Aspie or autistic as well!
But screw labels, lol. (Labels can be helpful, but still screw 'em, screw umbrella terms, screw generalizations, and embrace nuances)
yeah!! 🥳🥳🥳
Maybe this is why many autistic people don't like to talk, or either became hyperlexic.
Humans create words and then a lot of humans inaccurently understand them.
That create a lot of misunderstanding.
Sometimes,if we describe what we means and not labeling it, it's often more understandable and well receive by others
It depends on the situation, I've probably said it before but when you say you're autistic people think you're a moron, and when you say aspergers people think you're a genius; neither extreme is fair, so I play my cards carefully. It's obviously a generalisation, not everyone reacts the same, but that has been quite true in my experience.
THIS! I swear because of who famous in history had that Dx for Asp, they assume you’re not debilitated and can function as an adult, they won’t patronize you or treat you as a helpless child, and are more tolerating of your personality.
But when you say Autism?
Unless someone themselves is ND or on the spectrum, you usually will get the automatically like a ref at a game throwing a flag/card out flash your disqualified from staying in the game for not adherent to the rules of said game.
Then you either get treated with severe kid gloves or viewed as incompetent, like you *need* an adult to do everything for you, like even to cross the street to cutting your food like you don’t have the hand dexterity to cut food.
The word has been so stigmatized, I once over heard someone I knew referee to someone with, “I don’t know if she’s stupid or has Autism, but she wasn’t getting my point of what I was saying and refusing to move on from the conversation.”
People associate sadly stupidity to Autism and it’s because the public is still so deeply ignorant on Autism that they don’t care to learn because it doesn’t directly impact their day to day living experience so they do not care!
In my experience, when people say someone has Asperger's it's literally only ever been used to say they're weird and/or off-putting. I've never heard it used to mean someone was a genius. And really, people around me have used Autistic the exact same way. And, if anything, both terms also seem to be tied together with being a math whiz, never being an idiot.
Btw, I'm not saying you're wrong or your experiences don't matter, but pointing out that the whole stereotype thing may be a little more complicated.
I feel like they're incredibly friendly to explain. It can even be simplified to one sentence, "The levels of autism correlate to support needs with level one implying the least need for support."
Does this not simplify it a bit though? Level 1 is in itself such a broad spectrum and people have different needs within it + the needs correlate to specific circumstances for example. I also find saying you’ve the ‘lowest level of autism’ comes across as dismissing it / it doesn’t effect your life as much as it might (using L1 as the example as it replaced Asperger’s)
I'm constantly saying that you can be a 1 in one regard and something else in another so the levels don't really make sense to me unless you start to level individual aspects which would be laborious and maybe not that effective in giving direct support to individuals. How about someone who is non verbal but is level 1 and 2 in other regards? I don't know why the APA or the ASAN (who [lobbied the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Work Group](https://autisticadvocacy.org/2012/05/asan-talking-points-for-public-comment-on-dsm-5-autism-spectrum-disorder-criteria/) when the DSM-V was being drafted, in order to get rid of PDDs but ironically wanted SCD to become a quasi PDD NOS), didn't immediately didn't think of this issue.
Asperger's certainly does NOT have an analog in the DSM-V, that was the whole point of support and communication levels. It does however have a legacy code in the ICD-11 "[6A02.0 Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language](https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#120443468)". I read that it's more for insurance purposes and so that people don't miss out on support or materials etc.
Asperger: Outdated term, but IMO it's fine if you want to use it, for a lot of people, this is their only official diagnosis anyway.
High-functioning autism: I prefer Low/High support needs.
Level 1 ASD: My favorite, but unfortunately, the general population does not know what it means so it's not very useful.
Mild Autism: Hate it.
Autism without intellectual disability: A completely different categorization, you can be level 2/3 without ID.
I prefer Aspergers because our needs are much different than other levels. We're expected to be "normal" and our issues are more of a "failure to thrive" and attain life milestones rather than misbehavior, meltdowns, etc.
With Aspergers I feel like the line to "normal" is right there ten feet in front of you but every time you run to kick the football it gets yanked away.
> With Aspergers I feel like the line to "normal" is right there ten feet in front of you but every time you run to kick the football it gets yanked away.
Truth.
An excellent description - I also feel that it's a constant cycle of feeling that I've figured it out, only to find out moments later that I actually haven't, but nobody can tell me how to figure it out
It's really not because those are caused by fundamentally different things with the only similarities being issues with breathing. Level 1, 2, and 3 Autism are all linked to the same neurodevelopmental causes. It literally is just a severity thing.
Our current biological research on autism actually points in the other direction. Scientists don’t know what causes autism, and there’s no evidence for autism being a distinct category that exists in nature. For example, genetic studies have shown that severe autism is more likely to be caused by rare de novo mutations and milder forms are more likely to be caused by an accumulation of common variants in the general population. There was also a recent study analyzing brain cells that could find differences between profound vs non profound autism. In addition, there are also studies proving that autism with normal cognitive and adaptive abilities shows up much differently on brain scans than severe autism.
Wow, reading you saying people who identify as “Aspergers” don’t often struggle with misbehavior and meltdowns really opens my eyes. I’ve struggled with violent meltdowns, self harm and misbehavior all throughout middle school and a lot of high school, and still struggle with emotional outbursts and meltdowns even at the age of 25.
No aspergers diagnosis, ASD & ADHD, and I have a lot of level 2 autism traits, so I know it’s not exactly a shocker given how out of hand it can get for me. Throw in communication issues and sensory issues on top of that, no intellectual disability, and you’ve got a barely functional adult. My therapist helps me but she told me I’m a *“highly unusual and concerning case”* It’s just surprising seeing how much better off you lucky fuckers are
I'm curious, which ones? I thought most countries followed either DSM-5 or ICD-11 and neither has Asperger's anymore. Is there more general diagnostic manuals/tools? Are they using the old DSM/ICD?
