Calling Aspergers autism? why?

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I personally don't mind the term autistic. After all, something like cerebral palsy can vary all the way from someone in a wheelchair with severely contracted arm and leg muscles, through to someone who "looks normal" but has weak ankles, or is clumsy. But the public usually equates cerebral palsy with the more severe cases, because it doesn't notice the mild cases - they are "invisible disabilities". It takes a professional to identify them.

Similarly, the popular mind equates autism with the more severe, "obvious" cases (Rain Man!), and not the mild or borderline person with a partner, children, and a full time, well-paying job. That's a problem, but in the end it is a problem because the public conception of autism is too narrow and old-fashioned. Autism comes in all shapes and sizes.

And "social issues" are not my main problem: I have significant sensory sensitivity that requires deliberate protective measures every day; I have emotional regulation problems (stress and anxiety - overreacting and catastrophising); and I have executive function problems (a range of problems handling complex tasks despite a high IQ). I have had other people claim that my special interests can get in the way of activities that I should be attending to (academic study, household maintenance). I chew my fingers to the point where all my knuckles have noticeable calluses on them, and constantly wring or fidget with my fingers in social situations. So I think I have a form of autism (ASD, not classical autism with speech delay), but not as severe autism as the public is used to noticing. And whenever I tell people about my condition, I say that I am on the autism spectrum.

I think that it's interesting that so many people here downplay the effects of the social aspect of aspergers. Yes, there are many symptoms that are involved that get less attention, and for some they are the most severe. That is not the case for me. I have a very limited desire for social interaction, even with my family, who I love. As far as other people are concerned, that desire becomes almost non-existant. I interact with other human beings far more often and more readily on this forum than I do in real life, when I have a choice. I have a job, and interaction with others is required of me, and I am able to go through the motions well enough to get by in most cases. But if some people who do not have as much difficulty with social issues think that it is not a real problem when you do, they are mistaken. In many ways, in many contexts, I can pass as "normal". Most of these contexts involve a superficial level of interaction. Easy enough to fake as comfortable. But for anything involving more in-depth interaction, I am clearly different, and it puts people off. There is obviously something "wrong" with me, in the judgement of many people. So no matter how many coping skills I have developed to deal with or mask my difficulties with executive dysfunction, emotional regulation, stims, sensory issues, etc., my social issues are always my downfall. And in case some one was getting ready to suggest it, no, it's not social anxiety. People and social situations do make me anxious. But it's because I don't understand them, they don't understand me, and I have very little desire or ability to rectify that. It causes people to believe many erroneous beliefs about me; that I am arrogant, unfriendly, argumentative, uncooperative, unhappy, uncaring; I am sure there are others. My problems are definitely social, and it goes way beyond "socially awkward nerd".

because as is a form of autism

spech is a important thing. I am high fuctioning becuase my intlegence is at normal levels. 2 year ago I had alot of pain from a sist in my jaw. trying to have my carers understand that was very hard. I would point to my mouth "ahhhhh" and they woudl say "are you hungry" and then I would give up. then after a few weeks I could not take it any more. I would point to my mouth and say "pain" and they would ignore me or say "you are fine" or "its ok" Then I started with tantrums so they try and restrain me I ran away and wet my self. then they found me and brang me home and try and help and took me for medical help. I had to have tantrums to get help. I had to get very up set and un contol that I wet my self in public for people to listen. people ignore me becuase I have trouble with speech.
asperger person can point at there mouth and say "I am in pain and help me" and the care giver can help them. It is fustarting for me. trouble with spech is not a small thing. It is a very big thing.

No argument there - when I'm nonverbal, I have all kinds of problems due to the fact that I don't have any alternatives to verbal communication set up.

I have a lot of trouble with explaining that I am in pain to people, however. Even when I get to the ER because I'm in pain, I somehow fail to explain how much pain I'm in as I rarely get helpful treatment. I was in the ER with a cluster headache a year and a half ago, and I didn't get something to help with the pain. My explanations left the doctor with the assumption that the headache (which left me bedridden for a week) wasn't even my primary problem.

Not the same thing as having severe issues with speech, obviously, but being able to speak doesn't mean always being able to communicate clearly or reliably.

I started to speak at age 1.5, but I do not know the "quality" of speach I had.
I develloped mutism as well, though I had the "quality to speak", but regressed somehow.
Getting diagnosed my performance IQ was much higher than my verbal IQ, because I am very visually thinking and I passed the Ravens Progressive Matrices in the WAIS without any mistake.
Having speech at age 1.5 indicates Aspergers, but due to the mutism, which I still have at many "social" moments and the PIQ outperforming the VIQ I got diagnosed with autistic disorder and secondly I got assessed rather HFA than Aspergers.
But I had speach at early age.
My "over-all"-developpment was delayed a lot.
Age 6 I had the "over-all" developpment of a 3-year-old and they wanted to refuse me attending school, but then testing intelligence they said I had to enter school, despite of the delay in other areas.

I can understand what the OP is saying in some sense. Because my son has come along in leaps and bounds in the past 7 or so months, he appears to be pretty high functioning. When I mention to people (non-professionals) that he has been diagnosed with Aspergers which is on the autism spectrum, I can't tell you how often people brush it off "but he's playing with other kids, he's looking people in the eye, he's so bright (this is a big one..) I think people think we are being irrational and so quick to try and 'label' kids that are different.