The term "NT" kind of makes me cringe.

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Maybe I just have a different perspective on this all, but although I am a bit of a narcissist, I don't see what makes me unique or better than the typical person. Above average IQ? You don't need to be autistic to have that, it just makes it more likely. I know plenty of non autistic people who are smarter than I am.

I don't really know if I am comfortable referring to people I know in my life as 'neurotypicals' like I am a different race or something. Especially when the opposite is neurodiverse, which I think is a bit misleading here. The correct term should, I think, be neurologically impaired, as there really isn't anything positive (socially atleast) that comes out of autism. To suggest its 'normal' vs 'unique' is a bit extraneous in my opinion.

Just had to say this, because "NT" always gives me this weird feeling, as it generalizes a large portion of the population who may not exactly be 'uniform' themselves.

Yeah.. I'm totally feeling the s**t you're saying. I don't refer to anyone I know as NT as they're just the same people I know prior to being diagnosed... But if the situation comes up or the wife n I talk about something ect.. If we're explaining to each other regarding our kids or something in reference to people who don't understand our situation etc.. Then we might say these NT's don't get this or that or something like that. But other than this we don't really say the term much.. Hope that makes sense.. Haha .

To be honest it sometimes reminds me of Vulcans in Star Trek talking about Humans. Or Tolkien's Elves. Maybe even Vampires vs humans as well. Whatever special race that is not a part of the general population. The way those NT's act compared to us. The way those NT's treat us. Those crude, vulgar, ignorant, inferior NT's. We are from another planet. A people set apart, a special separate and unique species and so on.

Last edited by EzraS on 13 Feb 2016, 11:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Right no I understand there are alot of people that treat those with autism like total s**t. Trust me i've been there. But like, I don't think its a good idea to generalize that entire population like that lol. Not every 'neurotypical' person is characteristically an as*hole by heart.

I think the phrase fits perfectly. They ARE the typical neurotype. In fact if anything it is a very vague catch-all It is literally the same as saying not-autistic. but if you prefer you can say allistic. which also means NT. NT for me at least has been one of the best descriptors. They do comprise 99% of the populace what is more typical than that? nothing really other than saying: so I was talking to a human the other day.
Which is silly.
No one is making value judgements with the terms "different" doesn't mean better. It means not average, it is a value neutral term, you're just coloring the difference, it seems elitist I'm guessing to you, but that is not the case.
It is neither a good nor bad thing to be autistic or NT they just are different VERY different experiences and paradigms of life/living on this planet. This very bizarre dazzlingly intense planet we live on.

But NT is just a descriptor it is NOT synonymous with "that as*hole NOT autistic person"

It's easy to focus on the worst people you know, the ones who gave you the most grief and the ones you dislike the most and then call that everyone, and then call everyone NT's.

Now I am not saying everyone uses it that way. But it does seem to me like it gets used that way more often than not. But it's really no big deal I suppose.

Last edited by EzraS on 13 Feb 2016, 11:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Wow, so much inference in such a simple term. It reminds me of that as well lol Vulcans haha. But I mean....... that's how (in my damned experience anyway) autistics get treated by general society. like s**t basically. and they DO get treated as alien- this is literally what I was called in high school along with many other variants. For being autistic not for any other reason. If anything they are the ones making the division I wanted more than anything to fit it! Of course this wasn't just a HS phenomenon, I wanted to fit in from elementary, but the NTs are the ones (in my experience) drawing the metaphorical line in the sand and don't want to play nice with the "Spatstic weirdo kids" over there so lets herd them in this corner and kind of cringe and ignore them.

Yes, indubitably so, however, NT was never a hate or discriminatory term........ it is just saying they are the norm. they are normal or typical. or average. But yeah. that's just me.

I find it more cringing when people here call NTs "non-autistic", because there are other neurological disorders besides autism that can make a person atypical.

We have to call them something. 'Normal', non-autistic, allistic, NT - all these terms have their drawbacks, but I just go with what seems to be the most common usage. At this time, on this forum, it seems to be NT, and I'm okay with that.

Maybe 'People without autism', to respect them with people-first language?

At one time it did me as well but I've been here so long, it's just shorthand term to differentiate our group from everyone else. I usually would just say "normal" but people don't like that either, there isn't going to be a term people are happy with.

Here's the Daily Wrong Planet Quiz for anyone who wishes to take it.

What do we call people who are not black?

What do we call people who are not gay?

What do we call people who are not schizophrenic?

How about just calling them people?

"Some of the people at work gave me a hard time today."

That works just as well as,

"The NT's at work gave me a hard time today."

You will never hear me say "some of the NT's at school gave me a hard time to day" Or "this NT teased me really badly today".....Because I don't go to school with NT's. But that kinda stuff happens anyways.

But I supposed having a special word for people gives a felling of unity. Unity is good.

Last edited by EzraS on 14 Feb 2016, 11:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

It's all about context. In the above context, 'people' is correct. But if someone is saying, 'sometimes it's hard being autistic, and I wish I could be a person' - that isn't quite right either.

'Sometimes it's hard being autistic, and I wish I could be a real boy!

That's why I prefer identifying with Data over Spock. Data was a Pinocchio.