I think "autism" is the wrong title for our condition.

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Eyedash wrote: "a few decades ago saying that one was autistic could lead to ostracism due to public ignorance and fear of those who are different. That still happens to those who are schizophrenic, for instance".[/quote]

B19 wrote: "It still happens to AS people now. The stigma is alive and well and promoted in all sorts of fields as well as manifesting its ugliness in everyday life.[/quote]

It would be hard to deny things have improved.

The term “Autism” is derived from the Greek word “Autos” which means self. Psychologist Eugen Bleuler in 1908 used it to describe a symptom of childhood schizophrenia of “morbid self admiration” and withdrawl into self. “Autism” and “Autistic” was used informally by psychiatrists in the following decades to describe this trait. Leo Kanner said “Autistic Disturbances of Effective Contact” was a seperate disorder. His defininition contained most of the traits used to describe autism today.

“Asperger’s” was not coined by Hans Asperger. He called what he found “Autistic Psychopathy”. “Aspergers Syndrome” was informally used by clinicians in the Germany, Austria region in the following years. Starting in the 1980s British Psychologist Lorna Wing popularized the term “Aspergers Syndrome”. She felt correctly that it would lead to people with “mild” autism getting diagnosed more because parents would more readily accept thier kids being diagnosed with a term that had less stigma.

“Aspergers” is named for a person, “Autism” was named for a trait. So when thinking of changing these names requires thinking about different issues.

Terms evolve often radically for good or for worse. “Gay” has gone from meaning very happy to homosexual, to any alternative sexuality. “ret*d” has gone from a medical term to a pejoritive. Kanner radically expanded the definition of “Autism”. Since Kanner the “mildness” of one traits needed to get diagnosed has radically expanded but the traits themselves have remained mostly the same.

With “Aspergers” we have the general issue of should conditions be named after people and specially should it be named after Hans Asperger.

The short version of what I have said before is this. I will not tell anybody what to call themselves. Due to the recent revelations of Hans Asperger’s Nazi complicity I can not call myself “Aspie” anymore. Many have said either enough time has passed to make what Hans Asperger was like irrelevent to its current meaning or “Aspie” is a seperate term describing people diagnosed with the condition or who have many of its traits. To me no matter how much the term has evolved it is still honoring Hans Asperger who should be recognized for his scientific contribution but not honored. For me to continue to self identify as “Aspie” would be giving him the highest form of honor I can give.

As for “autism” I am sick and tired of people dropping terms because bullies and trolls have made these terms insults. I self identify as “autistic”, that is my story and I am sticking with it unless a more accurate and representative term is coined.

I was told (by gay friends some time way back) that the provenance of the word GAY, was chosen to denote those previously persecuted/called "homosexuals" was because the letters stood for the assertion that gay men were as "Good As You" (meaning straights at the time).

Perhaps we too could benefit from an acronym that similarly challenged the stigmatisation that is still alive and well.

That entomology of the word "gay" to mean the modern meaning of "male homosexual" is probably BS. Most entomologies based upon acronyms as word origins are "folk entomology" (urban legends that are not based are real scholarship)and are totally wrong.

"Gay" of course originally mean "happy" or "carefree", and from that as far back as centuries ago it came to be an adjective for a guy who is "a fop", or "a dandy", or "a libertine". And then in the mid twentieth century it evolved into a euphemism for homosexual and finally became an open term for homosexual. Seriously doubt that it was ever an acronym for "good as you".

But if male homosexuals want to "reverse engineer" the word "gay" into a political acronym that way then that's well and good.

Last edited by naturalplastic on 21 Oct 2018, 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

I remember one of my school teachers lamenting how the word "gay" had changed (during her lifetime).

I don't have any problem with the term "autism".

Describes me as a child pretty well. Few friends, and an active inner life.

I don't see what the fuss is all about.

I don't like the sound of the word either but what else could I call it??

Social communication disorder -- for those with few sensory issues
Sensory processing disorder -- for those with few social issues
Combined social communication & sensory processing disorder -- for autism? SCSPD??
Dyssocialia?
Social cue interpretation disorder?

As a general rule I don't like it when people complain about something yet have no idea about how to deal with it. Let's have some ideas!

Sorry to go off-topic, but I kept hearing his voice as I read your post

To go back on topic, I've always liked the sound of "Aspie", but since it's being phased out (for both moral reasons and literally the DSM is phasing it out), I'm starting to get used to the sound of "Autistic".

Besides the fact that I often start to wonder if I'm more severe than I think I am

"Aspie" sounds almost too cute a name for a condition that causes people a great deal of difficulty, even at the least severe level. However, dropping the level Asperger syndrome for "mild autistic spectrum disorder" isn't a good thing. The criteria for HFA is an I.Q. above 70. This assumes we're all just slow learners. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I think there are disorders called "Sensory Processing Disorder" and "Central Auditory Processing Disorder" which may co-exist with autism/Asperger syndrome. These descriptions make sense.

What I hate about autism is it has so many symptoms that it's hard to give it a decent name that will have all the symptoms fit into it. I mean, most autistics have with sensory hypersensitivities, dislike to change, meltdowns, anxiety, special interests, social deficits, and the list could go on. If autism consisted of just social deficits and nothing more, then it would be easier to name. You could just call it Social Deficit Disorder or something. But, no, it has to come with a kajillion other s**t too.

I kind of think the behavioral aspect of the condition shouldn't be such a big variable in diagnosis. I think your behavior is just a reaction to different things, and everyone reacts differently to different things. I definitely think of the condition as a social communication, and emotional disorder. Other areas can be impacted, but I think those are the main regions. I would rather something that clearly represents that, I dont like walking around telling people im autistic, because either, they think im over reactive as*hole because I dont seem autistic to most people I guess. but thats only because when you hear the word autism, I guess im not the picture perfect profile. but what people dont get is no one is, autism effects everyone differently. I dont know, I guess this was a rant more than addressing what was actually asked haha

What’s in a name.

We all have labels self or imposed by others.

DL
LEVEL 1. (What’s in a name?)

As Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliet:

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."


The same with autism. Just as sweet, or just as unsweet by any other name.

After I retired I had 2 shirts printed.
In different colors they read


AUTISM DOES NOT DEFINE ME.

Oops, you're right. The people who have put sensory processing disorder are more on track for what I was thinking. I dislike thinking of it as a disorder, though, and there seems to also be an emotional processing component for a lot of people.