Aspie, not autist!!

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Am I the only one who is fed up with us aspies incorrectly being called autists? Here in Norway, the two terms are often being used about the same people. Here, e.g., the lead paragraph says the person is an "autist" while it later on says that he is an aspie.

I see this as insulting to us aspies, as we as high functioning individuals are mentioned as autists, who are low functioning individuals, often fitting into the medical criteria of mental redardation.

Yes, I know Asperger is an ASD, but here in Norway, "autist" almost exclusively refers to individuals with LFA.

Have you experienced being called an autist before? (No, it's not me in the article, if you thought so )

So what about low functioning aspies? Are their any of those? Seems to me you are overly concerned with a label.

Perfect time for a letter to the editor, get the message spread.

Last edited by SilentScream on 14 Aug 2011, 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Once the DSM V comes out, there will be nothing "incorrect" about it.

I find this offensive.

I have classic autism (I don't like the word "autist", but I guess I am one). I am NOT mild, but I am also not low-functioning (probably severe high-functioning is where I fit). I am also not mentally ret*d. In fact, while I may not be as perfect as you must be, I have an above average IQ and a near 4.0 GPA going into my fourth year of my undergrad. So, I would say I am far from mentally ret*d.

Wow, there is just so much of this post I really find offensive. And it is not that you want to be called an Aspie--that I can understand (I mean, I don't want to be called an Aspie, because I am not one....it's an identity thing for me. There is nothing wrong with preferring to identity with the label that belongs to you). What I find offensive is that you seem to think you are better than the "autists" out there, and your stereotype of us seems very ignorant!

I think that there should be a better understanding of Autism all along the spectrum, so people would know that "autist" =/=ret*d. Being misjudged is bad for Aspies but also for those with classic autism and our being elitists does not help for sure.

I don’t really care for any of the labels.

Asperger's Syndrome is on the Autism Spectrum. Hence, calling an Aspie "autist" is semantically correct, and there's no reason to even find it offensive. It is the other way around (calling someone with LFA an Aspie) which is incorrect.

I would also get your facts straight. The difference between other autism and Asperger's does not lie in intelligence or retardation. Check the criteria, they're quite explicit on this. I do not think there is any basis for feelings of superiority here.

We each have a right to prefer whatever label we like. Some think "Aspie" sounds awful, and would rather "Aspergers" be spelled out. I have no problem with any of that. Likewise, simply seeking accuracy is reasonable.

But, when you object to a label - any label - because you're "better" than that, it becomes offensive. Whatever portion of the spectrum any of us falls on, that does not make any of us "better" than the others. For that matter, while it is perfectly true that any flavour of autism has nothing at all to do with mental retardation, and we are right to reject the label "mentally ret*d" as inaccurate to describe an autistic person, none of us is "better" than someone who is mentally ret*d. We may have different strengths and weaknesses, but that does not make us better.

I really think we need to stop being insulted by labels because we have some false idea that they indicate someone "inferior" to what we think ourselves to be. Accuracy is important. Being upset by inaccuracy is reasonable. But having the attitude that 'I'm better than (label)s' reveals the individual who displays that attitude is no better than those - individual - NTs who presume they're better than us. In other words, that attitude just shows off your own shortcomings...

This sort of view only makes me support the proposed changes for DSM-5 even more...

Autism does not mean low functioning, and Asperger's does not mean mild (but I think is only used in high functioning cases). Functioning levels have to do with more than just IQ by far.

It's offensive to me, even as another aspie, to have you think that you're better than the people with classic autism. We share a spectrum. We are autistic as well.

This isn't my issue at all. I simply don't like the way these labels sound. I hate how "Asperger's" sounds, I hate how "Aspie" sounds, and I hate how "autist" sounds. It's the same with sexuality labels. I don't mind being labeled "gay" or "queer" (as long as these terms aren't used as insults) but if other gay people were calling themselves something silly like "fruities" or "queerists" or whatever, I would cringe just as much as I cringe when I hear "Aspie" or "autist." The only term I'm comfortable with is "people with AS."

This sounds like a good opportunity for you to learn. You need to change the perceptions in your community.

You are on the spectrum just as much as someone with classic autism is on the spectrum. Your symptoms could be a bit different, as someone else with AS could have different symptoms. There are many of those with classic autism or PDDNOS that are much more able to function easily in society over some with AS.

I don't really mind, because it's going to be true in a couple of years, anyways.

Um... it's not incorrect. Asperger's is a type of autism.

I call myself "autistic" all the time.

To the OP: Get to know some of the people on the site who are Diagnosed and you will see just how intelligent and bright many are. You will also see how many struggle with similar issues. I would also encourage you to read over the kids and teens part. Amazing how brilliant so many of the young people are.

I too, am diagnosed with classic autism (autistic "disorder"). I have also been called an Aspie, an "Autie," and a person or adult "with autism." I'm not offended at being called any of these. What does offend me, however, is when I refer to myself as an Autie or autistic person, and someone else tries to "correct" me, by redirecting me to using a term such as "someone or a person with autism." This is when I have to correct them.

I tell them that it would be nice if I just "had" autism. If I just "had" autism, I would take it with me when I had some kind of complex problem to solve or when I was on a job, and I would leave it at home when I went out to visit friends, go to a party, or on a date. Being able to leave autism at home much of the time would make my life much easier. However, I do not have this choice. Autistic is who and what I am. If my autism was "cured" in an instant, my entire personality would be changed at the same time. In other words, I wouldn't be me.

Even though I am on the "severe" end of the autism spectrum, I have managed to hold many jobs, serve in the military, drive vehicles, and even graduate college. So those who think of all of us who are severely autistic as being low functioning needs to take another look. I know of those with milder forms of autism who cannot hold a job or handle many responsibilities.

With that said, I do have to also say that I am different than most people who are Aspies or "have Aspergers." I also think that most of them would agree with me. However, I am accepted and welcomed by Aspies in just about all cases. While I don't call myself an Aspie, I will not "correct" nor am I offended at someone who calls me this. I am gradually accepting the new changes to the DSM. Even though I still believe that there are quite a few differences between classic autism and Aspergers, lumping all forms of autism under the same diagnosis may in fact actually help some people and hurt others. As far as services for adults are concerned, there is not need to worry. There are essentially no services whatsoever for adults with any form of autism unless they have another condition that goes along with it, so in that vein, it doesn't matter if one is labeled with autistic disorder or Asperger's Syndrome.