How do people feel about the term "Wired Differently"?
ASPartOfMe
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Age: 66
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I do not know who coined the term for autistics or why but if it was originally a negative inference some of us have reappropriated it.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
It is Autism Acceptance Month
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
The phrase "wired differently" is used all the time in reference to autistic minds (but not so much for non-autistic minds really). How do people feel about that term? Is it a useful metaphor for helping to explain autism in an easy way? Or does it just add to the 'Othering' of autism by making it sound like something robotic? After all, brains are not made of wires and circuit boards!
David
(@Fantastic_Aut & @DHartleyWriter)
Personally I like the term because it provides a strong visual image of how an autistic person's brain functions differently than a NT brain. Autism is a cognitive disorder so our brains are "other" or Different organically than a neurotypical brain.
...I like.
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I disagree that it's rarely used for non-autistic people.
I, myself, only very occasionally hear it used to describe autistics.
I hear it used most often by neurotypicals about males and females.
Especially in the mainstream media. I frequently hear "mens' brains are wired differently" or "womens' brains are wired differently".
Something which I don't believe and never have but, especially over the past 15 years or so, people have started saying one or the other very often in relation to biological sex.
As for it being used to describe autism, as a metaphor at least, I'd say that was more accurate and I certainly don't mind it.
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Ambiguous diagnosis of Apsperger's given in 2016.
Clarification and formal, written diagnosis of ASD given on 17th May 2018.
Thank you for all your replies, they are very useful. I'm giving a talk next week and this topic so I may well use some of these replies (anonymously of course), to support the presentation.
Generally speaking, I'm really interested in the intersections of autism and science fiction, and one of those cross-overs is the sci-fi(ish) terminology used to describe autistic people. Some of it is not helpful, but some, like 'wired differently' seems to suit the purpose quite well. I agree with some posters on here that it is the word 'differently' that helps here - rather than saying 'wrongly'.
Thanks again everyone! Stay happy and safe and well!
David
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David Hartley - Writer, Performer, PhD Student, NT brother to a fabulous autistic sister.
Here to be in the wider world of autism. Fascinated in the link between autism and the fantastical genres. Delve in with me on YouTube: The Fantastic Autistic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKFGHLYnAPrz_XGAodX8vAQ
Let's talk on Twitter: @Fantastic_Aut
Radiance in Dailiness
I actually love the term wired differently. I have absolutely nothing in common with any NT person,even the most weird,shyest,anxious NT's or even the NT's that have other neurological condition besides Aspergers/Autism.I even feel vastly different than any of my family members and I get treated like I'm vastly different by family members. I also feel that unlike a vast majority of the population,I don't need any human contact.I have any problem with the term"wired differently" becasue that's who I'm am.
In my opinion, people should not go along with any "Wired Differently" term, or with anything else like that. People need to start defending themselves and others, and making it clear that no one has any right to label them. And that if they do not like them, that is there problem and it is just too bad.
Richard
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Autism-Aspergers is just a concept invented to legitimate the abuse of children and adults. Neuro-Diversity is just a way of pleading for pity. Everytime we endorse these concepts, we are further maginalizing ourselves, and encouraging child abuse. Autism-Asperger's could never even exist without Nazi Social Darwinism and Eugenics. So I no longer talk about these, I talk about lived experience, often the experience of being othered and then persecuted. I call this experience of having intelligence, insight, intuition, and mystical abilities, the Shamanic Experience. And those of us who live it need to start banding together and protecting ourselves, each other, and the children of today. Beautiful Planet, just a rotten economic and political system.
mohammedwasapedo
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Joined: 17 Sep 2018
Gender: Male
Posts: 57
Location: Los Angeles
Let's see its English and describes the word its a synonym to, ok great I feel exactly nothing towards this phrase.
It's not insulting in any way and in general I find people forcing their distaste of words on others more offensive than words (with one notable exception.)
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AQ 37/50 / Asperger's (from Father) / EQ 110 / IQ 155-160
'I know more about these things than you because I have researched them' - INTJ
Someone who calls herself "IstominFan" is definitely "wired differently." Tennis is an atypical interest for most people and being a fan of a player most people haven't heard of (but should) makes me more so.
Being a cat lover isn't unusual for a female, but I love a very special kind of cat, the Lynx point Siamese. I think they are incredibly beautiful and two of my cats were Lynx points.
Really I think it is just about power and the acceptance of otherness.
If someone suggested to me that I was "Wired Differently", I would recognize that it is not that mean spirited. So I would let them say that. But I would not affirm it in any way. I would just try to keep the conversation topical.
If on the otherhand they were trying to to use it to stigmatize me, I would remind them that they don't have to like me, but that I am not going to accept any such labels.
People who are somehow different or marginalized, we must stand up for ourselves and each other.
I have gotten dozens of people fired from jobs, both public sector and private sector, and I have forced the closure of businesses. I stand up for myself and I stand up for others.
When I was elementary school age I did not know how to do this, so I was bullied.
And then for many children, the real bullies are the parents.
Richard
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Autism-Aspergers is just a concept invented to legitimate the abuse of children and adults. Neuro-Diversity is just a way of pleading for pity. Everytime we endorse these concepts, we are further maginalizing ourselves, and encouraging child abuse. Autism-Asperger's could never even exist without Nazi Social Darwinism and Eugenics. So I no longer talk about these, I talk about lived experience, often the experience of being othered and then persecuted. I call this experience of having intelligence, insight, intuition, and mystical abilities, the Shamanic Experience. And those of us who live it need to start banding together and protecting ourselves, each other, and the children of today. Beautiful Planet, just a rotten economic and political system.
Wired differently sounds accurate to me. We literally are.
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^^^^^^ That still sounds like "neurological difference".
No one knows that that is so. And going along with it still is potentially allowing people to stigmatize us for not measuring up to conformist standards.
Richard
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Autism-Aspergers is just a concept invented to legitimate the abuse of children and adults. Neuro-Diversity is just a way of pleading for pity. Everytime we endorse these concepts, we are further maginalizing ourselves, and encouraging child abuse. Autism-Asperger's could never even exist without Nazi Social Darwinism and Eugenics. So I no longer talk about these, I talk about lived experience, often the experience of being othered and then persecuted. I call this experience of having intelligence, insight, intuition, and mystical abilities, the Shamanic Experience. And those of us who live it need to start banding together and protecting ourselves, each other, and the children of today. Beautiful Planet, just a rotten economic and political system.
Well that's true of everyone. The more I think of my best friends this way the more I realize they're probably more similar to me than I ever knew. That's my best guess, I think we've all been keeping to ourselves this year.
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