Is 'NT' offensive? Is 'on the NT spectrum' an option?
I agree that we can consider NT-ND as one spectrum and call it an Aspie spectrum. But we can also think of it as two different spectrums. This is how I see it: the more (less) "quirky" you are, the higher (lower) you are on the ND spectrum. The more (less) social and outgoing you are, the higher (lower) you are on the NT spectrum.
We can imagine a person who has no any "quirks" at all, yet is still socially awkward. Such a person is non-autistic, but is also low on the NT spectrum. On the other hand we can imagine a very "quirky" person, who is social and outgoing despite being "quirky". This second person is higher on the Aspie spectrum, but is also more NT.
Graphs from the Aspie Quiz are illustrating this very well.
These graphs are two-dimensional, not one-dimensional.
I guess that learning how to become more social and outgoing is easier than getting rid of "quirky" traits.
Which means that it is probably harder to "lose autism", than it is to "acquire neurotypicality".
In my opinion what defines being on the Aspie Spectrum is - first of all - having all of these "quirks", rather than being socially inept. An Aspie can become more social and outgoing (in other words: much higher-functioning) if they put effort into it. However, it will be harder for them to get rid of their "quirks". At least some "quirks" (like for example sensory issues) will be hard to overcome. Correct me if I am wrong, please.
We can imagine that such a person would have a low Aspie score, but also a low NT score.
NT has two meanings.
The first and original meaning just means 'not autistic'. So a person with ADHD would be an NT, and also a sociopath would be NT.
Now, some people use NT to mean 'any deviation from the normal neurotype'. If you use that definition, then the ADHD person and sociopath person would NOT be NT. They would be ND. So in that sense, there is an ADHD spectrum and a sociopath spectrum that are SEPERATE from the autism spectrum. So someone who is not on any kind of spectrum at all would be NT. Or if you prefer, 'NT spectrum'.
So sometimes you have to check to see what definition of NT they are using.
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Life ... that's what leaves the mess. Mad people everywhere.
I think that no one "likes" being labeled a something. NTs would probably feel alienated and even possibly offended if they heard aspies together referring to them as such. However, NTs comprise 99% of any human population. In my view, this is "their" world and we just have to live in it. It's difficult for us to live in their world, not for them to live in ours. I'm obviously comfortable referring to the overwhelming majority as NTs. There's a reason for this. These people own the systems of our planet. They own it's institutions, it's laws, it's educational systems and everything else. Intentionally or not, they inevitably react badly to the majority of us and our lives are made difficult not through lack of intelligence, character or ability, but by sociological difference, or "abnormality".
What I observe about my interaction with NTs is that regardless of the NT personality type, politics, or whatever makes them separate from one another, they are always unified in their aversion and/or inability to comprehend me. An example would be, if we were in a World War I trench and a German and a French soldier were fighting one another, if I were to come along, they'd both pause, look at me and then back at each other, shake their heads and say, "That guy seems messed up. At least we know that we're killing each other. He seems lost."
What I mean is that, they (NTs) may be divided by their differences with each other, but they are united in their sociological "othering" of aspies. I've tried for 40 years to be on an equal playing field with NTs and although I have some relationships of one sort or another, the end result if I try to hard to establish genuine social understanding with NTs is outright and complete disaster. I don't call NTs such to insult them. Actually I never say that term to them because I don't discuss my autism with them. I know better than to try. They won't understand and really, they don't care to. I have to think in terms of the NT and the autistic because if I let my mind think otherwise, I know I'll just drift back into that false way of thinking that I can be like them...and I can't.