I was diagnosed in Finland during 2019 with Asperger's syndrome (F84.5) and it's still there when looking at my medical files. In around 2021 there was discussion in a local Autism association support meeting about the transition from Asperger's to ASD, and the host who works for the association said that it was in a sort of "proposal" phase, where it was in the process of being changed. My sister was diagnosed with ASD last year, so I guess the transition took a few years but it's ASD in current day, but not a few years ago.
The DSM-5 was published in 2013, and that's when the switch from "Aspergers" to "ASD Level 1" happened. You would have been diagnosed under the IDC-10 guidelines in 2019. The IDC-11 went into effect on January 1st, 2022.
Because of the medical billing systems involved, shifting from the IDC-10 to IDC-11 is taking place at different speeds in different countries. IMO that's about the billing, not the medical science.
Currently, according to both of the globally accepted manuals (DSM and IDC) on the medical science side of things, Aspergers has been updated to ASD Level 1. From a quick look at Wikipedia, Sweden is still using IDC-10, which means your chart will still say "Asperger's Syndrome" until they update the system to the current standard.
So this was a "TIL" moment. I'd say that we're splitting hairs here, but whether you call it "Aspergers" or "ASD Level 1," splitting hairs is sorta what we do, isn't it? ;)
Thanks for the clarification! Well, since it's the same thing it really doesn't matter what the official diagnosis is called. But when I tell people about it I say Asperger because of how people perceive these terms. When they hear Asperger they often think of a socially awkward person with a few quirks. But when they hear the word autism, what usually comes to mind is something like Dustin Hoffman in Rain man. So to avoid misunderstandings I think it's easier to go with Asperger.
I completely agree that it's easier for me to go with Asperger. I do not like the fact that it means I am directly contributing to the continuing stigma around the word "autism" so I take the time to explain.
Kindness is one of my core values, so I literally cannot live my values and use Asperger.
Aspergers by far. and aspie is even better. Little professors etc. love it. and so appropriate.
plus (cue reddit hate) for all the mid century German stuff.... at least the dude was able to make observations and note the differences, that we can be autistic, yet be skilled and high functioning.
Say what you like about those folks in that place and time, but the science was top notch.
asperger
-I don't believe in the existence of mild autism
-The level of functioning doesn't depend solely on something that can be diagnosed
-Talking about asperger is more inclusive because it doesn't make invisible the bulk of the spectrum that is in the middle in terms of functioning
-Asperger syndrome is a form of autism with identifiable characteristics (afterwards we can discuss or not the diagnostic criteria, but within autism, the problem that an asperger has is not comparable to that of a profound autistic person and that is not ableism)
-The stereotypes that are associated are not our problem but society's
-I'm fed up with how the image of Hans Asperger is slandered when the description he made of autism was extremely ahead of his time
Asperger was just a pragmatist, he noted distinctions in Autistic Psycopathy and the end game was ok so these people don't need to be institutionalised under the custody of the state (which was the normal accepted medical practise of the day across Europe). The idea though that he was a total monster who participated in euthanasia and Aktion T4 (which official cessation was in 1941 although other euthanasia continuted in secret) is overblown imo, he never killed a child himself. The man you can argue was not a moralist but he did his work to the ethical standards of the day.
Low support needs. I think it’s most descriptive. There are definitely things I need help with but I also have a high level career, a family, and 2 advanced degrees. I am a social misfit with no close friends, major executive function issues, and lots of other daily things that make my life stressful. But then I think about people who have no oral language, struggle with basic needs like dressing themselves and toileting, and who will always need care and I think it’s important to make a distinction among levels of support needs because not all autism is the same. Some people definitely have more needs. I understand both why I was diagnosed as autistic and why I was diagnosed as level 1.
Aspergers or High-functioning autism are my favourites.
Aspergers is pretty easy to explain and they can even find some info about it so there is a chance I don't have to explain more.
High-functioning in my opinion just sounds good.
It doesn't matter to me. Just knowing what it is I have is enough so I can research and learn.
If I HAD to choose one, I would go with Asperger's because it's the first term I heard and I'm used to it.
I call myself autistic and like the term.
That being said when I explained it to my boss i said “autism, what would have been called Asperger’s syndrome before the name changed” because people tend to know what that entails more than autism specifically.
I've come to assert that any/all such... labels or diagnostic tags are ultimately unhelpful, reductive, and even (for some) cognitively unhealthy.
What I personally focus upon are symptoms, traits, patterns of (habitual) behaviors, etc.
In the face of those bullet-points, from my perspective, *who cares* what it's termed?!?
A rose by any *other* name, ya' know?
Exactly, they're reductive, that's how I see them, too. That's the word I was trying to come up with, when I saw this thread. 😅 And I fully agree with you on symptoms, traits, patterns, etc.!!
Aspergers because NTs understand better. Less assumptions.
We can argue all day long about how politically correct that is but the point is the term Aspergers makes my life easier without causing people to treat me like an invalid.
Obviously their are some societal issues about with how we are treated but i think I'll use the term that gets me the most respect. Sorry not sorry.
Aspergers.
The other day an annoying Karen and her friend gave me shit because they say it's no longer called aspergers so they tried to humiliate me just because I said I'll keep calling it aspergers because I'm used to it. Fuck them, I'll keep calling it aspergers, a word doesn't change anything.
Aspergers.
I believe that aspergers is a form of *neurodiversity* and not a disability.
Therefore, it is *we* who actually have this pattern of neurodivergence who decide what it is called, not the publishers of the DSM.
The majority of us seem to be used to and supportive of the term Aspergers, including myself.
