"Autistic" or "has Autism:

[Dirtdigger]

How would you all like to be referred to? "Autistic/Aspie" or "has/with Autism/Aspergers"? I want to be called Autistic because when someone says I have/with Autism it feels like I have or with a disease like having or being with a cold, flu or some other disease. Or am I just being oversensitive about who I am.

Would like to get your feedback.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

Autistic but not offended if a person says a person with autism however I hate autistic sufferer or suffers from autism.

 

[Ken S.]

Honestly I don't care how others refer to me unless they are deliberately rude to my face.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I don't mind.

 

[AGXStarseed]

I prefer "Autistic".

 

[Monachopia]

I probably would prefer "has autism" / "has Asperger's" because that defines me as an individual first, but that also has the trait of autism. But I do recognise that there's a view that it could be viewed as an illness "suffered" by some people. In some sense maybe labelled as a straight up 'Aspie' or 'Autistic' would colour the person as only being that description and nothing else.

But honestly, semantically, I don't mind either when in reference to how I describe myself or how others refer to me. I use both.

 

[Autistamatic]

I don't carry my autism in my pocket. It's not an accessory. I'm autistic. It's IN me, not WITH me

I don't object to people using PFL language (Person First) if that's their preference, but since every poll done has shown that the majority of us prefer to be called "autistic" that should be the default for people when they refer to us.

What I do object to is being told what I should call myself, especially by people not on the spectrum. It's our choice and nobody else's.

 

[Nitro]

I tell those it matters to that I'm autistic.

Most of the world isn't offered that part of me, so it's a non-issue most of the time.

 

[Crossbreed]

Semantically, I prefer "autistic" as an adjectival description of one of my traits.

I am not personally offended at "has autism," but I consider it to be a misdemeanor...

 

[Tom]

I like Knight of the Spectrum.

 

[Graphin]

how about "has a diagnosis of ASD"

If you want to get offended, you could watch things like "I am autism"

 

[Progster]

Such things don't bother me, but I tend to use "autistic" rather than "with autism". If I need to refer to myself, I usually say "with Asperger's" because that is what I was diagnosed with and there is no other good way to put it, or I will say "on the spectrum".

 

[Pats]

I'm more of a 'depends on the sentence' person. But I do think 'on the spectrum' sounds cooler.

 

[Kyou Nukui]

I'm left handed.
I'm a leftie.
I'm not a person with leftism. -_-

But I have bigger problems to worry about.

 

[RosaViolet]

I don't mind. I am autistic. I think both should be used to point out autism is not in the pocket , not an infection as it were, but also to allow flexibility for people to speak naturally.

Most people don't know it is controversial, don't think deeply what to say, so we should not make it into a minefield where people would not know how to speak about autistic people.

I agree there are bigger problem.
Maybe we should spend more time speaking about bigger problems.

 

[GrownupGirl]

Autistic is what we all should say. Every time anyone says "with autism" or even worse "suffers from autism" I die a about a million deaths (figuratively speaking).

 

[Monachopia]

I don't know really.... Maybe being diagnosed later in life and having had labels attached to me in negative ways (freak - weirdo - etc) , I'm more reluctant to just call myself 'autistic'. I don't need another label. So in all honesty I say that I'm "on the autism spectrum" more often than anything else.

But yes, there are more important things to worry about in the world.

 

[Suzanne]

I am an aspie.

But it "amuses" me ( because I am being kind) that as soon as I said I am autistic, immediately, I was corrected. No, you have aspergers!

I have aspergers.

To me, being autistic, means on the lower spectrum ie classic autism.

 

[Judge]

I am an aspie.

But it "amuses" me ( because I am being kind) that as soon as I said I am autistic, immediately, I was corrected. No, you have aspergers!

I have aspergers.

To me, being autistic, means on the lower spectrum ie classic autism.

The thing is, any number of us casually choose to use the informal term "Aspie" to identify ourselves as being on the spectrum of autism. It's familiar and seems easily recognized within the Neurodiverse community.

However it doesn't change the clinical reality of medical protocols like the ICD-11 and the DSM-V which have effectively consolidated both Aspergers Syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified into "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD).

In essence, "Aspergers Syndrome" essentially no longer applies. Personally I really don't care what popular and acceptable terms are used by autistic people to define themselves. Though I suppose eventually with time, more and more of us may simply cease identifying ourselves as "Aspies" to conform with present medical protocols rather than past ones.

New global diagnostic manual mirrors U.S. autism criteria

 

[Pats]

I don't mind. I am autistic. I think both should be used to point out autism is not in the pocket , not an infection as it were, but also to allow flexibility for people to speak naturally.

Most people don't know it is controversial, don't think deeply what to say, so we should not make it into a minefield where people would not know how to speak about autistic people.

I agree there are bigger problem.
Maybe we should spend more time speaking about bigger problems.

This makes a lot of sense. It's like telling us what to call others in other groups. black, white, African American, caucasion, gay, LBGT, etc. We'd have to carry a 'how to refer to others' dictionary with us and refer to it before speaking. Or just quit talking period.