Aspies-- does it bother you to be called autistic?

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neurodeviant
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06 Nov 2007, 3:50 pm

I've never been called autistic, but I probably won't be too bothered.

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OregonBecky
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06 Nov 2007, 4:02 pm

My son was diagnosed as high functioning autistic, shortly before people started diagnosing high functioning autistic people as aspergers. My son prefers the high functioning autistic label over aspergers.

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Cyanide
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06 Nov 2007, 7:36 pm

It bothers me to be called an "Aspie" because it sounds like a very demeaning insult. Honestly, I'd rather be called mildy Autistic.

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06 Nov 2007, 7:47 pm

No coz I am.

Liverbird
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06 Nov 2007, 7:56 pm

I defer to the idea that the reasoning behind labeling at all should be for either self-identity or for purposes of getting services.

So, that being said, I don't care what they call it. I hope that the more that I stress that AS is still on the autism spectrum and the more education I provide to people about AS, the idea that all people with autism fit in the LFA box with the flapping and uncontrollable stimming and rocking and head banging will begin to disipate.

I don't care. We're still autistic just not in the typically defined sense. I think that some day there will be a better name for AS even. We vary so much and are of such different types and behaviours that there probably should be different types of Asperger's as well. Does that make sense?

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Danielismyname
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06 Nov 2007, 10:05 pm

Liverbird wrote:

...fit in the LFA box with the flapping and uncontrollable stimming and rocking and head banging will begin to disipate.

To cloud your vision, people with AS are just as much the hand flapping, hand twirling, self-harming and rocking people as those with LFA. LFA are generally more aloof to people, whereas those with AS seek people out but have difficulty doing it (+ the verbal impairment in those with autism).

I've seen more people with AS "stim" to a greater extent than myself and another "LFA" man I've witnessed.

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06 Nov 2007, 11:43 pm

not at all, at least people know that i have a brain problem and i'm not just a complete idiot

beau99
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06 Nov 2007, 11:46 pm

Danielismyname wrote:

Liverbird wrote:

...fit in the LFA box with the flapping and uncontrollable stimming and rocking and head banging will begin to disipate.

Quoted for complete agreement. I'm AS/HFA, yet I do all of that and then some.

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07 Nov 2007, 8:50 am

Don't hate me for saying this, but I'd actually rather be called autistic than aspie.

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07 Nov 2007, 9:44 am

It all depends on the way the word "autistic" is used, for me.

For example, for someone who obviously did not really know much about autism called me autistic I would probably just intervene and say..."mildly autistic".

If someone who knows about autism said that I am autistic, I would correct them and say..."actually I have AS".

If someone was trying to ridicule me by saying, for example..."you are autistic so you are ret*d" (baring in mind the person who said this was very small brained lol) it probably would bother me at first, but after thinking about how small their brain must be, I will excuse this "anti-social" behavior and move on :lol:

Generally if a family member refers to me being autistic to someone else, I don't mind because I am not the one who has to describe AS to them .

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Eller
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07 Nov 2007, 11:36 am

I think it depends on the definition of the word "autistic". If it's used to describe any person on the autistic spectrum (which at least where I live it is), it wouldn't be wrong to say people with Asperger's syndrome ARE autistic. So what? In medical terms it wouldn't be wrong. I don't see why anyone would be insulted by use of the word.

2ukenkerl
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07 Nov 2007, 11:50 am

Eller wrote:

It's probably better in Germany, after all, Hans was born near there, and spoke German. In the U.S., it seemed like Autistic almost meant idiot. That is odd, since I doubt very many here would be anywhere near that. Then again, under the worst circumstances, many may seem to be. I have had some pretty bad days myself. Then again, NTs have that SAME problem. Drugs and alcohol work to make that even MORE obvious. If NTs didn't have the same problems, the world would be a better place for everyone.

But you are right. It means anyone on the spectrum. AS people are autistic. In medical terms, it is right. It is just the perception is often bad.