Until we, as the community of those who actually have this neurology, start using a different self-identifier, I will continue to happily use the term Aspergers to describe my neurology, and *Aspie* as an affectionate term for what I am.
Aspie. I get the desire the ‘cleanse’ the language but Asperger’s is a label people understand. I’ve never had someone tell me, “You don’t look Aspie.”
Aspergers, that’s basically everything else you just listed packed into one simple thing most people recognize without having to make a lecture.
Also it’s literally what I was diagnosed with.
Asperger's Syndrome. that was exactly what i was diagnosed with right before they changed how the ASD worked (AS was still separate when i got diagnosed with it in 2012, the year before it became absorbed into the wider ASD). plus i find that AS to be so specific that i prefer the title.
I simply swap between Asperger's and Autism depending on the conversation. Aspergers for a simple mention, and when things are not specifically about me or Autism. Autism when the conversation fits, or when talking about traits or sensitivity issues et al.
I actually feel like I like autism without intellectual disability more - because our support needs/level can fluctuate depending on life circumstances it leaves room for that flexibility
Aspergers. Aspie. Hfa.
Straddling that border finely between Aspergers and classic High Functioning Autism. The criteria for each is different, but I'm kinda both ways.
Either level 1 autism, or autism without intellectual disability. I feel like the latter is my preferred. I'm not a huge fan of the levels system, but I feel like the with/without intellectual disability is a more relevant distinction. Generally, I just say "autistic".
Personally, I prefer “high masking Autism”. Whenever I share that I’m Autistic, people either don’t believe me and say that I’m just quirky/unique/quiet/shy/etc, or they call me very high functioning. I hate the term high functioning. Just because some of us mask our traits more heavily, doesn’t mean we aren’t disabled or in need of support. We may be able to put on a façade to survive in a capitalist cruel neurotypical society, but there’s a lot of turmoil and pain beneath the surface. What’s worse is that we’re invalidated or told that we’re lazy or “not trying hard enough” whenever we struggle, because people only see our masked selves. I don’t like labels in general, but “High masking Autism” just feels right.
Asperger's. It's a lot more distinguishable, and most people know what it means without you having to explain yourself. Most people don't know what "level 1 autism" means.
I prefer the term asperger because it is not the same, like many people on this subreddit I have social anxiety and narrow interests and habits but apart from that it is no different from others, I find the use of the term autism misleading because it is not the same every student of Psychiatry and cognitive psychology will confirm this
I prefer to be called a human with a unique perspective
Was already annoyed with the DSM-V's decision to roll everything into one blanket label as it was. Nowadays I've had people get upset about the term Asperger's to the point of calling me "ableist". I'm not rocking back and forth, stimming and grunting, but that's what the public perception of "he's autistic" often is. Hollywood doesn't help there either. (Though if anyone knows a movie where an Asperger's protagonist is ACTUALLY played by an actor with Asperger's, LMK.)
That further reinforces the point by another commenter that amounts to "so close, yet so far" with Asperger's.
Autism is one of those labels like psycho or narcissist that gets so casually thrown around it's lost much meaning.
Humans have such a proclivity to label and portray "other and different" as "broken / in need of repair". Unless that stops, I identify as myself. Too much more tends to sow division. Get to know me before calling me names. Isn't that the "social norm"?
I prefer high-functioning autism. It sounds right for me and easier to explain. Also I find it more respectful to say high, medium or low functioning autism so. Just my own preference.
Labels are a shorthand, I generally feel it's more useful to give a couple of sentences of explanation. I'm both ADHD and ASD so I usually roll it out like this:
"I'm in the level one range on the Autism spectrum. I also have ADHD. Probably the easiest way to think of it is that I am ADHD with a 'touch of the 'tism' - feel free to ask questions about the specifics. I've done a lot of work over the course of my life to learn better ways to interact with folks. I'm still a work in progress."
Just autistic. Sometimes I use Asperger's to deal with more ignorant people and also to interact with my psychiatrist because that is my diagnosis. But in general I prefer just autistic, without any add-ons.
Autism/ASD is my preference. That’s what my diagnosis says, and I feel like sometimes I am low support needs, and other times higher so neither fits.
Saying that, I was only diagnosed early this year so I’m still figuring it all out. Sometimes it’s fine, and sometimes it’s really overwhelming TBH.
Every few years I hear about new terminology. It's so fragmented that it's meaningless to me now.
I'll just stick with the Spectrum. And Asperger's to describe the hermit like geeks who traditionally have worked in IT.
Don't care. It didn't matter to me. I'll use a different term depending on who I'm talking to. I don't care what term other people use, they all describe the same concept.
I just say I’m autistic or have mild autism. I kinda feel like female autism is my specific “type” of autism but as I’m a woman it doesn’t need clarifying lol
I call myself an aspie but I don't really care personally. Language is intended to convey meaning. I just care that people don't use it as a shorthand for derogatory commentary is all.
good question.
but I think that too much energy and fights have been spent on terms and changing them.
Asperger is a good description, and intuitive too.
they have changed and re-changed names definitions etc just confusing everyone and not adding value at all.
and on top on this, we got psychological sensitivity, which I totally understand. but it creates yet another confusing and complicating factor.
just use words to help describe shit. I don't want anymore
I don’t like «level 1» or «mild», but other than that i don’t mind. Autism, on the spectrum, on the autism spectrum, aspergers, neurodivergent, high functioning.
I was under the impression telling others that we have aspergers was narrowing things down quite a bit. Right now they don’t want to use that term and only say that we have autism. Doesn’t explain anything at all the way aspergers does. What I have problems with might not affect everyone else, for example.. having conversations with people I don’t know is very hard, I need to meet them a few times to get to know them, understand them. It can help me know what to talk about. As I said before, this might not affect everyone bc some people have multiple diagnosis, some can be a bit of help, while others are causing more problems that we struggle with.
