Autism as an insult.

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How do you guys feel about autism being very commonly used as a slang term for an idiot?

I personally don't care. Usually if I see somebody say "you're autistic" as an insult I just shrug my head. I don't like to concern myself with the opinions of others, especially when they're NTs who barely understand autism.

It's just another edgy insult. It will lose its meaning in due time, kind of like how everybody was worked up over people saying "you're ret*d" and "you're a fa***t".

Words only have as much power as you give them.

I don't really care that much, but I do wish it could be used in a slightly more nuanced way. That is, used in a way that actually reflects social ineptitude and/or obsessive tendencies, rather than just generic stupidity. There are already plenty of words for that. But maybe I just expect too much of people.

The only people I see using it are kids who want to be edgy so they say anything they can say to look cool. I was playing Insurgency a bit ago and two kids started screaming at each other. One of the kids said "that was an autistic and gay shot there", then the other responded with "I hope your mom gets autism".They don't even understand the basic principles of autism. It is more disappointing than anything. The fact that the general public know so little about autism that they think it is something you "catch".

Perhaps I care too little about a lot of things.

I was at an activity, and some kids were throwing chairs at each other (but not in a dangerous way ... if that makes sense).

Here's some of what they said to each other:
"You're so autistic!"
"You're autistic too!"
"Here we see autism number 1, and autism number 2 ... "

I just laughed at them for being silly. I believe it will lose its popularity in time. If they said that to me, I wouldn't have been offended either.

meh...

i've recently heard some people using "aspie" as an insult.

from what i gather it means someone who is especially gifted at one thing but really stupid at another, for instance, someone who is adept at mathematics but will drink dish soap for a dollar.

it's a surprisingly complex insult compared to the others.

I think it might be a sign of increasing awareness in the general public. Kids are idiots, don't get me wrong, but the fact that they even know the word might be an indicator.

It annoys the f**k out of me, but at the same time I think the only real solution is to educate people about what autism actually is.

I have recently noticed it as a way to insult others in the gaming world. In 2008 when I started gaming I had never heard it used as an insult, so it is a new thing with the younger crowd. I don't think much of it because I know they are ignorant. What I don't like is when people take pictures of handicapped people and use them as a hateful meme...

It doesn't bother me. If anyone ever told me I was autistic, I'd thank them for noticing and take it as a compliment.

Yes.
Autism becoming a popular insult inhibits people from bieng open about thier autism. When you feel you must lie about who you are it causes mental distress/illness. If more people are inhibited from disclosing, the stereotypes that have led to autisic bieng an insult get challenged less often.

I have be called so many things in my life that I couldn't care less about one more. Like CockneyRebel wrote, at least it shows that others are paying attention to me.

Buuut, if I learn that someone else who is autistic is being insulted, watch out. I become very protective of others.

No, it's just another slang use of an already existing word, like some others I could mention. Exactly what the word (condition) is varies and is changed from time to time.

I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt my feelings.

Oh my god. When I see someone using autism as an insult. It personally offends me really bad. I hate it when people do it. It's like them saying people that have autism which includes us are stupid, dumb, and bad. They are hating on us or that's so how I feel. Like when someone says quit being autistic. It is just the most offensive thing someone could say to me.