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.

I cannot for the life of me see what is wrong with the term autistic unless you see someone with autism as afflicted or lesser in some way. You say diabetic. I don't see someone with diabetes as lesser than me. Same as surely? It's up to the person on the end of the maltreatment to be offended and it is up to the individual whether they take offence or not. My DMum took Thalidomide when she was pregnant with me. I am fine but I could have been 'A Thalidomide'. That would have described me perfectly if I had been affected. I don't see where the borderline is on this issue. An asthmatic is an asthmatic. Calling him or her a person with asthma is crazy. They know they are a person already. It doesn't do to have such a thin skin that you can't get through life day to day IMHO. I have had wine so I may be missing the point spectacularly. Does that make me an alcoholic or a person with alcoholism

Caprinhaha when DS was first diagnosed I found a Tumblr page called, "Ask an Autistic", where a lovely young man and some other people on the spectrum answered questions on what it's like to be "an autistic". I asked a lot about sensory things and they were massively helpful. And I never found the host and other posters referring to themselves that way odd at all, because it was simply a matter-of-fact reference to the reason they were able to help my son, when I couldn't - which does reinforce the sense that it's context, rather than the words per se, that makes it flinch territory.

I do feel there is a difference between 'an autistic' and 'an asthmatic' although I can't articulate why.

I'm not offended by OPs views, it's just the aggression was off putting although things have calmed down since then.

However, I've found Mumsnet incredible where autism is concerned and I'd HATE to feel I couldn't post about it or ask a question because I have to think about my wording. It's the same with ASD / ASC.

Crustimony
Well except the person who would be offended in my case is my son who has very little functioning language so can't voice his preference and has to put up with mine.
And your comparison of diabetic and autistic will stack up when people routinely call people with diabetes names, make jokes about them and laugh at them in the street.
Yes they should be the same. But let's not pretend that is the case in the real world.

Bearbehind
Sure.
My experience has just been that the difference is often an indication of the speakers attitude. Maybe I've just been unlucky.

Sleeponeday.
That totally makes sense to me.

It's just wrong to refer to people sharing one characteristic as a homogenous group.

You wouldn't say.."the gays like.." "the blacks like. .." or the women like..." unless you were quite..err. .unreconstructed

And indeed these are all groups who arguably encounter more prejudice from bigots, like people with autism do.

maybe you can answer then fango - why is is OK to refer to 'people with autism'

Well some would say that's saying people are people first, not merely defined by their disability.

It would still be incorrect to say "the people with autism like..." as all are unique and different.

Referring to any group of people "the xxx" is quite disparaging I feel. It's not usually said in a nice way.

Unless you say "the Scots are great"

But we're all people- that doesn't need to be explicitly stated.

I agree calling any group 'the' whatever is potentially offensive but I truly don't get the argument that calling a group whatever-ics is offensive per se.

If people who have autism want to call themselves that as they feel a sense of community then of course that's different.

fanjo have you ever seen anyone on here use the phrase 'the autistics'?

Dd refers to her self as an aspie.

Ds who has only had his dx for just over a week is still coming to terms with it would say I have autism/aspergers.

Neither are wrong.

Not entirely related but the person-first language is not related to ASD/ASC nor is it their movement. It has been criticised by various disability awareness groups and charities.

Can I just get this straight... Are we now saying it is offensive to say that someone is autistic?? If so, we might need to let the National Autistic Society know about that.....

Whilst I abhor use of 'the autistics', I do not consider referring to someone as autistic to be offensive, any more than I would describing someone as diabetic, dyspraxic, paraplegic, etc.

http://www.autism.org.uk/about.aspx

Noone is saying it's offensive to call someone autistic

Well I'm not anyway.

Bear..no but if dawn said she did I believe her

Flumpet

I may be wrong but I don't think anyone has said its offensive to say someone is autistic.
unless I'm reading a different thread.