For Aspies: Do You Refer To Yourself As "Autistic"

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Just curious as to how different people identify themselves to others... Whether or not you describe yourself as autistic, and whether you feel like people are talking about a group that includes YOU when they speak of autism. I know it's a tricky word, and it gets used to refer to the Autistic Spectrum in general and also to refer to Autistic Disorder in particular at times. So, given that many people out there only think of the very severe cases when they hear the word "autism"/"autistic," do you consider yourself to be autistic or do you feel that, even though on the autistic spectrum, it isn't a word that usually applies to you? I think i know what the majority are going to answer, but i want to see. I seem to mostly see a certain unity with the rest of the spectrum, but then there are also people out there who seem to, because they are high-functioning, distance themselves from being included in a category with those that aren't as high-functioning or something. Anyway... Answer the poll.

I do not have a diagnosis (just the symptoms) but I would describe myself as having a mild form of autism. I don't know exactly where I fit on the spectrum and in general have only discussed it with a few family members (who agree). I know that most people have only one view of autism so I don't bother.

Yeah- I can't understand why some people say "You're not autistic because you have aspergers". In fact, I don't understand why some people say that AS is not autism. It is. If it is part of the autism spectrum, then technically, it is autism. Some girl on DeviantArt said something like this when someone with AS said they were autistic: "AS is NOT Autism. It is part of the Autism spectrum, but isn't autism". That made me lol so hard because that's like saying that Cyclothymia is not a form of Bipolar Disorder. When I say "Autism", I'm usually reffering to the whole spectrum, not specifically Autistic Disorder. I refer to my own condition (which was infact first assesed as Childhood Autism but changed to AS when I went to school). It must also be frustrating for people with PDD-NOS as well (probably even more frustrating because I heard some people think PDD-NOS is "Asperger Light").

I think what's even funnier is when people get really offended at the term "autistic". There was a parent on youtube who expressed her opinions on the word "autistic" and she mentioned that she felt offended for her child because "it suggests that the disorder is all there is to him and that he isn't seperate from it". I think that's silly, to be honest. I mean, my nationality is not everything that I am, but I still call myself Scottish and if I am anemic, I'm not going to be offended by that because it would be true. If I develop bulimia, I would be bulimic. Would that offend me? No because it would be true.

I've heard some alternatives to "autistic" before. "A person with autism" and "I have autism" is fair enough, but it's stuff like "A child touched by autism", "A child stolen by autism", "A child molested by Autism" and other similar phrases are just ridiculous. And it always seems to be about children- they never really think about teenagers or adults with autism.

The reason I call myself autistic is BECAUSE I want people to know that there's a wide spectrum AND because I AM AUTISTIC.

I haven't really discussed it with that many IRL but when I have, I began by saying that I have Aspergers. This doesn't tell most people a lot so then I'll add that it's a form of high functioning autism.

When I first heard of Aspergers I knew little about autism and while I recognised myself in the characteristics and criteria, the thought of being on the autistic spectrum scared me. Up to that point my knowledge of autism was very limited and what little I knew could have been written by "Autism speaks". I desperately looked for other explanations, like AS being NLD or an independent diagnosis. Maybe I was in denial.
When I first talked to my family about it, I said Aspergers and NLD and controversial diagnosis, but not the word autism.
It took me some time to get used to the term, but the more I learned and read, the more I realised that I have some very strong autistic traits. And the more knowledge I gathered, the less frightening it got, and I came to accept that AS is an ASD. Now I just see it as part of me, same as my eye colour.

The hardest part was telling my family, I was afraid that they'd react negatively, thinking of refrigerator moms, vaccines, retardation etc. Once I got my dx, I told them though. They knew even less than I had known so I showed them some literature and sites and we talked about it. They were just glad I got a diagnosis, as they'd been feeling that I differed but didn't know how or why.

I know some use autistic only about those with Kanner's autism, but since AS and PDD-NOS are also on the spectrum, I would say we're all autistic if we have an ASD diagnosis. When asked on non-Aspie sites, I usually just say that I'm autistic if the issue arises, unless someone wants to know more specific.
When I see/hear the word, I do feel that it's connected to me, that it concerns me.

No, but then I don't tell people that I probably have Asperger's either (I'm not diagnosed, and even if I was, it's not really anyone's business).

Since a growing number of experts in the field seem to be coming to the conclusion that Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism are essentially the same thing (I have to assume this is why all the talk about AS being omitted from the DSM-V), then I can't see why anyone would differentiate between AS and Autism - I certainly don't.

In fact, I feel calling AS a 'mild' form of autism is unfair to those of us for whom it is a genuinely debilitating handicap. Just because I communicate better on a verbal level doesn't mean the internal symptoms, sensations and effects I live with are any less severe than someone with LFA. The fact that I hide it better doesn't make it hurt less.

For better or wore, I say I'm autistic. It cuts so much crap in getting someone to understand AS. Once you invoke "autism" they seem to grasp AS a lot easier than trying to say what AS is by itself.

The problem is that people who don't have any type of autism have a difficult time understanding autism (hell, you can have autism and not understand it). Either way, we are watching the world of psychology evolve when it comes to autism. Off the top of it all, I can tell Apsergers vs PDD NOS is bull s**t when it comes to the only difference being speech delay for a large group of individuals. That's why I also use the term, "Aspergers with a speech delay," often, but mainly with professional psychologists and this website since it's one of those things only they and you guys could understand. If they really wanted to separate the types of autism on the spectrum, the severity of the symptoms isn't as important (IMO) as the source of autism, which would require much more research at this point, and I should point out that I am not discounting the concept of separating it by severity as much as putting more emphasis on the source. If there's truth to autism being genetic, or that it can be caused by high levels of mercury in either fish for pregnant woman or children's vaccines...and something I read on Defeat Autism (trying to discredit them to someone else) seems to suggest other underlying causes for some (not all) such as metabolism issues or something they stated as mainly biological...well, now you got more than one type of causes which affects A, family history, and B, different treatment options. Either way, Aspergers, PDD NOS, all that is autism and anyone who says otherwise is just not up to speed with the research.

Also I do find it easier for other people to know what I'm talking about to say "mild autism" rather than "Aspergers." I also notice a lot of people (learned this from my husband whose second language is English) won't tell you they don't know the definition of a word you use if they don't know it as much as try to figure it out in context or just ignore the statement all together.

I have absolutely no problem with being referred to as Autistic or using the word myself. My only issue with it is that because people can clearly see I can talk, manage my own life, and kind of socialise a little bit, they might think I'm being melodramatic? Or say, 'No you're not!'

I prefer autism as a word to 'aspergers syndrome'. It has a nicer sound.

I didn't vote in the poll because I am diagnosed with autistic "disorder," but I have no problem with anyone on the spectrum referring to themselves as being autistic. In fact, I have even referred to myself as "Aspie" or having "Aspergers" depending upon the people with whom I am talking.

I just say I have Aspergers. I don't use either saying and I'm not fond of the word Aspie to say the least; for some reason that word really annoys me.

I like it too cyberscan, it might make a cool t shirt

I usually do not refer to myself as autistic or someone with AS unless I trust them enough to understand what autism and AS really are. It's more of a private thing for me, and if someone can't tell that I'm autistic (which usually is the case) then they really don't need to know unless it would better their understanding of other autistic individuals.