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Just some mini rant about phrasing of autism

Graphin

Graphin

They're red can duck?
The phrasing of having autism irritates me, it's just very odd.
You can have a diagnosis, but imo autism isn't something to have, but something to be.
Keep in mind, i don't want people to label themselves for being autistic.
You, your whole mind, every thought, every memory, everything you learned were wired around you being autistic.
Sure it's sort of practical and what people got used to, and i won't change this, but i had to do it.
 
While it doesn't offend me if someone says that I 'have autism', I prefer "I'm autistic". However, I am diagnosed with Asperger's: there is no adjective that comfortably fits - I'm aspergic? It sounds strange. So I end up saying that I have Asperger's because that's what my diagnosis is, or that I'm autistic or I'm on the spectrum.
 
I would say the best phrasing might be "I'm on the (very) high end of asd." Then do a quick explanation of something like "I'm on the autistic spectrum. It just means that my brain is wired differently. You'll noticed my quirks the more you get to know me." if the person doesn't have a good understanding.
 
Graphin said:
The phrasing of having autism irritates me, it's just very odd.
You can have a diagnosis, but imo autism isn't something to have, but something to be.
Keep in mind, i don't want people to label themselves for being autistic.
You, your whole mind, every thought, every memory, everything you learned were wired around you being autistic.
Sure it's sort of practical and what people got used to, and i won't change this, but i had to do it.
Click to expand...
It's Lazy speech ,humans are innately lazy.
Text speak to me is even more irritating .
 
I don't care in the slightest. It's a label to describe what I am, not a philosophical or grammatical question, and the label makes zero difference to what it actually means to be wherever it is that I am on the spectrum.

If 'having autism' is sufficiently generic for the general public that a few of them can make sense of what it means enough that they might learn a bit, while we're arguing how we prefer to be labelled, then I'm happy with that.
 
Graphin said:
The phrasing of having autism irritates me, it's just very odd.
You can have a diagnosis, but imo autism isn't something to have, but something to be.
Click to expand...

I say I'm autistic or I have autism. I don't use person-first language at all. "Person with autism" just sounds like tortured language to me. For example, in headlines, "Video shows school bus aide hitting girl with autism". Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, so how can you hit someone with it?

Then again, some days I feel like I fell out of the autism tree and hit every branch on the way down :D

Graphin said:
Keep in mind, i don't want people to label themselves for being autistic.
Click to expand...

Same. I have my preferences and don't judge other people for having theirs.

It's when someone (almost always NT) pokes their little nose in and says "excuse me, you're a PERSON WITH AUTISM" that I have to tell them I call myself whatever I want to call myself, and that they should stop being such a person with assholism.

Iamnotarabot said:
I have the same prb with the "having a girlfriend" phrasing.
Click to expand...

Hmm. I understand the sentiment, and don't grudge someone for being lonely and wanting a girlfriend. Loneliness happens. Sometimes intense crushing loneliness. But it's the wanting "a girlfriend" that I don't get.

There are also way more posts on "how can I get a girlfriend" than "how can I be a (better) boyfriend".

Progster said:
there is no adjective that comfortably fits - I'm aspergic?
Click to expand...

Aspergerian?

Just a thought.

J.T. said:
I would say the best phrasing might be "I'm on the (very) high end of asd."
Click to expand...

Except for me, that's both unwieldly and not really true. There are some areas where I'm high-functioning even compared to NTs, and other areas where I'm seriously impaired and need day-to-day help. It just so happens that I'm high-functioning enough to have a job so I can pay people to help me with the things I can't do on my own.
 
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