The term "Aspie" --is it offensive? What do you call yourself?

[Aspie_With_Attitude]

I had done a YouTube video about the term "Aspie".

I'll get you to watch the video that I've posted since there are already 7 pages worth the stuff published already and many others would have already had their 2 cents on that subject. You'll understand how being called an "Aspie" makes me feel very special in this video and did my best to speak out for those who can't stand that term.

 

[Joshua the Writer]

I think I'll identify myself as an Autsie now. I used to identify as Aspie, but, since my diagnosis is PDD-NOS, not Asperger's, I'll go with Autsie, instead. Plus Autsie sounds like a combination of "Autistic" and " cutie," which is probably the intent of the Redditor I heard it from.

Forgot what the Redditor's username was, tho. I think I saw their post yesterdayyesterday, and I've had a pretty busy week, so I forgot a bunch of stuff. Plus I'm not really good at remembering small details.

 

[Aspie_With_Attitude]

A few months ago I did a YouTube video discussing the term "ASPIE" and explaining why it's an insult to some people who are on the spectrum. I did give opinions that "Aspie" is a cool name to describe a person who is on the spectrum since I really like calling myself an Aspie.

 

[mertrae]

I've been looking around the internet and on these forums to see whether or not the term 'aspie' is derogatory. So far I've seen arguments on both sides, but nothing that says the term itself is derogatory. Someone could use it to put someone down, but that can be said of just about any term. Example: A man from California proudly calls himself a Californian, but goes to a different part of the country where someone says, "Oh, you're one of those Californians," intending to use the term as an insult.

Personally, I don't find the term aspie to be derogatory. But for the sake of this argument, let's say it hypothetically is. So what term should we use to refer to ourselves without a big long explanation? I feel like using the 'fill in the blank' idea shows best what I'm trying to say. "I am a(n) ____" What would you put there to tell someone you are a person with Asperger's Syndrome using only one or two words? I see it as a waste of time and effort (and it just sounds weird) to say, "I am a person with Asperger's Syndrome," rather than, "I'm an aspie."

Of course there are those who say we shouldn't have labels because it points out our differences. To them I make the point that we are all different. Some things that make us different shouldn't be pushed aside. I think those of us with Asperger's shouldn't be ashamed of it. We shouldn't force it on everyone either. Like I tell people, I'm not ashamed that I have it, but I don't brag about it either.

Only term I don't like using is the autistic spectrum. Not because I find it derogatory, but because of how vague saying, "I'm on the spectrum," is. I prefer to be more accurate. Kind of like how I don't tell people I was a soldier, I tell them I was a paratrooper. I could go into the whole thing of Asperger's and serving in the military (which was rough to say the least), but that's an argument for another post.