Using the autism label as an insult

Post Reply New Topic

In recent years, I have noticed a very disturbing trend of NT people, mainly younger GenZers using the Autism label as an insult. For example I was having trouble understanding something as someone asked me insultingly, “What are you, autistic?”

I said yes I actually am and I would really appreciate if you stop using my diagnosis as an insult, you are being an ableist.

Of course he made fun of me and said “It’s just a joke, deal with it. Why are you such a special snowflake.” I said “because you’re not autistic you have no right to use that label as an insult in fact don’t ever use a disorder as an insult.”

I vote for, 5. Apparently haven't heard it used with enough significance to recall whether I've heard it or not.

[X] 6. Often, but I did not keep track of how often.

I use it to humourously describe overly obsessive behaviour..
like the times people get doxxed by internet experts they call it 'weaponised autism'
and if someone is just running a subject into the ground I say they are being autistic about it.

I've been called "autistic" as an insult and also have heard other people be called it as an insult.

Not in person. Plenty of times online.

Wrong Planet thread - The increasing use of Autistic as an insult

My ex used to say "You're artistic? I thought you were autistic!!" to me.

Then he'd roll on the floor making gestures and laughing at my expense.

We split up 25 years ago today. WOOT.

That was long before my diagnosis.

Yes Heard it being used as an insult against political opponents ( outside autism world).

Either to claim their opinion or opponents view is either ret*d or rigid thinking.

Been directed at me plenty of times but don’t care anymore

I personally have NOT encountered people using "autistic" as an insult. That's probably because:

1) My social life revolves primarily around an NYC-area-based group of autistic people.

2) I work from home.

3) I live in a highly multicultural neighborhood, with immigrants from many different countries all over the world. As far as I can tell, most people around here don't tend to keep up with the very latest white-people fads, and in any case tend to be better-mannered (although there are a few bigtime as*holes around here too).

People use all sorts of labels to insult each other. One time someone sarcastically asked me if I had dementia because I kept forgetting something. I knew that they knew I didn't have dementia, and it wasn't really an insult but it might have been if someone themselves had dementia or a parent or other loved one with dementia.

I remember one time at school a boy in my class (who didn't know I had ASD) insulted himself about something to do with his work and said "ah, I'm autistic or something!" even though he wasn't autistic but he was just calling himself it as a joke sort of thing. I just laughed, like I didn't have it.

I voted NO or Never because I don't see being called autistic an insult. If someone responds to some thing I do or say with "thats's so autistic" I tend to agree, but that doesn't mean I have to take it as insulting. In fact, if someone tries to insult anyone and they don't respond, that person usually stops because it doesn't have the desired effect.

“ret*d” was the insult of choice during my childhood.