Stuck with the label

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Well I find it tough to say that I'm autistic, because for many that has the stigma of mental retardation. I don't want people to think that I'm at all intellectually ret*d (though I certainly feel that way sometimes right before university exams). It's just that most people don't understand, or are too ignorant to consider that there is a difference between intellectual retardation and austism. Further since few really know what Asperger's is (or HFA), it's tough to use anything else to describe how we are. For me being called an Aspie is far less worse than being called rude, picky, anal, neurotic, etc... But that's just me.

We can make of these terms what we wish.

Most communities of people different to the majority (gay, black whatever) have re-claimed negative terms and used them in a positive, affirmative sense. Aside from word-play on the terms Asperger's (Ass-burgers) and Aspie (Ass-pie), the spiteful people out there don't really have one particular term to nail us with, mostly because most people don't even know we exist! Therefore, we just don't have a term to rally under with collective determination.

In that sense, having a label doesn't really help anybody. Whether or not it happens to be a moniker you like. If it doesn't mean anything to the recipient, then it doesn't convey any useful information.

So, if you don't like Aspie, make up something you do like try it out and see if it sticks. It doesn't have to be related to the name Asperger.

There could be one excellent word out there to describe pretty much all the common traits that sounds good and has no negative connotations. If you find it, let us know!

With most people, I just break it down in terms of explaning certain traits. Like how I learn better from pictures than spoken words.

On the internet, I usually just refer to myself as an ass-burger or some variation thereof.

i pefer calliling it AS