Autistic or with autism?

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Related to the myth/fact thing I'm working on. I have a few questions. I would be very grateful if you could answer them.

Do you prefer autistic or person with autism?

Do you mind if others say person with autism rather than autistic? (This is not when people insist on person with autism, but maybe use both interchangeably)

Do you like it if people insist you shouldn't say autistic and should say person with autism instead?

Do you like functioning levels, or would you prefer just autism or aspergers?

Do you prefer autism spectrum disorder ASD or autism spectrum condition ASC? (I only ask as I've come across asc quite a few times)

Thanks.

Do you prefer autistic or person with autism? Either is fine for me personally.

Do you mind if others say person with autism rather than autistic? (This is not when people insist on person with autism, but maybe use both interchangeably) I interchange the terms all the time with no preference.

Do you like it if people insist you shouldn't say autistic and should say person with autism instead? No.

Do you like functioning levels, or would you prefer just autism or aspergers? It depends on the person/situation.

Do you prefer autism spectrum disorder ASD or autism spectrum condition ASC? (I only ask as I've come across asc quite a few times) I don't mind disorder, but I like condition better now that you mention it.

Last edited by EzraS on 29 Oct 2015, 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm going to respond but it's important to note that I'm still discovering my feelings about these things as I'm recently diagnosed, and as I learn the reasons for sme of the ways some people will answer these questions, I change my own feelings because of the very valid and sensible reasons some people give for feelin a certain way. So I may well change my mind again when I read what others say, or once I've gotten used to my diagnosis, etc.

I prefer whatever the person you're referring to prefers. if you're referring to me, I prefer autistic. If you're referring to some other guy who wants to be called a person with autism, I prefer you to do that when you refer to that guy, because that's what he wants.



I do not think that I mind that, so far, no. I reserve the right to form an opinion as my life goes forward though, since right now I don't really have an opinion about that yet I don't think.



I do not. I prefer "autistic" but respect other people's preferences on how they want to be addressed. But I do not like it if someone insists that I shouldn't say autistic ABOUT MYSELF, the very idea of someone berating me for that rubs me the wrong way. It hasn't happened to me yet but it makes my stomach very upset just thinking about that sort of conflict right now. I can refer to myself any way I please and I would find it very rude for someone to tell me not to say I'm autistic. If someone is diagnosed with autism, they're autistic. It's just an adjective, like thin, beautiful, blonde, rich, smart, anorexic, diabetic, narcissistic, purple, shy, hungry, etc etc and it seems silly to me for anyone to say that it is a word that must not be used. How bizarre it seems to me for someone to want to tell me how to refer to myself. If they don't want me to call THEM autistic though, then obviously I totally respect that.



Same thing - Aspergers is a passive way of saying "high functioning autistic". So, do I like that? I don't know yet. I understand the arguments out there against it, but I also must admit that I went to my evaluation expecting an asperger's diagnosis but due to the DSM-5 I instead technically am autistic instead. This felt like a different diagnosis to me and required me to go through different types of emotions as a result. This is probably WHY the functioning levels labels are bad though, because somewhere deep down inside me I got it ingrained in me that autism is worse than aspergers despite them being the same thing.. if we get rid of the distinction then maybe the next generation of diagnosees won't feel like I feel (I intellectually know that my feelings are wrong and maybe even offensive but I can't help that they happened, but I'm fighting them with knowledge/logic/etc so please nobody hate on me).




Never seen ASC before. I prefer ASD because it's what I know and I find no reason to change it. I don't think the word "disorder" is negative or in need of changing, but maybe someone else's reply will sway me, who knows.

Neither designation bothers me at all. I generally say I "have" autism just because I think of it is: I HAVE brown hair (to give an example) v. I "am" a brunette. But..it wouldn't bother me if someone said "NowhereWoman is a brunette" rather than "NowhereWoman has brown hair."

I've heard the argument that since autism is a whole and defining part of one's makeup, and I do get that, but I don't think autism is all of me...for example, I believe I would have had green eyes with or without autism. I believe I would have been female with or without autism. And short. And from a non-physical perspective, there isn't anything saying I wouldn't still love music and history, like singing, love children, etc. if I weren't autistic. That sort of thing. Not all of my genes are specifically either autistic or non-autistic so...nope, not "all of" me.

