Aspie As The New Cool Term

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Sent you PM if you wish to ask questions.....

Thank you. Just got it and responded.

Right back atcha skibum

LOL!

I don't think there's anything wrong with people who choose to do so, and those that don't. I definitely don't want it to become fashionable, however.

People won't take me seriously about something that has absolutely ruined my life if other people go around self-diagnosing to be different and making it into some kind of fad. It's serious for me, and bad things have happened to me because of it.

I don't mind people self-advocating. But there can be a fine line between advocating for something and making it trendy.

Now I haven't currently noticed anyone pretending to be autistic, or talking about ASD other than in the sense of lower-functioning people. If I told people I had it, they'd think I was crazy. Because, you know autistic people can't talk or do anything for themselves. Maybe in other places it's trendy, but I haven't seen it.

I am getting to the point where I will probably tell people, because I'm tired of pretending. It's too hard. Let them think what they want. I wouldn't tell a potential employer unless they specifically were looking for those with disabilities, because otherwise they'd hold it against me. Though I might tell them once I was employed for awhile and had proven myself.

This topic is titled "Aspie As The New Cool Term." Accordingly, as with the relative few self-identified autists who aren't really autistic, I see no problem if one or more autists enjoy actually describing their pride with being autistic. Let them do as they please; besides, it serves a greater purpose among all autists by showing that our spectrum is really a spectrum with individuals enjoying a multitude of opinions and ideas about the condition.

As several WrongPlanet.net members have admitted within this topic, very few such individuals have been witnessed committing the act of self-identified autistic description through the adoption of the name "Aspie" (or others) as their "cool new term." Even if they had, who has materially been harmed beyond hurt feelings? I believe that the answer is: no one.

As I have written elsewhere at WrongPlanet.net about self-identified autists who aren't really autistic, I believe that those who disclose falsely in an attempt to affect a "new cool term" will quickly lose interest in keeping up the facade. In other words, there is no disaster looming about this matter. Leave them alone and watch them move on to other fads, trends and interests.

That is a very real problem. It's one of the hidden disabilities if you're high enough functioning.

At some point I believe this will be the case with me. It is just so tiring to keep things under wraps and as I begin the process of therapy, it gets harder to do so.

Hey Aspie in Utah......I'm sorry you don't see the trivialization of ASD with these trendy posers or a$$holes clinging to a self dx to excuse abhorrent behavior. I've seen plenty of it. The right amount of $ can actually secure S dx and a guy or gal can prevail in family court over their ex. Too much anti social behavior is explained away by Asperger's. Sometimes a person is just an a$$hole. Do you really want your Asperger Syndrome hijacked by those types of people?

Do you want every other nerd labeled? You may want and need services and be taken seriously. People with autism have needs.

Most people I know do not introduce themselves "Hi I am _____. -____ and I am Protestant, left handed etc.

I will disclose only on a need to know basis and I have with family where Aspie is occasionaly mentioned. If I get really comfortable with a person the which has not happened since my diagnosis i intend to disclose. When disclosing I have used some combination of autistic, mild form of Autism, Aspergers because of the misunderstandings. On a need to know basis such as applying for something it is best to use the proffessional names not nicknames. My policy in general is that I will never disclose it if it does not come up in conversation. If it does come up I will determine on a case by case basis whether to disclose. If somebody confides in me that their kid is Autistic, I intend to take the risk and disclose. Their kid might have not been diagnosed with Aspergers so not wise to use Aspie in that situation. But with no real friends since diagnosis and since my face to face interactions are mostly with older Gen X'rs and Boomers Autism has not come up in a non proffessional, non autism setting. I would like to change my user name on WP to Aspie-Autistic1957 the name I use on Autism related discussions and a few other online discussions but the software does not allow this.

While I could ask you for examples of such behavior (I have previously done so at WrongPlanet.net and the examples turn out to be few or none), I will stipulate that such observations have informed your opinion of the matter. That doesn't mean that your observations convince me or others.

How hurtful it is to criticize the self-identified! For too many autists, an able diagnosis is something that is: 1) too financially costly, 2) too geographically distant, 3) too professionally mistaken (especially if the autist is an adult who has learned some adaptation skills, thereby flummoxing the untrained professional), 4) too much an unnecessary exercise if governmental, educational and professional supports aren't needed, and 5) simply unnecessary when the individual wants to recognize his or her self-awareness and not pursue a diagnosis. In other words, there are reasons that most self-identified autists accept their identity and leave it at that. But, let's not denigrate them.

As with other self-advocacy groups like Aspies for Freedom and ASAN Autistic Self Advocacy network, WrongPlanet.net has abundantly and repeatedly made it clear that that self-identified autists are part of its community. If there is abuse of autism descriptors by some, there is no evidence that such abuse injures those of us with diagnoses. Such poseurs have alaugh for a few weeks and move on with their lives.

Let's not make it out to seem worse than it is.