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07 Nov 2007, 11:55 am

beau99 wrote:

Danielismyname wrote:

Liverbird wrote:

...fit in the LFA box with the flapping and uncontrollable stimming and rocking and head banging will begin to disipate.

Quoted for complete agreement. I'm AS/HFA, yet I do all of that and then some.

Let me qualify my quoting. I realise in reading your comments that you midunderstood me. I meant that although those things are highly indicative and are still present, the public presentation of the stims becomes diminshed with functioning level. In other words, we learn to hide those stims because it doesn't "look right/normal". I agree though, that the pure variety of AS people tremendously clouds the entire vision.

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Eller
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07 Nov 2007, 12:15 pm

2ukenkerl wrote:

But you are right. It means anyone on the spectrum. AS people are autistic. In medical terms, it is right. It is just the perception is often bad.

Really? I haven't ever noticed a negative perception of autism. People who are informed about autism are usually very tolerant about it, and people who aren't informed usually just ask "Autists? Aren't that those people who are really good at maths?", because apparently some autist wrote a book about his maths obsession and it was all over the mass media. (I haven't read it.) To equate autism and idiocy would be rather dumb, and around here, I doubt anybody would. It's rather shocking to read what some of you guys on WP have to put up with.
But I don't think that has anything to do with where Hans Asperger was born. It's more like a cultural thing. Didn't you know that in some rural areas around here autists are still considered "god-touched"? :lol:

And yes, NTs have problems too, they're just usually better at hiding them.

2ukenkerl
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07 Nov 2007, 12:49 pm

Eller wrote:

2ukenkerl wrote:

But you are right. It means anyone on the spectrum. AS people are autistic. In medical terms, it is right. It is just the perception is often bad.

And yes, NTs have problems too, they're just usually better at hiding them.

Well, you DID say "People who are informed"! I don't even know if that book made it here. But you DID see all the posts, etc... here about "autism speaks". THAT is how many here viewed autism, and her kid has CDD! Some CLAIM it is autism, but it seems more like autism in reverse. With autism, the brain apparently develops early. With CDD it apparently starts to DISINTEGRATE early. Here is how YALE describes CCD:

http://www.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism/cdd.html

Quote:

This rather rare condition was described many years before autism (Heller, 1908) but has only recently been 'officially' recognized. With CDD children develop a condition which resembles autism but only after a relatively prolonged period (usually 2 to 4 years) of clearly normal development (Volkmar, 1994). This condition apparently differs from autism in the pattern of onset, course, and outcome (Volkmar, 1994). Although apparently rare the condition probably has frequently been incorrectly diagnosed.

...

Several different patterns of onset and course have been identified. Patterns of onset include gradual vs. insidious, while patterns of course/development include progressive deterioration, developmental plateau with little subsequent improvement, and (much less frequently) marked improvement. The available data suggest that generally the prognosis for this conditions is WORSE than that for autism.

...

John's early history was within normal limits. By age 2 he was speaking in sentences, and his development appeared to be proceeding appropriately. At age 30 months he was noted to abruptly exhibit a period of marked behavioral regression shortly after the birth of a sibling. He lost previously acquired skills in communication and was no longer toilet trained. He became uninterested in social interaction, and various unusual self-stimulatory behaviors became evident. Comprehensive medical examination failed to reveal any conditions that might account for this development regression. Behaviorally he exhibited features of autism. At follow-up at age 12 he still was not speaking, apart from an occasional single word, and had been placed in a school for the severely disabled.

And ***THAT*** is what we have to contend with here.

Eller
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07 Nov 2007, 1:11 pm

2ukenkerl wrote:

And ***THAT*** is what we have to contend with here.

I guess I can see why someone who didn't study neurology could mix up CDD with LFA. But if that sort of thing shapes the general view of autism... that's scary! Probably a good thing we don't have that sort of militant group looking for pity around here. When autism is mentioned in newspapers or on TV (there are some well-known autistic writers, artists and scientists) it's usually in a neutral or positive context.

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