Do you ever feel like people with Autism are treated better?

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Do you ever feel like people with Autism are treated better, understood better, and accepted more by neurotypicals than people with Asperger's?

From personal experiences living with AS and seeing how people with Autism are treated, I'm going to have to say yes.

Last edited by ghfreak13579 on 14 Feb 2009, 4:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.

well, there certainly seems to be a diversity of opinion here...

I've only met two people on the spectrum in my life, so I can't say one way or 'tother...

As in people are more understanding towards them?
If so, I personally do think so.
If it ever comes up in conversation, I say I have Autism or am semi-Autistic. I know I'm not, but Autism is more widely recognized if you ask me, and they're very similar.
Some people who I talk to a lot I just say I have Aspergers and give them a Wikipedia link(and offline just say it's similar to Autism).
In terms of people who actually know what they're talking about, I don't think there's a big difference(I go to a social group with both Autistic people Aspergers people, and they seem to get equal recognition by support workers and such).
EMZ=]

I voted no.

One of my neighbours is low-functioning autistic. Most people view him with sympathy but at the same time, since he requires constant assistance, he is not expected to be a member of society - he is held to be completely outwith the spheres of society.

That people with aspergers are expected to be members of society is a form of acceptance, and one that he doesn't get.

i dont think im treated differently then somebody with aspergers, i notice i get talked down more, and treated like a little kid more, but thats about it. I do notice If I ask ppl if they know what aspergers is, its always "yea it means their extremely smart!" and if you ask ppl if they what autism is, it always "yea means their ret*d!"

Ehh... it depends.

If you're asking for services, it can be tougher if you're diagnosed Asperger's.

If you're asking to be taken seriously, it can be tougher if you're diagnosed Autism.

It's kind of funny--I use the two terms interchangeably because for me they really are interchangeable--but when I say "autistic", many people, especially professionals, are careful to append "high-functioning" to that, even though I don't, as though they want to make a point that I'm not like "those poor low-functioning people". I find this mildly offensive, because I really do not want my value or competence judged by my functioning level, whatever it happens to be that day!

For the record, my last evaluation had it at "moderate"... which is about as useful as saying a car is going "moderately fast", ignoring that sometimes it's switched off and sometimes it's on the highway!

Last edited by Callista on 14 Feb 2009, 4:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ghfreak13579,
am have autism and would say it isnt great on this side either,there may be some things that look easier to get acceptance for,but it works both ways as there are things aspies get easier acceptance for.


have wanted to die a lot because of the treatment am get directly for being autie,support staff don't even try to understand severe autism unless its got severe MR with it,they treat am like crap.

Autism often has a lot higher levels of communication difficulties,complex needs,learning difficulties and challenging behavior than AS and auties are treated as burdens to those that live with by support staff in residential/group homes and day centres-will often hear them giving sympathy to [[[everyone else]]] for having to live with or work with am,because of autism.

The same sort of ignorants stand around talking about the service user/client and how 'bad' they are on everyone else,this is day in day out-they spread their hate of autie service users.

a few months ago,am was trying to cut self in the bathroom with different sharp things could find including metal am ripped from a can of coke [am cut for many different reasons,but not the usual ones,they also lock away anything sharp but will try and find anything sharp] am went to bedroom as the metal was not getting anywhere close-skin was too scarred,the staff on with am came in,chucked the stuff at self and said might as well kill self with them [wouldnt have known how,but it felt like a dare and it was stuck in head for ages].
that is the day to day typical treatment am have to cope with off her,and most of the staff are close to her level of ignorance and hate to,definitely no acceptance there.
the only people who aren't like that are a couple of home support staff and support staff from the national autistic society and they treat am like a human,not a piece of crap.

by those who do not know am well,am get treated as being severely mentally ret*d because of being NV and speech impaired,gripped around the wrist like a naughty toddler and not let go of,treated as nothing more than someone who makes life difficult for them and everything am do a way to control others,get attention or cause trouble.

Most aspies [at least those not in residential or day care] are much more 'hidden' and will not get regular offers of help off strangers,signed to with no speaking because some seem to think being NV means are deaf as well, talked around and never to by some, or followed by police just for wanting to get away from the hell am have to put up with.Am have never felt accepted apart from with those who work for the NAS [national autistic society] and as have said before,they're all awesome,have never met a non understanding and accepting NAS support staff before,even the managers are awesome,nothing like with LD services.

so it's not any better with the opposite form,just different.

it also really comes down to the person that want acceptance off,more than the form of autism that have got,if the the person is the type who doesnt accept things different to them,chances are they wont accept as or autism well,there's more accepting people out there.

That makes me really mad. I've had the same problem and despite being quite verbal I've been treated just about the same way. It's like they think you're doing it just because it's some sort of game, and you want to annoy them or "get attention" or something. I was just trying to cope with overload... I guess the adrenaline you get from injury punches through it a little (it's only temporary unfortunately, works for twenty minutes and then you're back to square one)... But that's exactly what they said, that I was playing a game and if I were really serious I would just kill myself. You'd think psych nurses would know better than that, but once they've got you pegged "borderline", they get it into their heads that you're a difficult, annoying patient with absolutely no redeeming factors. That doesn't help actually borderline people any more than it helped me.

I noticed people with autism get more condescension while people with AS get more skepticism. Dunno if any is 'better' than the other.

AS people ARE autistic. The main difference is IQ. But those with lower IQ's (Kanner's) do get treated with more compassion. They also get treated with more condescension and more efforts by curebies to fix them. So, I think it's pretty equal how badly we are treated.

I totally agree with you.

I totally agree with you, too.

I agree with that, too.

(((((( Kingdom)))))

That is so maddening. I think you're right, the ones who are totally closed off, non verbal and ret*d are treated with much more compassion. They present no challenge, other than to help, a nd they are usually very young.

A friend is a psychologist that I have and he wants only to work with autistic kids. No adults, not those partially recovered and still screwed up, not those dxed later.......just little kids who are like the cute blonde children tehy have in the autism speaks pictures. How, how he LOVES them, loves them loves them.

Oh how he would hate working with me. I am a challenge. I ask quesitons. I say this treatment sucks. I say treat me like an adult. I ask why I have to do xyz. I was dxed late and have all sorts of fractured diagnoses and pieces of my personality that are broken up and confusing because I was forced to live like an NT when there was not way in hell that I could.

No one wants to work withme.

And I just got onto Medicare , so now with the stimulus packages kiling off the old and disabled, well, god knows what kind oftreatment Iw ll get now.

Don't you realize? Given what you say here, etc... they don't REALLY see you as LFA! SO, they will treat you more like someone who is AS. I spoke with my step mother once about this. She used to be on a city board to determine allocations for people with disabilities. People with Kanners got funding. People with AS DIDN'T!

Conservatives want to give money ONLY to people that NEED it to survive, or get back on their feet. They don't see people with AS as being in either group. Liberals want to give money to people that can APPEAR to need it to survive, or to encourage voting for democrats on some pretense. Again, people with AS may not fit the bill, though people with LFA certainly would.

Of course, EITHER group would give money to one with AS for ANOTHER reason.

Nice to see you again.

I think all sides of the spectrum get treated differently and have negative treatment.