" and immediately picture someone drooling in the corner playing with their own filth, need a damn good... education.

I imagine it's better for me, because I can say "I'm an Aspie", or "I have Asperger's Syndrome" and people generally don't know what the Hell I'm talking about. I can explain it like "it's like a mild form of Autism" and they usually have a moment of recognition and then look confused, usually asking things like, "you? Really?"

If however you're Autistic, I think the mintue people find out about it, you're written off. It's like the best they can imagine is Rainman, the worst is they think you must be a "vegetable". I'm glad I have the luxury of the other word, Asperger's, but I feel kind of cheap when someone who is classified as Autistic gets the fuzzy end of the lollipop every damn day.

I personally don't like calling high functioning autism AS, it sounds to me as if it's used like a cloak to hide autism diagnosis from the uneducated community. Why hide? Why not educate? We aren't all drooling out the sides of our mouths (as if they can help it) we aren't all perfect & able to come off as 'normal'. Autism is greatly misunderstood among NT's (another term I don't like too much) the only way to break through that 'Rain Man' vision is to help misled people understand what autism is really all about.

Very true.

It doesnt bother me but neither is a very good discription of "who" we are,as there is so much diversity in abilities.Many of the charactoristics that are considered here as "autistic"....the head banging,drooling,etc are actually more to do with other brain issues,not autism itself.Not all LFA are "ret*d" but some are and that accounts for more of their difficulties then the autism(brain wiring is not equal to retardation).

I worked with developmentally delayed for 4 years and the only proble I had was with one individual who acting out sexually and was aggressive.He was not DXed autistic but he had many of the same traits....need for "sameness" anything new put him into anxiety meltdown mode,he fixated on things and repeated the same thing over and over,he even rocked but was not considered autistic.The LFA I worked with was very expressive but non-verbal.He could certainly let you know if he liked or disliked something,he did chew on his collars,stim,etc but he loved being touched and put off an unexplainable "positive energy".
I would prefer spending time with him over the lazy,chattery NT staff I worked with and I would rather be part of his "tribe" then theirs.

I'm kind of on the HFA / AS border, although my official diagnosis is AS due to normal verbal development.

I'm autistic and proud of it, and I've found that I get along with all of the autistic people with whom I have come into contact.

As for people who are non-verbal, I am verbal about 75% of the time - I can go involuntarily non-verbal with very little notice! It's just like part of my brain decides to switch off sometimes.

I am learning sign language (and maybe also Makaton) to get round this, and I also use written communication (although it has to be on a computer or typewriter as my dyspraxia causes handwriting difficulties) as my preferred method.

for me it does very much i hate people assuming im ret*d cause i got autism although its never bin a problem for most people i no no im very smart but still the idea of people thinking that im ret*d who dont no me is a horrible idea. for the most part people just think im very very weird and smart. and i take pride being aspie just because im different and have a different out look than most people would have cause of it.

As I see AS as HFA anyway, no, as I see myself as autistic.

Many of the traits of "full-blown" autistics (hate that phrase) I have, such as repeating phrases on TV shows etc, though it's usually in my head and I can't stop it, due to being told off so many times when younger when I did it out loud. I don't talk half as much as I did when I was a little girl, because of the criticism. Also because I tend to make a fool of myself when I do! I have sensory issues coming out of my ears (not literally, that would probably hurt a lot), and I don't like talking to ppl I don't know. I mess up stock phrases and metaphors verbally, I start hitting my head or clenching my fists or punching my legs if I'm distressed or scared or anxious. And if I have a meltdown, I am non-verbal for at least an hour afterwards. Last time I had a meltdown I couldn't talk for nearly a day, and after that it was just one word grunts. I can't form "proper" attachments with ppl.. I've had to re-evaluate what love means to me or else I would be even more depressed than I am now. That enough?

So, as I see myself as autistic, it can't bother me to be lumped in with autistic people. AS I AM WITH THEM.

It only bothers me in the sense that if I told people I was autistic they would think I was making it up, because I am nothing like "Rainman".

Therefore I would never tell people that - I just say that I'm "not very good with people or practical things".

My mum explained it to my grandad as "unable to form relationships and express emotions".. which I let go as he's 80 years old and there's no point in explaining it properly! He did, however, say "like her father" which is interesting.

am often wonder why people always ignore auties on here or discuss auties like are worth less than aspies.
for a start,aspies on here are "lumped" with kanners auties-there are a lot of kanner/classic members,am included-from lf,to mf to hf,there are also pddnosers here-who are not aspies either.
if was only meaning the most profoundly LF form of kanners,then that is following the outdated stereotype of what autism is.

if people do not want to be "lumped" with auties,that is their choice,but they are also choosing to view kanners autism as one [profoundly lf+mr] stereotype which is what ASDers have been campaigning against for years.
even LFAers are not always what people assume,some well known LFAers- Tito Mukhopadhyay and Ben Jackson both prove that wrong.

I'm not really caring that we are "lumped" with those with autism, I have AS and my oldest son has Autism and while as a toddler he was more classically autistic and lower functioning as well as non-verbal, he's 6 now and higher functioning and verbal and has shown me that things can change and that I know in many ways, we have similiar challenges while at the same time having our own unique ones too which make us both wonderful individuals.

Yes, i dont like these a labels. I am certainly not an aspie although i have been told by someone that i have asperger syndrome

I understand that the Autistic Spectrum is quite wide & broad in scope of those with various symptoms.Yes, I don't like people thinking I'm some sort of super genius for, I'm not however, I do try to help people understand the differences between classic autism and Aspergers though in a positive,healthy manner whereby, not trying to incur any negative stereotypes.

Im an autistic. I am VERBAL ..I do handflap but only if im happy...I have a 3.85 gpa in college im married and i do have autistism not an aspie.....because i may not be as "functioning" as them in cetain areas or i may be better at something then an aspie...depends on what it is...to me..i think we should all group as one..autism/aspie we all have a problem a condtion....never going to get acceptence from outsiders why fight or want to be seprate within your own community?? Show compassion for one another because your problems may be mine or my problems may be yours....its like saying..well if you black you don't fit in with white people your less then us...Isnt that what some NT or aspie's think of autistics?? or autisitcs may think that aspie's are to NT for them so it the same thing...we fount in this country (im from the US) for over 100yrs for segration....for white and african american people....i guess it will be another 100yrs before people with all problems wether it be NT aspie,autistic,cerbal pasly,Down syndrome and so on to just see each other AS HUMAN BEINGS WITH FEELINGS<THOUGHTS<WANTS<NEEDS<HOPES<DREAMS<WISHES<not just a second person or someone with a disablitiy..that's being ignorant.. (sorry for my spelling, one of my weekness is spelling, great memory suck at spelling but the point is there)