The term NT is really starting to bug me

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I prefer not to use the term 'NT' as synonymous with 'non-autistic', because it's not accurate, as autism is not the only neurological anomaly someone can have.

Thanks for starting this thread Aimless, and I really appreciate your sentiments and the comments of many people who have replied. The term NT doesn't bug me very much, as it would be like someone calling me a non-blonde or something like that. As a term, the meaning of NT is pretty harmless so its pretty good. And non-autistic (NA) would work just as well. What really bugs me is the prejudice and stereotyping of NTs that I see on here quite a bit, and your thread addresses that also. For example, why are all NTs into sports? Well, we're not. Why do all NTs love small talk? Well, we don't. I find myself explaining this over and over again, that people are diverse no matter what their neurological makeup is. So yeah, I appreciate anyone who tries to, and any opportunity to, break down stereotypes. So I don't have a problem with the word, just the behavior of some people.



Hi Ferdinand, I don't blame you one bit for feeling this way and I would probably feel the same if I was in your shoes. And you don't have to forgive anybody...foregiveness is a gift you may choose to give or not. You don't have to foregive bullies in order to lead a good life. Some bullies don't deserve foregiveness. But what I want you to know is this, even NTs get bullied. I was bullied as a child probably because I was short and introverted, and I remember the faces of every single person who bullied me. So please try to understand that there are some good NTs in the world too, even if you haven't met them yet.

Or think aspies are such angels and very sweet they would never hurt anyone or lie or decieve or play games.

In fact some people think aspies are such sweet people they don't hurt a fly simply because they met great aspies so they assumed we aren't capable of being mean and we don't do things other people do such as lying. I have even seen people saying the same about autistics.

On this forum (not really anywhere else), I use the term often. I don't consider it derogatory and I don't think I've used it derogatorily. It's an easy way to make a distinction that usually comes up in discussions around here, nothing more. NTs -- less letters than "people" and more accurate for certain purposes.

The idea that anyone could be "neurotypical" shouldn't be taken literally; brains are always diverse, different. But again, the term "NT" is just a convenience.

I've noticed a few posts about the evil of NTs. They're obviously silly generalizations. I don't see any inherent connection between the term and the generalizations, however. The letters NT themselves aren't the cause of these posters' frustrations.