AIBU to ask you to STOP

[Dawndonnaagain]

using the term 'autistics'. Four fucking times this weekend on different threads. You mean person with autism, people with autism, child with autism. Autistics is not shorthand for any of those. Pack it in.

"autistics have to live by other peoples rules"

"Many autistics function in an NT world"

I don't see anything wrong with either of those.

Pondering on it, i think it is very similar to "the disabled"

Which is why I objected to the post in the first place MrsHathaway.

Use deaf again as a comparison.

Deafs have to live in a hearing world...

Though it is complicated, as pointed out asthmatics/diabetics would be okay. But asthmatics/diabetics have a common need, people with autism arent a "mass" in the same way

Totally agree toad

It is completely hypothetical to say that calling people 'the' autistics is offensive when no one has actually said that.

Using 'autistics' as a plural isn't done to be offensuve. As has been said, it's comparable with calling multiple people with diabetes, diabetics.

Though it is complicated, as pointed out asthmatics/diabetics would be okay. But asthmatics/diabetics have a common need, people with autism arent a "mass" in the same way

So how does referring to them as 'people with autism' make it any less 'mass'???

Well explained Beyond, the OP mentions seeing this in 4 different threads, bearbehind.

I don't agree asthmatics have a common need though, asthma has a wide range of normal, it has a wide range of triggers, it had a wide range of symptoms.

Just like autism you certainly can't but all asthmatics into one box, but in some cases you can use autistics, asthmatics etc to describe the group as a whole. It's about context.

Sorry , read whole thread on one page and it had moved on lots by the time I posted.

language evolves and changes all the time. 'Autistics' may be a term that is becoming normal and acceptable especially amongst younger autistic people and their families - just look at it cropping up across social media. Seen it myself used both positively and negatively but it has been mostly positive!

I don't feel 'autistics' is offensive tbf. I can see why people would use it from a purely language point of view. Its pluralising Autistic, a term many people are already comfortable using and a term that right now is considered OK and in common usage.

It is easier to say 'the autistics group' or 'the autistics are running late' than 'the group for people with autism' or 'the people with autism are late'. Just like you'd say it with diabetics, asthmatics, schizophrenics etc.
Not everyone speaks perfect English and often default to a simpler form and there are local variants. Much like here people don't say 'where are you right now?' they ask 'where you to?'

I think what's important is to allow people with disabilities to take ownership over the terms that they wish to use and we have to be OK with that but we can't get shitty and declare its not allowed or its wrong when one group use a specific term that then becomes common amongst their social/family groups when you choose other terminology that is common to yours.

I personally don't like the word 'aspie' but I'm not going to start a thread telling everyone to stop using it when I have friends with asperger's who are comfortable describing themselves that way just like I have other ASD friends who have said 'we're autistics'

From my own point of view with my own health issues. I am not a person with. With implies disease that can be cured or fixed imo.

Well explained Beyond, the OP mentions seeing this in 4 different threads, bearbehind

I know- and she's yet to provide one example of any derivative of the word 'autistic' being used offensively or to marginalise people.

OP our 2DC that are on the autistic spectrum do describe themselves as being autistic!

You can't tell someone else what they should or shouldn't call themselves!

Maybe I only saw it this weekend. I don't care now. Too tired, too stressed. I tried to make the point that many folk don't like 'autistics'. In the places where I got it wrong, I, unlike others, apologised. Too stressed now.

There's been quite a few references to the younger generation and the terminology they use which I find interesting.

Like I've already said, I have no problem with the term autistics been used and now I'm wondering if that's an age thing. I'm 25 so I guess I'd be classed as the younger generation.

Okay, moving goalposts, no problem

The disrespect nobody aibu post had a post deleted for saying the thread was "almost autistic" because someone thought people were being rigid or something. Seriously, you've never seen it used "offensively or to marginalise"?

I think Betty has explained it. It's all about the progressive bastardisation of the English language, justified by the "language evolves so basically say/write whatever the hell you want" contingent. I've never ever heard anyone say "where you to?" by the way.

Dawn I want to try and understand but I don't, I'm sorry.

The premise of this thread appears to have been that referring to a group of people with a disability in a way that emphasises the disability and not the person is offensive.

I see that.

Yet you go on (if I've read correctly) to say that it is okay if it is done by the person with a disability.

I just don't even know. I think a polite heads up in site stuff and id have agreed with you but this thread just seemed so angry from the start and in turn this annoyed others.

I don't know.

Threads like this wind me up. It's pretty poor form to make a sweeping, all encompassing statement but when you are asked to justify the statement and provide evidence of the basis for your comment you become disinterested and too preoccupied to do so.

Throughout this thread my overriding thought has been that, if you are in a situation where autism is affecting your lives, surely you have bigger battles to pick than what is the plural of people with autism?

"Where you to" is common is s wales, but i'd never claim that it is now correct cause language evolves, innit.

It's funny, cause i always thought of people with hf autism as incredibly pedantic with a chance of getting stuck on one subject...

Guess that'll learn me for generalising though.

No, but like I said I've never heard the term "the autistics" used.

"The disabled" have an enormous range of need too, from an 80 year old man with advanced dementia to the 20 year old woman who is paralysed from the chest down.

Or "an autistic" for that matter.