Are we ret*d?

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The term "ret*d" is a charged word due to the fact that it is so often used inaccurately and unethically as a pejorative. My psychiatrist quite matter-of-factly referred to people with Asperger's Syndrome as being ret*d. I suppose that is technically true (but it would be developmental retardation, right? not mental retardation, correct?), but my psychiatrist can only present the clinical NT side of the story and I have only started reading Tony Attwood and I have yet to hear him use the term (nor do I remember seeing it on any of the online sources I have read). What do we say? Are we ret*d? Is AS a form of retardation? Please give me your thoughts.

No, not Really, While, many of us have difficulties, I wouldn't call them Retardation, because it can go up to almost typical scale of development, yet still be autism. For example I spoke around the normal time, walking to.

The term "ret*d" usually applies to mental retardation, and not all of us are mentally ret*d. We are disabled in some areas, but "ret*d" is an ugly word.

It's funny you mention Tony Attwood's research as I ordered a used copy of one of his books today.

I've never thought of ASD or Aspergers as a form of retardation, but instead as a different perspective on life. I have a friend who is also an Aspie that is always telling me how much awesome of a person I am to talk with and know for example. Of the friends I've told about me being an Aspie have fortunately been nothing short of supportive, taking no lengths to change their opinion of nor their treatment of me. All my learning about AS and what it means to me personally going forward through books and articles, and I have never seen the word used in those contexts either.

The last person to call me "ret*d" wound up ankle-deep in a manure pit ... head first, of course ...

Aspies are "socially impaired". One could argue that aspies "socially delayed" and thus "ret*d" socially. But that is not how the word "ret*d" was ever commonly used either colloguially, or clinically.

Mentally ret*d usually means "intellectually disabled", and "having a low IQ". Folks with Downs Syndrome are typically "mentally ret*d" in that sense.

Aspies are not only NOT typically low IQ they actually CANT be lower than 70 IQ by definition.

People on the autism spectrum are sometimes also intellectually disabled. But if they are they are called "low functioning autistics". If they are 70 IQ or above then AS folks are classified as "high functioning autistic", or as having "aspergers".

The doc who did my test and gave me my official aspergers diagnosis chatted with me about Bill Gates, whom he and his fellow aspergers specialists, all recognized from afar as being an aspie (he has gotten better on TV presenting himself over time" my doc said). Bill Gates and "ret*d" are two words rarely spoken in the same sentence. But if Bill Gates IS a ret*d I would like to know where to sign up to get some of his kind of "retardation".

But I digress.


If your psychiatrist describes folks with aspergers (ie describes YOU) as a "ret*d" then he is two kinds of incompetent. He doesnt know his stuff, and he is rather insensitive, and lacking in "bed side manner".

I would get another shrink if I were you.

If your psychiatrist refers to AS as a form of retardation I'd question his credentials, not in person but to an oversight board. He either doesn't know what he's talking about or he's being a manipulative a**hole to a patient. Neither is good.

Also, you want matter of fact: mental retardation is an intellectual disability, autism doesn't effect a person's intelligence one way or the other.

Depends on how the word "ret*d" is defined:

1. Affected with intellectual disability.

NO

2. Occurring or developing later than desired or expected; delayed.

YES, particularly in social skills and awareness.

That was my first thought.

Like with a lot of words, how is it being applied?

re·tard (verb): ret*d; 3rd person present: ret*ds; past tense: ret*d; past participle: ret*d; gerund or present participle: retarding
riˈtärd/

1. delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment.
"his progress was ret*d by his limp"

Synonyms: delay, slow down, slow up, hold back, hold up, set back, postpone, put back, detain, decelerate.

Even number 2 isn't accurate-- social skills and awareness aren't delayed, they just don't develop correctly.

That's true for some, but many people learn social skills and awareness later on, albeit on an intellectual level instead of intuitively.

I know that I have learned quite a bit just in the last five years or so. Extremely delayed, in my case.

I [and other people similar to me] have been referred-to as "socially ret*d."

I probably am "socially ret*d". I wouldn't necessarily take offense to being referred to as such, it would depend on the intent behind it.

us kind should stick together

We're "deficient", "delayed" or "incorrect" under the assumption that lying, cheating, sneakiness, bullying, cruel social games and all the rest that goes along with being NT are in fact the standard of perfection.

Last edited by Edenthiel on 25 Feb 2016, 10:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.