Autism and you: People First or Identity?

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People first and Identity represent common differing approaches to how one views the relation between autism and oneself.

Examples of People first language
“I am a person with Autism”,”I have Aspergers”, “Autism is not me”

Examples of identity language
“I am an Aspie” ‘”I’m Autistic” “ASPartOfMe”

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 26 Apr 2014, 4:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

As my handle indicates I view Aspergers-Autism as part of my identity "ASPartOfMe"*. Autism is a PERVASIVE Development Condition/Disorder. As I look on back on my life AS-ASD had at least some sort of influence on most of it. Some parts of my life have only been affected by my personality and non-autistic traits while others are a direct cause an effect. For the most part my personality has been the lens in which my Autism has presented itself. In my case PERVASIVE is an accurate description.

The answer is not found in a book or by what most of the posters in Wrong Planet think. The only correct answer is the one that accurately describes your relationship with Autism. It has been your life NOBODY BUT NOBODY knows your life better then you.



* Right now the forum software does not allow us to change our handle name. You must create a new account to do that. If the new forum software ever arrives I intend to switch my handle to "AS-ASDPartOfMe" to align with how I am diagnosed and how I identify.

Very interesting poll. To me, it's part of my identity. It's how I feel, how I see, how I hear, how I speak, how I think. I am an aspie (probably lol).

I've also checked off identity. My AS is a part of my identity. My AS isn't something that I carry in a suitcase with me.

I voted identity.

But, I often don't identify myself. I only do so when it's pertinent information. In a similar manner to my gender, I guess. If I was communicating with someone about 3-D printers, I wouldn't make a point to let the other person know that I'm female. If we were talking about breastfeeding, it'd be more pertinent information. And in a similar manner, I wouldn't call myself a human who is female. Being on the spectrum is a very large component of my identity.

However, I've been depressed and anxious, but have never considered those to be a part of my identity. (They are more transient, I suppose, and dependent on external factors. Perhaps that is what makes the difference?)

On "disorders" (with or without the quotes) that make a journey to becoming an identity, this guy has some interesting thoughts-

http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon ... transcript

I would say identity but when I talk about it I use both forms. I like giving those 'person-first' people who get easily offended over identity language are hard time about it. Might deliberately just used both descriptions together. Because it really is irritating when some stranger tells you how to describe your own autism.

Like screen_name I wouldn't say anxiety and depression is a part of my identity too. I've had severe anxiety since I was 5 years old too.

I do however identify with bipolar. And ADHD, though I do say I have ADHD more than I'm ADHD. I tend to call myself an ADHD'er.

To me, AS is just something I have. I didn't know about it until I was in my 40's and I don't see why I would start thinking about myself differently. I don't see why it would be part of your identity unless you were profoundly effected by it. An example would be my youngest son who is completely deaf in one ear, from birth. That's not something he, nor any of us, thinks about very often. It's not part of his identity. He only mentions it when he needs to, like when he used to tell teachers that if they are on his bad side they need to speak up because he can't hear them that well. Thats how he thinks of it too. Bad ear and good ear. Frankly, I forget about him being half deaf most of the time, and I'll hand him the phone on his wrong side a lot. The advantage for him is that he's got about 8 pair of earbuds that people give him when one side of them goes out, because he only needs one.

I will usually say "I'm aspie", but what I mean is "I am a person who suffer from Asperger Syndrome". That's quite a mouthful though, so for the sake of keeping it simple I tend to use "I'm aspie" for the most part. That doesn't effect how I view it.

Having AS is so not my identity, or even part of it. AS is one of the things that are wrong with me, along with some other medical conditions. For instance I am also a person who suffers from asthma, but asthma is not part of my identity, it's a disease I have. I'm also affected by allergies, and I have to stay indoors these days due to birch pollen. They're all things I have to take into account in different ways, but neither is part of my identity.

My place in the family, my status, my interests, my introversion, my background etc, they are all parts of my identity.

I'm autistic.

There's more to me than that. However, anytime I describe myself as anything--"I'm an American", for example--I mean, "This is part of me, but I'm more than just that." Autism is one of many such things. It's part of me, it changes how I experience life, but it doesn't determine everything about me, because there's more to me than autism.

Both. I identify as autistic, but as a description of part vs the whole.

am a user of both person first and descriptive language; a person with autism and a autistic.
have never understood the whole issue outside of the autism spectrum with us calling ourselves autistic,we dont have a disease,we arent allowing a disease to own us by not using person first language;we own our own bodies and our own minds and we have the right to call ourselves whatever we want.

dont think that wil ever happen with the new forum software as alex woud be going mental with the level of name change requests when that isnt compatible with having a life outside wrongplanet.

perhaps there coud be a small charge made for 'premium accounts'-one benefit coud be allowing a name change,signature banners etc and the money coud pay for better upkeep of the site,have seen this done on other forums.

I missed all you folks when the site went down.

Identity for me.

Both, but identity more.

I don't get that at all. The other forums I'm on have administrators and global mods to deal with stuff. This is the only forum where anything and everything technical is left up to the owner only. Doesn't Alex know how to delegate? Also name change should be the same as avatar and custom rank change i.e. done by the member. In my other forums you can change your user name the same as changing avatar, and custom title - but you have to wait 6 months between changes. (unless maybe you're an established member and whine in a PM to the admin that you want to go back to being "Ezra" like i did )

Last edited by EzraS on 27 Apr 2014, 11:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well, I first found out I had Asperger's syndrome when I was 22. It's a time when you're just starting to experience adulthood and you really start to learn who you are. So, for me a diagnosis was a massive leap into self-discovery for me, and it's the way my brain grew, so it is me. I don't ten to go for the acceptance stuff too. Well I do but not as much as the people around me, or even in this forum.

I am profoundly affected by it. I have severe processing issues and what I call a quite stereotypical profile of autism. All the repetitive symptoms and the narrow focused interests. And that God awful fear of change that I just can't seem to shake. I might not have it severe, but I'm not exactly mild. Even my ADHD and bipolar affects a huge part of my personality. I just can't separate them from it.

I think when a condition affects your ability to socialise, with all those theory of mind problems in the absence of a physically disability like deafness or blindness, really makes the condition feel like it really is a part of you.

That's how I see it at least.

I think I just love labels and belonging to something, with a whole bunch of other people.

Because when I say 'I'm Australian' I feel a sense of pride about it. I hate Australian stereotypes, by the way. But I like being a native of this fine dry land. I like parts of the culture, particularly the music scene. And I'm damn proud of our Royal Australia Air Force. I love to gaze up at the Southern night sky and view the constellation Crux, the shape of the Southern Cross.

So yeah, I like my country.