To think that calling someone "spa***c" is offensive?

[IglooLists]

I'm in a parenting group on FB that describes itself as a "respectful parenting community". Someone posted for some advice about her child's behaviour, and described him as "goes spastic". There was nothing in the post to suggest the child has any medical condition. I responded with some advice, and also said that I was struggling to get past the use of "spastic", and questioned the moderation of the group. Cue several responses to me suggesting that I don't know what the word means, it's my problem if I interpret it as offensive, it's just a word, etc etc. I felt like I'd stepped into a parallel universe!
Am I some kind of professionally offended snowflake or is that an incredibly offensive way to describe someone?

[Title amended by MNHQ]

Is it a mostly US group? I think it's less likely to be seen as offensive in the US, although that is starting to change. In a UK context, highly offensive.

What exactly is a clinician, what job do uou do? And I’d expect anyone to know there could be a medical diagnosis. And the group calling you out indicates there maybe

Disgusting

Medical circles have stopped using the words 'spasticity clinic' because of the horrible and negative connotations to historical use of the 's' word, despite it being the actual and true description of said clinic

I'm baffled that you didn't have more people jumping to criticise the word being used, it makes me cringe, inwardly and outwardly

I'm a stoma nurse. Why is that relevant?
Yes, there may have been a medical condition. From the way that "spastic" was in a list of undesirable behaviours that the OP wanted to prevent, I didn't think she was describing a medical symptom that her son had no control over. But you are correct that that was an assumption on my part and I may have been wrong.

Its a medical term which has been hijacked as an insult.
I remember my brother calling me a sp*z 50+ years ago . I repeated it and got a bollocking off my mum

I have never heard someone use the phrase "very spastic'. It hard for me to decipher what she means.

The word spastic was an offensive word 40 years ago !

It changed its name because of the use of “spastic” as a derogatory term and playground insult. There followed a period of using “scoper” in a similar derogatory way.

People on here and in the group are being deliberately obtuse. Yes, it's an offensive word and it's obvious the Facebook poster was describing undesirable behaviour not a medical condition.

It’s very much a derogatory term these days, in the same way certain racial words are considered offensive now.

It is offensive. It is one of those words that once was a medical term, then became an insult. Such as “imbecile” .

I have CP. Being called a spastic was part of my childhood bullying for years and years. I hate that term so much.

Exactly.

Of course it is.

I was just saying that I'm familiar with the word within the realm of medicine! Jeez. Just disregard it if it doesn't seem relevant to you.

I think the OP referenced being a clinician as the word spastic is one I would used freely at work, when required but couldn’t imagine using in another context.
As a clinician though I would expect them to clarify the context before judging.

Of course it is offensive. It comes from Scope
previously being called The Spastic Society. People started to used the word spastic as a derogatory term for disabled people. They might say it isn’t offensive or harmful but that is sheer ignorance, it is.

Last time I can recall it being common was way back in the fifties. And I remember a model of a child in a shop, holding a collection box and the words " for the S Society"
No longer, thank goodness.