But either way I never really thought twice about it until I saw on here that people had preferences. If a given person has a preference I of course will respect that and use the term (if it comes up) per the person's preference. I don't know that I can know what the "right" way to express it would be ahead of time as I don't know every single person's preference on this subject. People seem to feel both ways about it.

Related to the myth/fact thing I'm working on. I have a few questions. I would be very grateful if you could answer them.

Do you prefer autistic or person with autism? I personally prefer Autistic when it's about me. But I completely respect that each Autistic person has his or her preference about that and I will address each person how he or she chooses to be addressed.

Do you mind if others say person with autism rather than autistic? (This is not when people insist on person with autism, but maybe use both interchangeably) I don't mind if they say it. I have no problem with other people using them interchangeably. But I do mind if they insist that I identify myself that way. They can even call me a "person with Autism" as long as they don't insist that I view my own identity by what that implies.

Do you like it if people insist you shouldn't say autistic and should say person with autism instead? No. I hate it. I think it is very disrespectful..

Do you like functioning levels, or would you prefer just autism or aspergers? I do not like functioning labels at all. I would prefer just Autism or Asperger's or even better yet, just Autism Spectrum or Spectrum.

Do you prefer autism spectrum disorder ASD or autism spectrum condition ASC? (I only ask as I've come across asc quite a few times) I have never heard ASC. ASD is what I am used to so ASC sounds strange to me. So ASD is fine for me.

Thanks. You're Welcome

I don't mind whatever term people choose to describe themselves. That's their right, and I think of myself someone on the Aspergers part of the spectrum, autistic within part of the entirety of that spectrum. I'm ok if someone describes me as autistic or aspergian or on the spectrum.

I have a slight discomfort level when someone applies person first language to me (as in "she is a person with aspergers"), although if I haven't made them aware that I prefer not to be addressed like that, they have no way of knowing, and if they mean no offense, I don't take any. If they do know, then I would hope they would try to respect my choice, and vice versa. And I'm ok with addressing them as a 'person with autism' if that is what feels most comfortable to them.

The selfhood of people on the spectrum is diminished by ignorance in all sorts of ways everyday - in the media, in propaganda, by clinicians, by bloggers, by educators, by ABA 'professionals', by psychiatrists, by researchers, disrespect of ASD people is currently infecting the entire institutional level of the societies in which we have to function. In the process of protecting and/or salvaging our self-respect, part of which is exercising choices and asking for them to be respected, we indirectly affirm the self determination of others too.

The person first debate seems really acrimonious in the USA; it's completely a non-issue here. The activist ASD advocates here are fairly singularly focused on trying to educate a generally ignorant public on the diversity of the spectrum and to challenge the myth that autism means that no kind of participation, no kind of success, and no kind of talent which is commonplace in 'normal human life' is possible for any autistic person. When that ignorance is so great - and it obviously great in the USA too - then this labelling issue seems a waste of energy when there are such greater fish to fry, above all overthrowing these harmful stereotypes.

Related to the myth/fact thing I'm working on. I have a few questions. I would be very grateful if you could answer them.

Do you prefer autistic or person with autism?
Autistic

Do you mind if others say person with autism rather than autistic? (This is not when people insist on person with autism, but maybe use both interchangeably)
No

Do you like it if people insist you shouldn't say autistic and should say person with autism instead?
They should all go f**k off. Telling me I should not describe myself as autistic because it is offensive? Telling me a 58 year old person how I should describe myself is offensive. Telling anybody for how to self identify for that matter is offensive.

Do you like functioning levels, or would you prefer just autism or Aspergers
I would prefer a dominant traits based diagnosis such as sensory sensitive autism executive funtioning autism etc.

Do you prefer autism spectrum disorder ASD or autism spectrum condition ASC? (I only ask as I've come across asc quite a few times)
ASC

ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder
ASC = Autism Spectrum Condition

Thanks.
You are welcome

Autistic sounds better IMO. But either is ok.

