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

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It bothers me SOME because a lot of people think autism is introverted catantonic retardation.

The problem may not be the autism. Perhaps it is that 70% of those with Kanner's syndrome (classical autism) are also intellectually disabled, i.e., mentally ret*d. IMO, the main difference between those with Kanner's syndrome and those with Asperger's syndrome is the intelligence factor.

I also agree with another poster who referred to himself as eccentric. Ditto. That is how I appear as well. However, in my field (academia/being a professor), eccentricity is tolerated (even appreciated).

Cheers,

Mark

Last edited by nominalist on 11 Oct 2007, 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I consider aspergers to be jsut a very mild form of autism.

I wouldn't mind being in a group where autistics were also discussed, however I think it would be quite pointless to have a group for social interaction that was only open to aspies and those with autism, because of the wide array of differences and chasm between severity of symptoms.

As a teacher, I've found my favorite group to work with are the autistic children. Its a shame I didn't know it would be that way when I was still in school, then I would have gotten a special ed degree. But throughout school I was hearing about all those kids with severe symptoms and thinking "I hope they are never in my classroom." Then when I started subbing they began putting me in special ed and life skills classes because they didn't have enough special ed subbs. And I loved it. From talking with the other subs I seem to be the only one who enjoys life skills (a class people almsot entirely by kids with aspergers (severe) and autism.

I don't have a problem with it at all. Sometimes I feel like I lean towards HFA. It's hard to determine what my functioning level is because I'm not on my own yet. I know it will probably be very difficult for me though. Also I'm not nearly as talkative as most Aspies and I have trouble with putting thoughts into words sometimes, which makes it hard to get into debates. Also I have no idea what my IQ is really because I haven't been tested. I don't think it's in the genious range though. But anyway autism is a spectrum. I know I fit somewhere in that spectrum. I'm just not sure where exactly.

Doesn't really bother me, but I can understand how it may bother some.

The interesting thing is that "normal" females OFTEN say that about males because they don't understand males and view them in female terms. Males seem deficient with regard to attention and social abilities. ****BUT**** to hear a male say that about another male is another story entirely! Did you know your father?

With regards to MY father, he apparently was a lot more like I was when he was younger. He was VERY much into bridge and sports though. If not, who knows. Apparently his bad attitude, etc... and becoming everything I hate happened later. Apparently even after I was born. And he HAS been slow to get married.

I'm only uncomfortable in this context: most people I come in contact with believe that "autism" begins and ends with Kanner's, and Asperger's begins and ends with (the admittedly wonderful) Jerry from Boston Legal. It seems to me that people find it very difficult to believe a person could be autistic if they don't have "freakish" habits or behaviors which they can't control in public.

It doesn't bother me at all.

I have never been in that situation so I wouldn't know.

I feel sad for severely disabled people of all kinds. My greatest fear is of becoming disabled and dependent on others 24/7 for my care. I may be different from others, but I am relatively independent for most things (except for driving a car, which I plan to do again.)

It bothers me only because most people do not know the first thing about what defines autism, let alone Asperger's in particular. They are nearly all thinking of Kanner's, although they do not recognise the name when I attempt to explain.

I don't see it as being 'lumped in' with autistics. I think of myself as autistic. I know of HFAs who function better than me in areas which I regard as important, so I don't see having autism as 'worse' than having Asperger's (or vice versa, either). It all depends from person to person.

I see the spectrum as far more 'fluid'-like, rather than it having separate compartments for different 'types'. I don't really think of myself as a type, I'm on the spectrum but I'm still just me. It's far too complicated, in my opinion, for segregating and strict labelling.

So I see myself as autistic and an aspie. I have an autistic spectrum disorder. Rather than seeing myself as separate to autism.

There are also plenty of people who would be considered LFA who are very intelligent and very eloquent (when given the means to communicate - usually by computer). If people are ignorant enough to think that 'autistic' automatically means 'ret*d', then their opinion doesn't matter to me. I'm proud to be autistic. There are just as many wonderful autistic people as there are NT, just as many wonderful people diagnosed with autism as there are diagnosed with HFA or AS.

We all have similarities and differences - we're not carbon copies of each other. So where do you draw the line? Or where do you build the boxes, rather?

I thought that Aspies , dyslexics , adhd etc etc all came under the AUTISTIC spectrum !??

I originally thought I was dyslexic and then aspergers and now I simply class myself as a higher functioning autistic - and proud ! !

ADHD and dyslexia are common "comorbidities" with AS, but they are not technically classified as ASDs. My sister, for example, has been diagnosed with ADHD-I (ADHD - primarily inattentive type), but she is not in the autistic spectrum.

Cheers,

Mark

I don't really have a problem with it myself, it's just that other people tend to think of autism as a "disease" which causes you to be completely non-verbal, sitting in a corner, crying because people touch you, rocking back and forth.

Even explaining AS to someone can sometimes be difficult. Not everyone exhibits the same symptoms and some are better at functioning than others.

That's why it's a SPECTRUM disorder.

It doesn't bother me to be grouped with autistics or called autistic. Aspergers Syndrome is on the Autism Spectrum (Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, PDD-NOS, Rett's Disorder, and CDD). So, even though it isn't the same as Autism, in the popular use of the term autism its included. This inclusion counts in prevelence studies on autism, general advocasy and awarness, the autism ribbon, autism societies, autism awareness month, media, and general conversation. The main difference between the two is the side of the brain largely affected. Yes, grouping us all together may be simplistic but people strive to simplify things to try and understand them better.