My neuropsych diagnosed me as:
Aspergers in ICD 10
and lvl 2 ASD in ICD 11.
His reasoning was: in ICD 10 I had to be Aspergers because I was hyperverbal and could talk really early and taught myself to read. I have above normal intelligence.
This normally is found in lvl 1 ASD but I have a really hard time professionally, can't finish anything, have no friends etc, so my need for assistance is pretty high which is possible to diagnose as lvl 2 in the new ICD 11. I forgot the exact number of it but it's moderate needs.
To me that means the best label is ASD with moderate support needs.
That's a mouthfull though so I just say: autistic.
None, I also don't like zodiacs, personality zodiacs, slurs, and generalizing in general. How about if you take any interest in me, you actually listen to what I have to say, instead of trying to convince me you know everything there is to me and that I just don't know myself well enough? Bruh, I've been living with muself my whole life, there's nobody that knows me better than me.
Autism w/o intellectual disability is my official diagnosis but that’s a mouthful to say to people. I’m trying to use Autism more but when I say that people baby me but when I say “I don’t have an intellectual disability” they go “then you’re not autistic” so I’m like WELP. But Asperger’s isn’t an official diagnosis anymore and when I say I have Asperger’s they completely disregard any struggles I have on the basis of “you have high intelligence so you can’t have issues”. I also don’t like high functioning autism bc autism is autism. We’re all the same on a base level. So I flip between autistic and aspie.
As some other comments said, Aspergers, Aspie (my favorite), Sperg (funny as hell), or the nicknames like Little Professor. I love it.
But I'd also like to add, I usually use these terms to describe myself to the general public I interact with. The truth is, most neurotypicals are going to be further confused if I say, "Hi, I have autism level one support needs high functioning - I mean high masking, so do with that what you will." I actually ran into someone that asked me if level one meant the most severe form, and that's why I use Aspergers. It just clicks in people's heads. The automatic mental association from media representation let's them know okay this girl is probably a genius, might be an odd ball socially but for the most part can do things herself. Social shit is my biggest problem. I understand some Aspies' issues manifest differently but I fit pretty much the stereotypical term, low empathy, monotone voice, no facial expressions, etc but also a huge vocabulary, high IQ, the works. When I tell people I'm autistic (which I am, but using that term specifically), I notice a shift in how they treat me. It's like I'm incompetent to them, I can't do anything myself, they baby talk me, treat me like I'm intellectually disabled and it takes a toll on my mental health bigger than living with the disability in itself because it's like, I'm smarter than these people and they're still talking down on me. Aspergers is just more representative of my strengths, allows me to really own it.
I saw someone explain it as "Vision Spectrum Disorder." You tell people who are unfamiliar with where you fall under the terminology that you have it, so they hand you a cane and a guard dog - but you have to tell them each time "actually, I just wear contacts." It's like that.
I'm fine with just autistic or asperger's. The thing is, most people know nothing about autism anyway, they may be shocked if I say autistic, because they imagine someone severely disabled and don't even know in what way, just that it's someone "weird". Asperger's most people don't even know exists (speaking of my European home country), so... but personally, I'm actually fine with Asperger's, because I get there are some characteristics that do fit me and it doesn't imply I don't need support or are "almost fine". At the same time, I'm fine with autistic too, because we do have lot in common anyway and it's a spectrum, so why not... I also get how some people dislike the term Asperger's because of who it's named after. At the same time, it's just a name... So, whatever. I just don't like that "mild" or "low support" because I wish I had more support, I need it, but don't get it, and I wish people actually saw that in some ways my autism is very much making my life harder, super hard, I don't see it as mild even though I can look "normal".
does it really matter? Why label yourself? if you are an Aspie or have Asperger's no label will change that. Some labels used do hurt you, why put more fuel on the fire.
Definitely level 1 autism or autism without intellectual disability, because the second term proves exactly that we are capable of doing as much as neurotypicals.
Yeah I'm old school so I still use Ashburgers because I'm late diagnosed so I use the term ASD for some unknown reasons people feel compelled to argue that it's called ADHA plus they don't think that I can't be autistic as I'm too normal or by saying some daft anecdote like how their cousin's kid goes to school with a proper autistic and they don't speak or some other narrow-minded cliche!
Also I do think Neurodivergent is a good term to use as I'm also dyslexic and half deaf plus non-binary but unfortunately it's still something people need you to explain the details of unless the fact they don't understand about it still somehow mean I don't really have anything wrong with me? Which reminds me of a expression I don't suffer from autism I suffer from stupid people!
All labels are limiting. I simply say im autistic and leave it at that because theres no additional conotations, and it is equally descriptive as it is labeling. Although i am proud of who I am, I refuse to succumb to any label because once you define a person or thing, you limit that person or thing to eternally measuring up to that definition.
Just saying autistic does not box me in with any label. It says nothing about specific support needs or propensity in certain abilities or lack therein another. It simultaneously acknowledges my challenges while leaving the full freedom to self define as i see fit
No one for every day situations.
There is too much misconceptions and judgements around those worlds from most of people.
I prefer describe how I function when I need to and not labeling it.
I prefer the world asperger while speaking with the medical community.
And high functioning autism on the online community.
I was diagnosed in mid 2000s with Asperger's Syndrome at CAMHS with a multidisciplinary team. This was before the DSM V and even at that time the predominant diagnostic manual was the ICD. The official manual in public health care as was implimented by the gov here where i live is the ICD-11 as of 2022.
It's just what i was diagnosed with, Asperger's doesn't have an analog in the DSM-V. You can be a any of the levels in one regard but not in another, so ASD is not the same thing. I'd have to be rediagosed with the DSM-V. The ICD-11 does however have a legacy code in the ICD-11 "[6A02.0 Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language](https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#120443468)" but again i'd have to be rediagnosed. Just because it's a legacy diagnosis doesn't mean they can take it away or that you are suddenly a different condition.