I am fine with autistic or with autism, also fine with functioning levels like HFA or LFA.
HFA means autism without intellectual disability, LFA means autism with intellectual disability.

Referring to someone as autistic makes more sense to me, seen as it's a difference in brain structure. I wouldn't say someone has autism, if that makes sense? Seems kind of weird to me. Either one though, it doesn't really matter in my opinion.

I prefer just "a person", but out of these two: 'autistic'.
I do not 'have' autism, autism is a part of me, just like a transgender or gay person is that, you don't say "a person with a transgendered identity" either...


Not really, the terms are very similar and which one you'd use depends on how you look at the condition.

No; everyone has the right to call it however he/she wants, one shouldn't force one point of view on another.


Functioning levels are a botched concept anyway, since a person is on one level for this part of life, and on another level for another part, so i don't use the levels.


I haven't heared the ASC before, but i think i'd prefer that one; i don't see autism as a disorder but more as a neurological difference, so 'condition' sounds better than 'disorder' to me

Do you prefer autistic or person with autism?

Don't mind. To me they mean the same thing.

Do you mind if others say person with autism rather than autistic? (This is not when people insist on person with autism, but maybe use both interchangeably)

No. One may make more sense than the other based on context.

Do you like it if people insist you shouldn't say autistic and should say person with autism instead?

No, and I don't like it the other way round either. One person thinks one thing, the other thinks another yet both will insist on saying it their way. They mean the same damn thing and you can't win either way. I think we have more to worry about than how things are worded.

Do you like functioning levels, or would you prefer just autism or aspergers?

I see how functioning levels are relevant so I don't have a problem with them personally. And I think Asperger's needs to be removed on the ICD as well so it's just autism. I say that because the criteria is almost identical and distinguishing HFA from Asperger's seems like needless nitpicking to me. I agree with what the DSM V did.

Do you prefer autism spectrum disorder ASD or autism spectrum condition ASC? (I only ask as I've come across asc quite a few times)

ASD because I'm used to it, but if someone used ASC instead I wouldn't have a problem.

Do you prefer autistic or person with autism?
I prefer Autistic. Being "with" something separates the something from the individual, which simply isn't true with Autism. You can't ever be without your Autism, as it is hardwired into your brain. "With" stigmatizes Autistics by implying that there is something wrong with us, that without Autism you'd be a full person."With" makes it sound like we can be cured, or even that there is something to cure. "With" tries to distance us from an essential part of our being and trivializes Autism. Because of these and many other reasons, I identify as Autistic rather than "with Autism."

Do you mind if others say person with autism rather than autistic? (This is not when people insist on person with autism, but maybe use both interchangeably)
Yes, it bugs me greatly. I gently correct them when possible.

Do you like it if people insist you shouldn't say autistic and should say person with autism instead?
No. Those people are showing their bias against us. They are subtly saying they look down upon us and wish we could be cured.

Do you like functioning levels, or would you prefer just autism or aspergers?
I'm still working this out in my mind. On one hand, the terms LFA and HFA quickly show the how severely an individual is affected by his/her ASD. Buuuuut IQ is a flawed division line, as the test is rather subjective and thus inaccurate. Further, an individual's ASD is completely separate from their intelligence level. That means functioning levels, by their nature of being tied to IQ, are not legitimate labels within ASD. And arbitrary functioning labels only really serve to divide our community. Where does this leave my answer? ... Undecided, with ongoing internal consideration. Searching, if you will. Maybe I'll find the answer in this thread?

Do you prefer autism spectrum disorder ASD or autism spectrum condition ASC? (I only ask as I've come across asc quite a few times)
Neither. Both can be construed as stigmatizing, as the final words in each distinguishes us as lesser than the "norm." What's wrong with simply "Autistic," or "Autism?"

I don't care about the different terms, I don't like "crazy" or "ret*d" or "weird" though.

I don't mind either way, though I'd use autistic myself because it's shorter and less clunky to say. Slurs like 'autist' can go die in a fire though.

Appears to be an actual word:

https://www.wordnik.com/words/autist