Diary of a Madman

[Ruby_Aspergic]

He can express that he doesn't like the word without being offensive to people that DO have autism. He may not like the word and may think there is negative stigma. That's fine for him, he doesn't have to use it if he doesn't want to. I don't mind if he is offended. I DO have to use it, though, that is my diagnosis. I DO mind if my condition is treated as this god awful disease that you would be offended to have. If you want to think that, you can keep it to yourself. There is no problem with saying, "actually, I have aspergers and prefer to be identified that way." You make the exact same point without flaming people that DO have autism.

There is a difference between this and the difference between dwarf and little person, as those are not clinical terms for two separate things. For aspies it's a matter of choosing whichever term they prefer to identify with, as someone with HFA I do not get that choice. I am stuck with the word no matter how ugly you think it is and would rather prefer not to be stripped of my dignity on this forum because some people can't show a bit more manners than to express themselves in a way that isn't utterly offensive. As this is a forum of aspies and people with HFA, I anticipated that perhaps some people may not have put themselves in my shoes to know how it would make me feel for them to say these things, but now that I have told you exactly how it makes me feel and why there is really no excuse to be so rude.

 

[Dani Evar]

Thank you, Ruby. Thank you . Such a distinguished magnolia brilliance.

Life, like love, is phenomenally brief. It has taken an entire history of someone with Asperger's and Autism to arrive at this site. Some of the lines written by someone here might be his/her last. We don't know that ever, but at least we can be sensitive and aware about it. I believe we have other places where we can be mean to people. But, personally for me, not here. Just not here.

Among other things, what can be more spectacular in this fragile existence than sharing compassion with a stranger? This is true especially for an Aspie, which may amount to sharing all that he/she is very spontaneously---without others realizing it.

Sure, we cannot always play god or some savior. But, with human beings, as Hunter 'Patch' Adams once said, "If you treat someone, a human being, and not the 'disease' itself as a matter of life and death, I guarantee you'll win---no matter what the outcome."

Let that be contagious.