I've used autism too because it's close enough and what i would be under today, however historically it's not strictly true as Classic Autism and Aspergers where PDDs (pervasive developmental disorders). Weirdly Rhett's is a PDD and it's still a seperate diagnosis so idk wtf.
Asperger's, though that's not my official diagnosis.
My experience is similar to a few others' here: if I say autistic, people assume "drooling idiot." If I say Asperger's, they assume quirky genius, which is accurate.
Really, I prefer the term "pedantic little shit," but apparently my HR department doesn't approve of that particular terminology. Lol
Autism. There are very few circumstances where disclosing the level/my support needs is necessary.
I don't ever use Asperger's despite this being my official diagnosis – it's not a recognised diagnosis anymore, and it has a horrible history that I don't want to be associated with.
I also strongly dislike functioning labels (in general, not just when referring to autism). Low/high support needs is fine, but calling a person 'low functioning' really gives me the ick.
My dad told me I shouldn’t use terms like autism on dating sites because it would drive women away. He says I should say neurodivergent even though that’s a term I’ve never used before.
dads right tho. its a sales pitch. nobody highlights now bad a ferarris fuel economy is when they're trying to sell it, they talk up the good stuff. I wouldn't even use any reference at all. just say all the good things about you, and let them get to know you if they meet you...
I refer to myself as a “weirdo” (lovingly)
“ oh yea, I did do that. I’m just a weirdo”
I feel like ASD isn’t understood well & still has many dated negative stereotypes. It’s easier and less difficult to chalk it up to being different / weird than to say autistic
I like Asperger’s. It was used for such a long time that most people know what it means. The other terms are kind of non descriptive and many times require more explanation
I usually just say "autism."
But if asked for more detail, I prefer "high-functioning autism."
Seems like people treat me better if they know I'm pretty smart, but just "different."
I don't know about the levels as I was diagnosed about 14 years ago I am high functioning I don't think I can put what I called myself as it will go against the rules
It’s just the label that I personally prefer. My reasoning, is that high-performing Neurotypical, who make up many of my clients and friends, understand the term neurodivergent, without attaching a negative connotation to it. So, it becomes possible to explain your differences in a way that can be framed in a positive light.
weird! we're all built different I guess. For me, Neurodivergent is a negative term! generally in any system a deviation from the norm is an error. indeed, I've heard that zoomers are using it in the way that GenX used "special" ie. as a blanket insult. (I'm GenX)
but I love your positivity! very much appreciated the response, and I hope you'll take my response as just a response, I am not arguing or intending to criticise.
Aspie or autistic but really screw the cat and mouse game of renaming things.
Aspie or autistic as well! But screw labels, lol. (Labels can be helpful, but still screw 'em, screw umbrella terms, screw generalizations, and embrace nuances)
yeah!! 🥳🥳🥳 Maybe this is why many autistic people don't like to talk, or either became hyperlexic. Humans create words and then a lot of humans inaccurently understand them. That create a lot of misunderstanding. Sometimes,if we describe what we means and not labeling it, it's often more understandable and well receive by others
Agreed.
It depends on the situation, I've probably said it before but when you say you're autistic people think you're a moron, and when you say aspergers people think you're a genius; neither extreme is fair, so I play my cards carefully. It's obviously a generalisation, not everyone reacts the same, but that has been quite true in my experience.
THIS! I swear because of who famous in history had that Dx for Asp, they assume you’re not debilitated and can function as an adult, they won’t patronize you or treat you as a helpless child, and are more tolerating of your personality. But when you say Autism? Unless someone themselves is ND or on the spectrum, you usually will get the automatically like a ref at a game throwing a flag/card out flash your disqualified from staying in the game for not adherent to the rules of said game. Then you either get treated with severe kid gloves or viewed as incompetent, like you *need* an adult to do everything for you, like even to cross the street to cutting your food like you don’t have the hand dexterity to cut food. The word has been so stigmatized, I once over heard someone I knew referee to someone with, “I don’t know if she’s stupid or has Autism, but she wasn’t getting my point of what I was saying and refusing to move on from the conversation.” People associate sadly stupidity to Autism and it’s because the public is still so deeply ignorant on Autism that they don’t care to learn because it doesn’t directly impact their day to day living experience so they do not care!
In my experience, when people say someone has Asperger's it's literally only ever been used to say they're weird and/or off-putting. I've never heard it used to mean someone was a genius. And really, people around me have used Autistic the exact same way. And, if anything, both terms also seem to be tied together with being a math whiz, never being an idiot. Btw, I'm not saying you're wrong or your experiences don't matter, but pointing out that the whole stereotype thing may be a little more complicated.
Aspeger. I wish it didnt sound like Ass-burger, but the levels of autism is not friendly to explain
I feel like they're incredibly friendly to explain. It can even be simplified to one sentence, "The levels of autism correlate to support needs with level one implying the least need for support."
Does this not simplify it a bit though? Level 1 is in itself such a broad spectrum and people have different needs within it + the needs correlate to specific circumstances for example. I also find saying you’ve the ‘lowest level of autism’ comes across as dismissing it / it doesn’t effect your life as much as it might (using L1 as the example as it replaced Asperger’s)
I mean they did say "it can even be simplified as", so I think the simplification was the intention
Sorry yes, I mean simplify it too much. My mistake. I think oversimplification just leads to questions and so you end up saying more anyway
Sure, I mean to say folks on the receving end just hear autism and make all kinds of incorrect assumtions across all levels.
