Aspie Elitism

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Sometimes it appears as if a few posters exhibit what could best be described as a form of ‘Aspie Elitism’ in that they assume that having Asperger’s Syndrome makes them better or superior to people who are just plain Autistic, even more superior than those fortunate enough to be high functioning Autistics. Quite often those of us who are below this level in performance and social and communication skills are very rudely ignored and called ret*d or moronic which is technically and legally correct due to our IQ test scores. It may be true that some of us have lower than typical IQ’s, some of us have speech problems, or hearing problems, or coordination problems, or vision problems but we aren’t stupid or dumb or ignorant and we can discern when we are being humored, placated, tolerated and/or relegated to the background. This type of Aspergian elitism and discrimination against regular Autistic’s is subtle and almost invisible most of the time. Even this site exhibits a small bit of discrimination in that there is no registration option for ‘Autistic’, only a classification for ‘Aspergers’ as if that condition is more important to the site administrators than the various degrees of Kanners Autism. It is a small thing for sure but it stands out like a big pink elephant to those of us who don’t quite meet the mark of being so intelligent and beautiful and socially outgoing as the founder of the site and many of his followers. I am sure that this was not an intentional omission but it does point out that elitism exists even here and it seems to be getting more prevalent.
I am trying not to sound like I am complaining but sometimes it just gets to me when somebody posts about how horrible their life is because they don’t get ‘dates’ when they obviously don’t realize that many of us have been subjected to horrible mental and physical treatments back in the old days when autism wasn’t to well understood and getting a date wasn’t very high up on our list of daily wishes.

Would the setting up of an Aspie Elite of some sort necessarily be a bad thing though. Surely, if such an organisation were to succeed, it would make it easier for lower functioning people to do so as well by narrowing the chasm.

Well I feel quite the opposite even though I have HFA.

If anything I suffered low scores in IQ and have now found out that I have an Audio Processing Disorder. I have trouble hearing yet I'm very sensative to loud noises.

Many of my posts aren't half as eloquential as most of the people here so I apologize. I also have trouble articulating my thoughts into words. I've known people on the lower spectrum that're better at articulating on posts than myself...

Not that this is the most important point, but I did have a look at the options on my profile, and there is the option 'other autistic spectrum disorder', which I suppose would cover classic autism.

As to the last bit, this place is designed as somewhere for people to let off steam, so if something like not getting a date is really getting to someone then this is their place to rant. I know it sometimes seems to lack perspective, but then that's something everyone is guilty of sometimes. Its not intentionally showing disregard to someone elses experiences, even if you feel like it is.

As for people thinking they're 'better', yeah, I notice that sometimes. In a minority of posters. I don't think all the people on this site with aspergers come off like that though, (at least I hope i don't).

I agree in part, the site should have more options about ones state. While there is an option which is for "some other state related to autism", I think that the majority of the options are too much about AS.

I think that it is possible that no real border exists between AS and "autism". I know that the NHS in the UK for many purposes considers AS and HFA as the same.

Also it is possible that in a future edition of the DSM that AS might be absorbed into "autism", it is also important to bear in mind that one term for AS is "Asperger's autism" which in my mind means "autism as documented by Hans Asperger".

I would strongly advise people with one label not to look down on people with another label, none of us ever choose to have any of the forms of autism which exist. I think that if we are to be true to neurodiversity then we need to accept not only those with exactly the same condition as ourselves but also those with other conditions.

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Health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity I am not a jigsaw, I am a free man !

Diagnosed under the DSM5 rules with autism spectrum disorder, under DSM4 psychologist said would have been AS (299.80) but I suspect that I am somewhere between 299.80 and 299.00 (Autism) under DSM4.

I seem to have gotten the impression that the elitism is directed mostly at NTs. I hope things I say don't come across as elitism. Then again, individuals can be elite in some way of their own whether AS, HFA, LFA, or NT. I understand that in practical terms there's little difference between AS and HFA anyway.

[quote="sgrannel"]I seem to have gotten the impression that the elitism is directed mostly at NTs. quote]

this is the impression I always got

I know your thoughts are sincere but us 'lower functioning' individuals are quite capable of narrowing chasms when we have to.

hello friend garyww.
we are all just human. we s**t, we piss, we eat, we live, we f**k a bit here and there is we are lucky, and we cark it.
i reckon we could all do well to read some of Spokane-Girl's posts in the Adults Section- just to remind us we are made of the same body fluids!

I think that almost everybody who has posted here on a regular basis has seen the posts where some Aspie posts a vid and then many of us with perception differences ask him or her to provide subs or transcripts and we're basically brushed off with a casual remark like 'deal with it'. This just isn't something you do on a board for people who are autistic and have a wide variety of perception issues. Of course I'm referring here to DiabloDaves incoherent rant that to many of us sounded like he was exploding bombs in an echo chamber but he was so into himself that he didn't understand that 'real' autistic people have different perceptions of their environments. I'm not picking on Ol Dave but his vid just happened to be there and many of us found it absolutely horrible to sit through, not just me.

agrees with garyww,
am get tired at the elitism that goes on from a minority of users,am recently experienced it last week/ when one user tried to make am out to be a prejudiced elitist against "aspies without low IQ" because she ignored what am wrote but picked out words did not like the look of and in replying,revealed her own prejudice/hate towards auties,and those lower functioning than herself.

though it is common for users to write around their experience of autism,some have never experienced autism other than their own form,may have never been with others who have it,so don't know what it's like across the spectrum and judge it just from one experience,or only talk about aspergers [usually].

am think there is very little awareness and ignorance towards classic autism on wp [eg,using the stereotypes like what is usually said of NTs doing to aspies],and the spectrum-some seem to think asd as a whole is a gift,and has a good quality of life attached,they do not understand how the spectrum differs greatly,and how there is also a level of autism that isn't able to be represented on here,but they as fellow autists deserve the same respect and to be seen as human to.

and like garyww has said about the treatment that got as an autist back in the old days-am a younger autie and feel lucky to be from the eighties,am always thankful was not born years earlier-have lived with [and currently live with one] profound autistics in their forties and older who would probably be a lot more able now if they were not treated as brain dead as children-none of them were taught basic skills,such as signing in those that are non verbal and were just locked away-only one of them learnt makaton as an adult because support staff bothered to teach her.
Am see older autistics as 'pioneers' for the autistics of today,without older autistics there would be no progress in how are treated by others/awareness now,still a long way to go but it's great to have the better chances today.

The elitism I notice most is everybody on the spectrum thinking they're superior to NTs. Any kind of elitism here is misguided, though.

And garyww, when people say such things about you, it's because you have been known to make claims that many of us consider ill-informed. This is not the same as being unintelligent or inferior. Or at least in my case, that is what I have meant, and I hope you were not offended.

I notice that there is an elitism some people have towards NT's. I'm sometimes guilty of it. But, I've been friends with HFA's and we have a whole lot in common. I'm not a snob about my intellect either. My AS BF has an IQ 25 points lower than mine.

I agree that this sort of elitism towards HFA and Kanner's shouldn't happen.

Maybe you can ask Alex to add a "comments" or blank section to the profile, so that you can add whatever you like.

For me, sharing the space is extremely helpful. Someone who has a more severe problem sees it in a different light and gives me new ways to think.
With effort, I can fake some things a little better than some people, and would never have figured it out by myself.

If I'm guilty, would someone clue me in, or would everyone be annoyed but not tell me? Maybe someone could explain it in a blog about the kinds of things that are difficult for people with different perceptions, then give a link whenever someone needs a reminder.