Fair enough; they might not. But, Wikipedia.org is chockablock with lists of confirmed notable individuals who, because of their notability, see a need to disclose their autism publicly to thousands or millions of people because: 1) they wish to disclose the facts of their autism before others do it for them (sometimes hostilely), 2) they wish to inform the world that they are one of the faces of autism and support others who can't do so, and 3) they wish to explain why they contribute academically or financially to autism research and communal supports. They disclose despite the professional reasons to avoid doing so. Such individuals, don't disclose constantly. One or two carefully laid disclosures are usually enough to do the job. Ellen DeGeneres doesn't introduce herself everytime as a lesbian, because she has confirmed it when needed and let the world presume rightly that she remains so. So, too, with autists who disclose their autism: Alex Plank, Daniel Tammet, John Elder Robison, Temple Grandin and Jim Sinclair among many others ... including yours truly.

So, there are, in fact, autists who disclose. Their disclosures are arguably beneficial to other autists. They don't do it constantly, but, they do it well. And, I believe, at least, that autists and their families could learn to do the same in their own ways.

Aspie is apparently the new hipster...

Please, are mentally ret*d people treated poorly because of the self identified people making them look bad? Are all forms of mental illness stigmatized because high-schoolers think it's cool to be bipolar?

Humans always marginalize minority groups no matter what anyone in the group (real or not) does. All that crap would get said even if every aspie (real or not) was a saint.

Also amusing is how people use themselves as the absolute point of reference for others' "realness." I've been seeing that since 1994 which tells me it really doesn't have anything to do with history.

Post links or it didn't happen.

In 2014 on WP there were three or four similtenious threads about aspergers bieng trendy, over disgnosed, not real thing. Very disconcerting to a person like me who had just found out a few months earlier. There were so many posters at that time insisting trendy Aspies were a mass phenominon, but this mass fakery was mostly a teens and twentiesomething thing. It seemed crazy to me but after weeks of posters insisting I concluded I must be wrong because I am just to old to see it. I started a put up or shut up type thread asking people to give examples of people they knew who were doing these things. I expected a lot of examples indicating I was wasout of touch. I used singer Moby who actually said he used the term to be trendy or because it was trendy. A couple of people came up with examples and that was it. Then I concluded my original idea was probably right that it was much more a perception then reality. Now 2 plus years later and many people on and off WP insisting Aspie or Autism trendiness is a significant phenomenon hurting "real autistics" I have seen nothing since to change my mind.

onto to the self diagnosis controversy which is not the same but closely related as self diagnosers are commonly describled as the main culprits in the Aspie trendiness phenoniminon. It has always been an issue but became a similtenious multiple thread issue when in November 2014 when Jerry Sienfeld said he was self diagnosed then walked it back giving plenty of verbal ammunition to those who thought self diagnosers were not really autistics who were deluding themselves, hurting real autistics and bieng trendy. And on and off it has gone on since then. This is a question of what gives you the best chance if getting it right because when definitinitions and belief in causes of Autism is changing and controversal getting close to 100 percent correct is not possible. For certain groups a proffessional diagnosis because of cost and lack of nearby clinicions who understand or believe in current definitions of autism are not available to them. My view is if competent diagnosis is available go for it even if you have no need for or no supports are available, so if you need them in the future you do not have to first start the process when your fininacial situational is likely to be worse and because I believe a diagnosis from a competent proffessional has a better chance of bieng correct then a well resaearched self diagnosis. If competent diagnosticion is not available to you a well researched self diagnosis gives you a chance and in many places a much better chance of bieng correct. I am glad that a lot of people that who in no way think self diagnosis is valid have come around to believe there are potential benefits but the belief most self dx'rs are trendies still exist.

i had some hope last year after Neurotribes was published things would get better. The book produced a considerable backlash. At the time the people disputing the book argued that Autism is mostly a harmful disability and that the problems associated with autism were mostly caused by autism not mostly by societal discrimination and misunderstanding. That was fine and these arguments evolved my thinking about autism. But this year it is going back to the same old same old.

In conclusion I believe the perception of mass trendiness is much more real and harmful then the reality of it. Self diagnosers seem to often fight back against the accusations which makes sense as a person who self diagnosed would tend to be more of a go getter type. But it should be noted users temporally or permently left WP during the Sienfeld bruhaha. There always people coming on asking if they are autistic. In the last few years the question is often immediately followed up by a defensive caveat. Why is this even neccasary? This makes me wonder how many people are intimidated from even asking. Much more then trendy fakers asking the question I believe. It is nice to say one should not be worried about what others think don't let a few people get to you. Autistics are often negative thinkers and go into negative loops where they think the worst scenariois are reality. How many REAL AUTISTICS reading this constantly who could have been helped are bieng sent back into thier I am forever broken mentality because of charactor flaws not autism, and view thier wondering if they are autistic as another example of why they are a bad person?

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 29 Apr 2016, 7:23 am, edited 2 times in total.

don't think you're gonna see many people claim this title outside the internet ... Then again I'm probably the only person who thinks the term sounds utterly lame. It kinda does make us all sound like a bunch of poser "kool kids" and what not.