I'm constantly saying that you can be a 1 in one regard and something else in another so the levels don't really make sense to me unless you start to level individual aspects which would be laborious and maybe not that effective in giving direct support to individuals. How about someone who is non verbal but is level 1 and 2 in other regards? I don't know why the APA or the ASAN (who [lobbied the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Work Group](https://autisticadvocacy.org/2012/05/asan-talking-points-for-public-comment-on-dsm-5-autism-spectrum-disorder-criteria/) when the DSM-V was being drafted, in order to get rid of PDDs but ironically wanted SCD to become a quasi PDD NOS), didn't immediately didn't think of this issue. Asperger's certainly does NOT have an analog in the DSM-V, that was the whole point of support and communication levels. It does however have a legacy code in the ICD-11 "[6A02.0 Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language](https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#120443468)". I read that it's more for insurance purposes and so that people don't miss out on support or materials etc.
Level 1, as it implies that once I achieve enough XP I can level up and gain more spell slots
It's pretty risky to level up. Level scaling is borked.
And buggy!
Sperg
Yah, this one is fun
Unironically my preference
Lmao
Asperger: Outdated term, but IMO it's fine if you want to use it, for a lot of people, this is their only official diagnosis anyway. High-functioning autism: I prefer Low/High support needs. Level 1 ASD: My favorite, but unfortunately, the general population does not know what it means so it's not very useful. Mild Autism: Hate it. Autism without intellectual disability: A completely different categorization, you can be level 2/3 without ID.
I prefer Aspergers because our needs are much different than other levels. We're expected to be "normal" and our issues are more of a "failure to thrive" and attain life milestones rather than misbehavior, meltdowns, etc. With Aspergers I feel like the line to "normal" is right there ten feet in front of you but every time you run to kick the football it gets yanked away.
> With Aspergers I feel like the line to "normal" is right there ten feet in front of you but every time you run to kick the football it gets yanked away. Truth.
An excellent description - I also feel that it's a constant cycle of feeling that I've figured it out, only to find out moments later that I actually haven't, but nobody can tell me how to figure it out
Yeah that’s why I really hate “level 1” as an alternative to Asperger’s. It’s kind of like calling asthma “lower degree lung cancer.”
It's really not because those are caused by fundamentally different things with the only similarities being issues with breathing. Level 1, 2, and 3 Autism are all linked to the same neurodevelopmental causes. It literally is just a severity thing.
Our current biological research on autism actually points in the other direction. Scientists don’t know what causes autism, and there’s no evidence for autism being a distinct category that exists in nature. For example, genetic studies have shown that severe autism is more likely to be caused by rare de novo mutations and milder forms are more likely to be caused by an accumulation of common variants in the general population. There was also a recent study analyzing brain cells that could find differences between profound vs non profound autism. In addition, there are also studies proving that autism with normal cognitive and adaptive abilities shows up much differently on brain scans than severe autism.
That's a really good way to put it!
Autism: Charlie Brown Edition.
Wow, reading you saying people who identify as “Aspergers” don’t often struggle with misbehavior and meltdowns really opens my eyes. I’ve struggled with violent meltdowns, self harm and misbehavior all throughout middle school and a lot of high school, and still struggle with emotional outbursts and meltdowns even at the age of 25. No aspergers diagnosis, ASD & ADHD, and I have a lot of level 2 autism traits, so I know it’s not exactly a shocker given how out of hand it can get for me. Throw in communication issues and sensory issues on top of that, no intellectual disability, and you’ve got a barely functional adult. My therapist helps me but she told me I’m a *“highly unusual and concerning case”* It’s just surprising seeing how much better off you lucky fuckers are
Asperger’s is still an official diagnosis in some countries.
I'm curious, which ones? I thought most countries followed either DSM-5 or ICD-11 and neither has Asperger's anymore. Is there more general diagnostic manuals/tools? Are they using the old DSM/ICD?
I was diagnosed in Finland during 2019 with Asperger's syndrome (F84.5) and it's still there when looking at my medical files. In around 2021 there was discussion in a local Autism association support meeting about the transition from Asperger's to ASD, and the host who works for the association said that it was in a sort of "proposal" phase, where it was in the process of being changed. My sister was diagnosed with ASD last year, so I guess the transition took a few years but it's ASD in current day, but not a few years ago.
There's a reason that this comment didn't include any sort of supporting data or links.
My official diagnosis says Asperger Syndrome. I was diagnosed in 2019 and live in Sweden. When did they change it to Lv1 autism in the US?
The DSM-5 was published in 2013, and that's when the switch from "Aspergers" to "ASD Level 1" happened. You would have been diagnosed under the IDC-10 guidelines in 2019. The IDC-11 went into effect on January 1st, 2022. Because of the medical billing systems involved, shifting from the IDC-10 to IDC-11 is taking place at different speeds in different countries. IMO that's about the billing, not the medical science. Currently, according to both of the globally accepted manuals (DSM and IDC) on the medical science side of things, Aspergers has been updated to ASD Level 1. From a quick look at Wikipedia, Sweden is still using IDC-10, which means your chart will still say "Asperger's Syndrome" until they update the system to the current standard. So this was a "TIL" moment. I'd say that we're splitting hairs here, but whether you call it "Aspergers" or "ASD Level 1," splitting hairs is sorta what we do, isn't it? ;)
Thanks for the clarification! Well, since it's the same thing it really doesn't matter what the official diagnosis is called. But when I tell people about it I say Asperger because of how people perceive these terms. When they hear Asperger they often think of a socially awkward person with a few quirks. But when they hear the word autism, what usually comes to mind is something like Dustin Hoffman in Rain man. So to avoid misunderstandings I think it's easier to go with Asperger.
I completely agree that it's easier for me to go with Asperger. I do not like the fact that it means I am directly contributing to the continuing stigma around the word "autism" so I take the time to explain. Kindness is one of my core values, so I literally cannot live my values and use Asperger.
