Has ‘autism’ become a term of abuse?

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8345282.stm



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaNQT7G2R_I

"Autistic" has become the new "ret*d" phrase. Yeah I knew this was going to happen, people will keep using disability words as terms and pretty soon the medical word will became a bad word and they will call the disability something else like they have with MR. This is why I think it's stupid to turn disability names to bad words.

Yeah just let people take over the names. *sarcasm*

This is what happens when people think they can't say things like they are. You've got to be all "special" and "differently abled" and "challenged" and whatnot, because obviously to say what you really are is impolite, because it's horrible, just horrible! to be what you are and they feel SOOO sorry for you...

Yeah. Autistic and proud. They can't turn it into an insult if we aren't insulted.

I like that song it's catchy.

And I don't think autism has become an abusive word now, yes it is used in a slangish and jokey way on the internet like on the site somethingawful where they have the meme "spergin" when someone is being aspieish. Or on ED where anyone who's a nerd is an "asspie". It doesn't bother me though.

So true! I was deeply offended when one of my closest friends recently said, "I'm ret*d!" and made a stupid face and jerky arm motion. That was bad enough, but he then added, "No, no, wait, I'm autistic!" and made the same face and arm motion. My NT husband seized my hand and squeezed hard, to prevent me from starting a scene on a public street, I guess. But I decided at that moment that I was not going to tell my friends I have AS. (My husband claims not to remember this incident, but I can't forget how I felt...somehow betrayed, offended, and hurt.) My friend didn't mean to be cruel or insulting, but "autism," like "gay" and "ret*d" has somehow lost it's meaning as defining simply something someone is and taken on a perjoritive image in our culture.

I'm not ashamed to be an aspie...but I feel like I have to pick and choose who I tell. I wish I didn't feel that way. I wish people wouldn't judge me on it. I'm an individual with AS, but AS does not define who I am.

"Spergin" - I think that's catchy.

"Leave me alone, I'm Spergin!"

"Oops, sorry...I guess I was spergin..."

"I know, I know, I'm spergin again, but just let me finish..."

Is the G hard or soft? I know technically it should be a hard G, but I pronounce "Aspergian" with a soft G - it just sounds more aesthetically pleasing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxKoVnUt ... re=related

In my country, specially in politics, "autistic" is typically used in a abusive way - When someone wants to say that a politician does not ear the opinions of other people, it is usally to call these politician "autistic".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaNQT7G2 ... re=related

Strange word to use as a personal attack.

To paraphrase a soft drink jingle from several years back -
"I'm a sperger, you're a sperger
"He's a sperger, she's a sperger
"Wouldn't you like to be a sperger too

Phone call;
A: "Hey man, can you give me a lift to work today?"
B: "What happened, kids use up all the gas last night?"
A: "Nah, the old thing is spergin again."

wierd i never ever heard of that before being used like that, i hear the word ret*d used in front of me before had one guy even apologize and said he meant ret*d drunk not that kind of ret*d, i was like... weirrd, but whatever i guess it was nice so i jus smiled. Ive described myself one time as ret*d because i couldnt understand, and had many ppl correct me saying ur autistic, thats completely different thing which i liked to hear. I've also been refered to as ret*d but by only by ignorant ppl with the whispering ignorant comments. however never ever once heard the word autism used like that, soo weird. where i live i read somewhere i gotta find it again that our town is one of the largest autism community in my state, literally wherever we go theres an autie or somebody who knows an autie, its weird, so i guess u wouldnt ever hear autism said that way around here. Sad to hear ppl use that like that now, really sad.

In my home country it's the same.

I pronounce the G as J. I don't know how spergin is supposed to be pronounced I guess it just depends.

All the thing about using words in a pejorative way makes me think of an example of the opposite, namely a video with the ret*d Policeman (don't remember which one).

His parents say to him: "We're proud of you, son. You're the most ret*d policeman ever!"
He replies: "Thanks, mom and dad!"

One wonders whether certain characters like this one here, were not based on autistic people

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP8PzO1m ... 3E8F1EC76B