AIBU to not like the term 'on the spectrum' to mean autistic/has autism

[UndertheCedartree]

It really bugs me! Lots of conditions have spectrums so you could be talking about anything. It's so imprecise.

Also, I think it perpetuates the myth that there is one spectrum and everyone is on it somewhere so everyone is autistic to a greater or lesser extent.

That’s interesting, I’ve heard Aspie used too. There’s even an organisation called Aspierations! No idea if it’s still going. I suppose for autistic people it’s about how they choose to define themselves. I worked with the student population & to be honest a lot of them didn’t care how I referred to them! But some really resented being called autistic as they wanted to be differentiated from someone with more profound support needs. I think there’s a lot we still need to learn & untangle about autism & how we define it.

That depends on if your view is that neurodivergence is a disease you develop and can be cured of......

Autism is who people are, how they are wired and how they were always going to be. They aren't wrong / diseased / need a cure 😳

I think a case could be made that the majority of scientists who discover breakthroughs or inventors are autistic. It’s almost a requirement to be autistic to be a student in Comp Sci or Physics or Engineering at Cambridge University.

What NT people call in derogatory fashion “weird obsessions” and then make jokes about “model trains” - these are really passions we are quite willing to dedicate our entire lives pursuing. James Dyson- autistic. Albert Einstein- autistic. Jane Goodall- autistic. Isaac Newton- autistic. Charles Darwin- autistic. Thomas Edison-autistic. I’d be willing to bet that autistic people are a high % of the top scientists if we bothered to test them all.

I sometimes say 'auty' but only among certain people.

But that's what I mean there are benefits to our obsessions but certainly for me there are a lot of struggles too.

I've heard folk use that one myself...it always feels a bit weird in my mouth, if you see what I mean, but logically it totally makes sense :)

I must admit, I do use "autistic" as a way to make people confront it rather than shie away from it, though, the theory being that if they can just start using the word itself more comfortably then they can start thinking of the condition differently too.

I agree and think there’s a natural scientist in many kids like that. in our house, we call obsessions - “passions” - because overall they’re a positive side to it for us…..currently marine biology, maps and NATO 😂

I have learned so so much even though some of my sons passions were mundane - the worst ones being a year long fascination with postcodes and roof shapes. 🙄

I don't like the phrase when applied to myself but I also don't like 'has autism' - I'm autistic.

We were categorically told not to refer to pupils as autistic but that they had autism. Same with dyslexia - not allowed to say they're dyslexic - they show dyslexic-type tendencies.

Really?! I was an engineering student at Cambridge. I'm not autistic, and I don't think the majority of my peers were either. Maybe a higher % than the general population, but not most of us.

I think conflating 'geek' or 'maths' with 'autistic' is unhelpful.

What's the difference between 'has autism' and 'is autistic'? Just curious

Sorry what I meant was when he couldn’t speak eat poo sleep and was terrified of every single thing - he was without doubt completely disabled by it.

Somehow he is free of all that and if anything autism is his strength. Currently. I am always waiting for regression though and am dreading his later teenage years.

Does your son have an EHCP? Mine has one in place and is well supported in exams - he also has aspects of adhd too and is incredibly disorganised. He is 12.

There was a thread on here a few years ago ordering everyone to use the phrase "has autism" rather than "is autistic"; a large number of autistic posters and parents of autistic children told the OP to bog off and that they'd refer to themselves (or their child) however they so damned pleased.
My autistic DD describes herself as "autistic".

I'm autistic and knowing what nomenclature to use without inadvertently offending someone feels like a flippin minefield (fairy ironically I suppose)

I don't like 'on the spectrum' because it's been directed at me as an insult in the past. But I probably wouldn't mind it otherwise.

I previously was happy enough to be called an Aspie but Asperger's is no longer part of the DSM so can't be used in clinical diagnosis afaik, and apparently Hans Asperger had links to the Nazis so it's problematic for that reason too.

