Overheard a conversation about autism today

Post Reply New Topic

I have aspergers but none of my co-workers know. I overheard a conversation between a group of co-workers. They were talking about autistic. One guy said most people with aspergers are ret*d but they don't know it.

Could this be true?

People with such ideas are ignorant...but they don't know it...

That's what ignorance does. That's why AS/Autism awareness is SO important.

Wow. He must be very ignorant of the subject or really be trying to be cruel about it. Either way, it's not amusing.

That was a horrible thing of him to say.

That guy would be a complete ignoramus.

I would be very wary of telling someone about my diagnosis if they had that opinion on that subject. What I am curious about is if you remember what others said about the topic, or if you only remember that comment?

...and he sounds like a joy of a co-worker. 9_9

No, this isn't true. I believe that one of the diagnostic criteria for Aspergers is that the individual is of average-or-above-average intelligence, so it's essentially impossible for someone with Aspergers to be ret*d. Your co-worker clearly doesn't have a very good understanding of Aspergers. If he was using "ret*d" in a pejorative sense, he could have meant that most with Aspergers are supposedly unaware of their own social inadequacies, and are socially "ret*d". If that's the case, it sounds like he's a jerk in addition to being woefully uninformed about the subject that he was opining on.

He's just a perfect epitomization of how the uninformed, pontificating, and ignoramus brigade are still propagandizing negative generalizations and misconceptions on the subject of Asperger's syndrome/ASD. Clearly he doesn't grasp the concept of neurodiversity, and no wonder were residing on the "wrong planet."
_________________
Diagnosed with "Classical" Asperger's syndrome in 1998 (Clinical psychologist).
Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): 231/240
Aspie score: 186 out of 200
Neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 12 out of 200
AQ: 48/50 EQ: 9/80

Last edited by TheRedPedant93 on 19 May 2013, 10:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

Honestly, I think that it would be inappropriate to say about people who do have intellectual disability or other developmental delays. It's not strictly wrong to say about AS because it is factually wrong, but because it is a slur used to harm and dehumanize people with developmental disabilities of any kind, including AS.

As-well as acceptance.

If I was in that situation I would feel an urge to tell them that I had aspergers (even if I didn't) because unless they are just really horrible people saying that would make them feel bad and/or uncomfortable that they said that in front of you. I don't know if I'd actually say it because I'm quiet but I'd want to.

OP, that person is drastically ill-informed. it is certainly NOT true. although i dislike relying on the IQ to indicate intelligence, for all persons have some understanding that may be imparted on others despite their intellect, some of us have extremely high IQs. the fact that we're socially different, and have difficulties with certain things which come naturally to most nt's does not make us any less of a person.

perhaps if you snuck in a positive type of anecdote about aspies during a casual conversation with one or more of the people that jerk was talking with on an occasion or two you may enlighten them and they, in turn will realize how awful their colleague's statement was.

also, they might already have a negative impression of him by what he said. more people are better informed about autism or know and even love someone with autism than we realize. it's one of those things that many people don't speak about, but do have some experience with.

it is strange then, that the DSM5 is decrementing Aspergers as a diagnosis, and just going with a modified BAS for all related conditions. You would think if the APA was on the side of helping patients, they would help the Neurodiversity movement towards destigmatizing, and not this lazy and forceful "lumping". this is certainly not helping; Aspergers has been seen as being relatively destigmatized, compared to more severe autism spectrum disorders. the question is now out there and largely discussed in the community as to whether or not the APA and the DSM are really helping patients at all.

I don't get offended when people call me "ret*d".

Also, originally, the word "ret*d" meant "slow", not "mentally challenged".

I am not mentally challenged, but I do am slow, so I guess people are pointing out a fact...?
Whatever, I don't really care.