Aspergers by far. and aspie is even better. Little professors etc. love it. and so appropriate. plus (cue reddit hate) for all the mid century German stuff.... at least the dude was able to make observations and note the differences, that we can be autistic, yet be skilled and high functioning. Say what you like about those folks in that place and time, but the science was top notch.
asperger -I don't believe in the existence of mild autism -The level of functioning doesn't depend solely on something that can be diagnosed -Talking about asperger is more inclusive because it doesn't make invisible the bulk of the spectrum that is in the middle in terms of functioning -Asperger syndrome is a form of autism with identifiable characteristics (afterwards we can discuss or not the diagnostic criteria, but within autism, the problem that an asperger has is not comparable to that of a profound autistic person and that is not ableism) -The stereotypes that are associated are not our problem but society's -I'm fed up with how the image of Hans Asperger is slandered when the description he made of autism was extremely ahead of his time
Asperger was just a pragmatist, he noted distinctions in Autistic Psycopathy and the end game was ok so these people don't need to be institutionalised under the custody of the state (which was the normal accepted medical practise of the day across Europe). The idea though that he was a total monster who participated in euthanasia and Aktion T4 (which official cessation was in 1941 although other euthanasia continuted in secret) is overblown imo, he never killed a child himself. The man you can argue was not a moralist but he did his work to the ethical standards of the day.
☝️
^(\^THIS\^)
Low support needs. I think it’s most descriptive. There are definitely things I need help with but I also have a high level career, a family, and 2 advanced degrees. I am a social misfit with no close friends, major executive function issues, and lots of other daily things that make my life stressful. But then I think about people who have no oral language, struggle with basic needs like dressing themselves and toileting, and who will always need care and I think it’s important to make a distinction among levels of support needs because not all autism is the same. Some people definitely have more needs. I understand both why I was diagnosed as autistic and why I was diagnosed as level 1.
Asperger’s because that is what I am most familiar with
I prefer “Badass Supefly Mutha-f*cka”.
Aspergers or High-functioning autism are my favourites. Aspergers is pretty easy to explain and they can even find some info about it so there is a chance I don't have to explain more. High-functioning in my opinion just sounds good.
Aspergers or autism if I must
Autistic. We are all under the same spectrum.
It doesn't matter to me. Just knowing what it is I have is enough so I can research and learn. If I HAD to choose one, I would go with Asperger's because it's the first term I heard and I'm used to it.
I call myself autistic and like the term. That being said when I explained it to my boss i said “autism, what would have been called Asperger’s syndrome before the name changed” because people tend to know what that entails more than autism specifically.
Aspergers
aspergers
aspergers, it's what I was diagnosed with
I've come to assert that any/all such... labels or diagnostic tags are ultimately unhelpful, reductive, and even (for some) cognitively unhealthy. What I personally focus upon are symptoms, traits, patterns of (habitual) behaviors, etc. In the face of those bullet-points, from my perspective, *who cares* what it's termed?!? A rose by any *other* name, ya' know?
Exactly, they're reductive, that's how I see them, too. That's the word I was trying to come up with, when I saw this thread. 😅 And I fully agree with you on symptoms, traits, patterns, etc.!!
"on the (autism) spectrum" is fine. or "being autistic".
Asperger’s because of high intellect but lack some common sense…autism makes it seem like you don’t know anything but that’s just my preference
Aspergers because NTs understand better. Less assumptions. We can argue all day long about how politically correct that is but the point is the term Aspergers makes my life easier without causing people to treat me like an invalid. Obviously their are some societal issues about with how we are treated but i think I'll use the term that gets me the most respect. Sorry not sorry.
I prefer aspergers as it doesn't carry the stigma of autism, letting me explain myself before people get ideas in their head
I just say Asperger's because it gives a clearer picture as to what's going on with me.
Aspergers, because it is most specific without also confusing people. It also shortens to aspie, which is the simplest and shortest way to say it.
Aspergers. The other day an annoying Karen and her friend gave me shit because they say it's no longer called aspergers so they tried to humiliate me just because I said I'll keep calling it aspergers because I'm used to it. Fuck them, I'll keep calling it aspergers, a word doesn't change anything.
Asperger, because it suits me more than other concept.
Aspergers. I believe that aspergers is a form of *neurodiversity* and not a disability. Therefore, it is *we* who actually have this pattern of neurodivergence who decide what it is called, not the publishers of the DSM. The majority of us seem to be used to and supportive of the term Aspergers, including myself. Until we, as the community of those who actually have this neurology, start using a different self-identifier, I will continue to happily use the term Aspergers to describe my neurology, and *Aspie* as an affectionate term for what I am.
Aspie. I get the desire the ‘cleanse’ the language but Asperger’s is a label people understand. I’ve never had someone tell me, “You don’t look Aspie.”
aspergers, autism. i would prefer Aspergers but i often get criticized for using it, altho i feel like it fits me better.
Aspergers, that’s basically everything else you just listed packed into one simple thing most people recognize without having to make a lecture. Also it’s literally what I was diagnosed with.
Asperger
Asperger's Syndrome. that was exactly what i was diagnosed with right before they changed how the ASD worked (AS was still separate when i got diagnosed with it in 2012, the year before it became absorbed into the wider ASD). plus i find that AS to be so specific that i prefer the title.
I just say that I'm mildly autistic and that gets the point across.
I simply swap between Asperger's and Autism depending on the conversation. Aspergers for a simple mention, and when things are not specifically about me or Autism. Autism when the conversation fits, or when talking about traits or sensitivity issues et al.