I sometimes say I'm autistic but that can seem wrong because it puts me in the same category as severely autistic people - which I absolutely categorically do not have a problem with except that I worry that by lumping us all together, it might make life more difficult for people who need a lot more support than I do. (Have heard this objection from parents of severely autistic children)

I did used to say neurodivergent, partly because autism isn't my only form of ND, but I've seen people accused of saying ND to avoid being associated with autism because it's a more stigmatising label.

The term ASD is not great because it categorises it as a disorder, which is not the message I want to give to my autistic child right now. (Not that it isn't a disability but 'disorder' feels like a horrible word for something that is intrinsic to who we are).

I'll probably just stick with 'weirdo' when referring to myself. It's accurate at least.

See, this bugs the hell out of me. What's wrong with asking them how they prefer to be referred to?

My personal feeling is that the one-size-fits-all approach is the whole problem with being neurodivergent in the first place, but forcing people to use specific person-first terminology just reinforces that they're a person afflicted with something rather than being a person. That's not necessarily everyone's, though, so in my opinion the NT world should ask and respect the answer.

I was told that a respected Psychologist who does ASD assessments and advises on accommodations for Cambridge University. He would be in a position to know, you wouldn’t.

For me and my DD, our autism means that we are neuro diverse, its how we were born. We haven't suffered from, or acquired (through illness/injury), its what has shaped us, our thoughts, our behaviour, our struggles. As said you can slide down the spectrum as you get older, but you are still autistic. Re sliding down, my DD has increased what she eats. She wanted a friendship group and food is part of that. I mask to death etc etc. My eldest who is dyslexic, doesn't want to be described as having, or having traits, as far as she is concerned she is dyslexic. It affects her time keeping, organisation, procrastination, how dramatic she is, how she rewrites things etc (she works against all of her behaviours. There's small things that come with every condition.

Generally speaking most people dont like to be defined by a disorder or disability they have

So to describe a person as 'is xxxx' implies thats all they are, so they're not a person with schizophrenia or a person with mobility difficulties, but rather 'is schizophrenic' or 'is physically disabled'

So yes, people will describe it as 'this person has autism'.

It particularly annoys me when people pick people like Einstein/Darwin/Newton whoever and decide that they were on the spectrum when its completely impossible to say that.

I stand corrected!

Simon Baron-Cohen was doing research in to links between autism and engineers while I was there - I remember taking part in departmental surveys to ask about our own traits and our relatives' traits. I had not heard that the majority of engineering students were autistic these days.

That makes sense.

I have ADHD, I also have ASD. I think it halps some people to think neurodivergent issues like PDA, dyslexia, dysbraxia, ADHD and ASD as spectrums. Also ASD actually has the word spectrum in it (austism spectrum disorder) It honestly doesn't bother me when people say they are a "little on the spectrum" and a lot of people do have some some neurodivergent traits - it's good to recognise them in my opinion and if it helps them empathise with my condition all the better.

Also, I think it perpetuates the myth that there is one spectrum and everyone is on it somewhere so everyone is autistic to a greater

Whether I like the phrase 'on the spectrum' or not, the above doesn't make sense. Surely identifying someone as being on the spectrum with regard to ASD implies that there are people who are not, rather than suggesting that everyone is.

I don’t really like it personally. I just say I’m autistic. 🤷🏼‍♀️

It is obviously your prerogative to prefer and dislike whichever terms you like, but it's clear that not all people with autism (or their families) have the same preferences. So when some of them say 'Please don't use that term - it's not the way you should refer to people with ASD' but then others say 'No, actually that's how I prefer to be referred to!' it makes it pretty difficult.

Saying 'Well why not use the individual terms each person prefers' isn't necessarily always very practical, especially if you are posting on a thread with multiple people with ASD who prefer different terminology, or if you know quite a few people with ASD.

I'm a teacher and have taught many, many students with ASD. Fortunately I rarely have to refer directly to ASD in front of them - I have no idea how each of them prefers to refer to it or themselves!

The problem I have is I can go over the top with my obsessions/passions and neglect other areas of my life. It is definitely something I have to work on massively.