Is saying "someone is autistic" offensive?

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I read a touching story today in CNN about a 13 year old girl with HFA who has learned to deal with bullies and social issues by playing clarinet in her school band. Here's the link.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/08/health/au ... pt=hp_bn13

What stuck me as interesting is the comment her mother made to a poster. "When you say, “autistic” children, it says a lot about the way you see those children. They are children with ASD."

Hmm. I'd hate to get berated for using the term. I've used it myself. Is it offensive?

This has been a big controversy. Still, a lot of self-advocates, seem to prefer just saying "autistic," including Autistic Hoya and ASAN. I would use "autistic" by default, but otherwise defer to one's preference.

i take it as a complement (i get goosebumps whenever someone says that i am).

you might as well be proud because it is not like we have a choice.

It is considered politically correct using "person first" language among NTs. Most self-advocates don't like it as we do not have autism, we are autistic. Excuse my appropriation, but it is akin to saying that someone "has blackness". Then again, some people put no thought into it.

This.

I think if the majority of the people with x condition think that it should be called y, then calling it y isn't offensive, calling it z when the majority prefer y is offensive. Unless of course a person has stated, no, I don't like y, I prefer z.

I think whether or not you think 'autistic' is an offensive word says a lot about how you feel about autism.

It's an issue. Since different organizations/"kingdoms" have different views on the matter, it's pretty much....know your audience.

I don't even understand why anyone cares.

Yep. I second what beneficii said about preferences.

What annoys me is that people on the news always seem to say so and so suffers from autism or Asperger's syndrome. It predisposes that we are wrong and inferior. What is wrong with saying he/she is autistic or aspergergic?

I think the only person this "says a lot about" is the person being offended by the use of the term "autistic". Some people are professional victims and go seeking offence wherever they can find it. Their lives aren't complete unless there is some kind of interpersonal strife in which they can take the self-perceived moral high-ground and feel all smug and self-satisfied about it. I think you found one of those people.

Oh, I agree with you there. That's language that I would like to see go out the door.

One issue I see there is that it does'nt work with a general audience, "person with Asperger's" is as far as you can go and still get your audience to understand. "She's an Aspie" really won't work with a general audience. Not yet at least.

I saw the word 'suffer' in an entry for 'autism' in my dictionary. I was offended.

The audience thing is just a question of familiarity; if they heard it enough people would get it.

I don't know how tv people find the aspies we see on tv, but if I was ever one of them I would make a point of making this point.

I don't find the term "autistic" to be offensive at all. Frankly, I think that mother should thicken her skin a little bit; someone who calls another person "autistic" is just making a statement.

Yes, I agree. I think she has it the wrong way round as Anomiel has pointed out.