Are you proud of being on the spectrum?

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I often hear people try and reassure me that its okay to be autistic and crap like that. My mother especially. They don't seem to believe me when I tell them I'm proud of the fact I'm autistic. I've always been proud of the way I am but when I was diagnosed as autistic that threw kerosene on the fire. This is one label I'll gladly accept. What about all you? Are you proud of having the label "autistic"?

You didn't EARN or DO anything to be autistic, so why be proud of it?

I am proud of it. I figure that if one in a hundred have to have it, somebody's got to end up being born with it and that turned out to be me. Whats not to be proud of? Why not be proud of ourselves? Noone's going to do it for us. The traits arent going away. Im sure my traits will eventually lead to me developing some great qualities, even though I am struggling with them at the moment.

In all honesty, what's there to be proud of? Nothing.

If anything, I'm proud that I was able to overcome at least some of the setbacks of AS. Beyond that, no. Not at all.

I am

Am I proud of the fact that I'm on the autistic spectrum? No. I would perhaps say relieved, at a push... By that I mean, when I was 'labelled' it was almost a relief to know that I did have something wrong (don't like that word, but can't think of anything else) and I wasn't totally losing my mind with my insistance that something wasn't quite right.

But, to be totally honest, I'd rather not have it. It would make my life so much easier. It's hard to be proud of something you haven't really had all that much choice over. Maybe the question you should perhaps be asking is, "Are you ashamed of having 'autism'?" to which my answer would be no, I'm not. I'm okay with the fact that I have it.

always torn on this issue....im proud to of come as far as i have and to have some pretty damn good friends. and when i was at school it was easier to be proud of ANYTHING that i was accomplishing...but now that im working a job 7 hours a day that involves people and alot of executive functioning, im not as proud....which is hard for me because im fighting to be proud again, soon tho

Yes. Just like one can be proud to be an American or <insert your own country/race/creed here>. I take pride in being a member of a group of people who think so much more lucidly and clearly than the norm. Who do not let social contrivance keep them from doing something. Who are struggling to be accepted by society as a whole. It is a worthy group.

And if I weren't a member of such a group, I would still be alone and a member of no group. Kids who were born in the early 1990's cannot understand this kind of isolation. Asperger's has always been a diagnosis and they've always had support and a group to belong to (or criticize, whatever their particular bent). They always had computers to use to contact and communicate with others. There was never an "awakening" of going from "nobody understands me" to "there is a group of select individuals that think almost exactly like I do". The joy, the "magic", the wonderment of finally finding the answer to the lifelong question of who am I and WHY, GAWD, WHY AM I LIKE THIS?!?

Because of this I try exceptionally hard to be tolerant and forgiving of those on this board which is, in effect, an extended family of sorts for me and for many of those in my age group. Those on the spectrum ARE my "race", my "nationality", my people.

I dont understand people who say that they are not proud because they didnt work for it. Autism has made us work hard all our lives. In what way havent we worked. And, if you had a child to look after, would you tell them you didnt feel proud of them because they hadnt achieved their goals? Of course you wouldnt. So why only feel proud of yourself if you achieve some kind of goal? Why treat yourself worse than you would a child, a pet, a friend, a family member?

If i'm being totally honnest I can't say that I am proud of it. I see it as more of a vice than an virtue. I haven't met any1 who has convinced me otherwise. Despite this I would never actually want a cure, as that would result in a complete personality change. But when autism speaks talks about a cure, i'm sure if alot of low functioning children with ASDs could speak, they'd be very happy to be given the chance to grow up leave thier parents and lead independant lives and i think thier parents would want that for them to. I see it from both sides. I'm so going off on a tangent right now...(actually forgot what the question was for a minute there). But yeah, not to proud of it

This is a dificult question to answer. I am proud of who I am as a person. I've done many things with my life and I've become ever more proud of those things since my diagnosis. I'm not proud when I feel really self centered, and when I feel literally scared to just go up and say hi to somebody, that I really want to say hi to. However, I was strangely proud of the fact that I played one video game for 12 hours the other day. I'm proud of my special interests that I'm really good at. I'm not proud of the fact that I sometimes still hit myself when I become overloaded. So I guess the answer is yes and no?

I am not ashamed of it..but I can feel ashamed of all the things that are so stinking difficult for me. I feel bad that..for example...I come across as a stupid childlike awkward goon in front of my main partner's parents....and how difficult it is for me to keep things together and talk to people and so-on

I wouldn't particularly say I am proud.

I value neuro-diversity in general...I should somehow take pride in "not being like everybody else"....but I don't have a sense of superiority, and I don't take pride in my own particular shortcomings...and those tend to stand out more than the positive things about me...in my mind...anyhow...

I'm not officially on the spectrum, but I'm pretty close, and usually get a "You are very likely an aspie" on the rdos test.


However, my 11 year old son is diagnosed with AS. I realize that some things are harder for him than other kids, like navigating the inhumane load of homework they insist on burdening these kids with every day. But I've known him since the day he was born, and he is such a fascinating person. He's incredibly intelligent, which was obvious the day he was born. He's flunking out of school, but that's because they won't accept that he learns differently. He's honest, and kind, and funny, and caring, and gentle, and creative. Whatever it is that makes him who he is, I am proud of.

I do wish he didn't have the mood disorder, which he needs medication for. I'm not sure how tied in to the AS that is, but that's something that is truly disabling. He also seems to have trouble focusing on things (possible ADHD), and that's disabling as well. I wish he didn't have to deal with those things. Or some of his sensory difficulties, like not being able to stand the feeling of water on his skin, because that makes personal hygiene difficult for him.