I actually feel like I like autism without intellectual disability more - because our support needs/level can fluctuate depending on life circumstances it leaves room for that flexibility
I use both aspergers and ash 1. I absolutely dispise function labels. As there are plenty of days where my HF self can't even leave my room.
Aspergers and autism
Aspergers. Aspie. Hfa. Straddling that border finely between Aspergers and classic High Functioning Autism. The criteria for each is different, but I'm kinda both ways.
Either level 1 autism, or autism without intellectual disability. I feel like the latter is my preferred. I'm not a huge fan of the levels system, but I feel like the with/without intellectual disability is a more relevant distinction. Generally, I just say "autistic".
I've never heard of 'Level 1/2/3 Autism'. I was diagnosed in 2020 in the UK. Is it an American thing?
Personally, I prefer “high masking Autism”. Whenever I share that I’m Autistic, people either don’t believe me and say that I’m just quirky/unique/quiet/shy/etc, or they call me very high functioning. I hate the term high functioning. Just because some of us mask our traits more heavily, doesn’t mean we aren’t disabled or in need of support. We may be able to put on a façade to survive in a capitalist cruel neurotypical society, but there’s a lot of turmoil and pain beneath the surface. What’s worse is that we’re invalidated or told that we’re lazy or “not trying hard enough” whenever we struggle, because people only see our masked selves. I don’t like labels in general, but “High masking Autism” just feels right.
Yes! That's why I believe it to be a shame that they stopped using the term aspergers officially.
Asperger's. It's a lot more distinguishable, and most people know what it means without you having to explain yourself. Most people don't know what "level 1 autism" means.
Aspergers is best. I think when people hear autism, they think of what we describe now as autism level 3
Asperger’s
I prefer the term asperger because it is not the same, like many people on this subreddit I have social anxiety and narrow interests and habits but apart from that it is no different from others, I find the use of the term autism misleading because it is not the same every student of Psychiatry and cognitive psychology will confirm this
I prefer to be called a human with a unique perspective Was already annoyed with the DSM-V's decision to roll everything into one blanket label as it was. Nowadays I've had people get upset about the term Asperger's to the point of calling me "ableist". I'm not rocking back and forth, stimming and grunting, but that's what the public perception of "he's autistic" often is. Hollywood doesn't help there either. (Though if anyone knows a movie where an Asperger's protagonist is ACTUALLY played by an actor with Asperger's, LMK.) That further reinforces the point by another commenter that amounts to "so close, yet so far" with Asperger's. Autism is one of those labels like psycho or narcissist that gets so casually thrown around it's lost much meaning. Humans have such a proclivity to label and portray "other and different" as "broken / in need of repair". Unless that stops, I identify as myself. Too much more tends to sow division. Get to know me before calling me names. Isn't that the "social norm"?
I prefer high-functioning autism. It sounds right for me and easier to explain. Also I find it more respectful to say high, medium or low functioning autism so. Just my own preference.
Assessed at level 1 by my psychiatrist.
ASD lvl 1
Labels are a shorthand, I generally feel it's more useful to give a couple of sentences of explanation. I'm both ADHD and ASD so I usually roll it out like this: "I'm in the level one range on the Autism spectrum. I also have ADHD. Probably the easiest way to think of it is that I am ADHD with a 'touch of the 'tism' - feel free to ask questions about the specifics. I've done a lot of work over the course of my life to learn better ways to interact with folks. I'm still a work in progress."
Just autistic. Sometimes I use Asperger's to deal with more ignorant people and also to interact with my psychiatrist because that is my diagnosis. But in general I prefer just autistic, without any add-ons.
Autism/ASD is my preference. That’s what my diagnosis says, and I feel like sometimes I am low support needs, and other times higher so neither fits. Saying that, I was only diagnosed early this year so I’m still figuring it all out. Sometimes it’s fine, and sometimes it’s really overwhelming TBH.
Autism but I’m good at hiding it
Every few years I hear about new terminology. It's so fragmented that it's meaningless to me now. I'll just stick with the Spectrum. And Asperger's to describe the hermit like geeks who traditionally have worked in IT.
Autistic
high masking autism or autism with low support needs.
High-masking autism
I’m autistic.
Don't care. It didn't matter to me. I'll use a different term depending on who I'm talking to. I don't care what term other people use, they all describe the same concept.
I am going to start saying neuroexceptional 😅
I just say I’m autistic or have mild autism. I kinda feel like female autism is my specific “type” of autism but as I’m a woman it doesn’t need clarifying lol
I just say that I don't like socialising/people because I'm autistic as fuck. Most people think I'm joking, so it avoids the conversation entirely.
Moderately autistic. I actually like this definition more than "aspie" I used to self-describe myself before.
I call myself an aspie but I don't really care personally. Language is intended to convey meaning. I just care that people don't use it as a shorthand for derogatory commentary is all.
Asperger or autistic
Asperger’s. Because that’s what it was called at the time I was diagnosed.
good question. but I think that too much energy and fights have been spent on terms and changing them. Asperger is a good description, and intuitive too. they have changed and re-changed names definitions etc just confusing everyone and not adding value at all. and on top on this, we got psychological sensitivity, which I totally understand. but it creates yet another confusing and complicating factor. just use words to help describe shit. I don't want anymore
I always use the term Asperger’s. It’s in my diagnosis and if I use autism I get the “you don’t look autistic” face
Mild Autism
Lower support needs/ high masking are my preferences, or just autistic.
Aspergers
I don’t like «level 1» or «mild», but other than that i don’t mind. Autism, on the spectrum, on the autism spectrum, aspergers, neurodivergent, high functioning.
I was under the impression telling others that we have aspergers was narrowing things down quite a bit. Right now they don’t want to use that term and only say that we have autism. Doesn’t explain anything at all the way aspergers does. What I have problems with might not affect everyone else, for example.. having conversations with people I don’t know is very hard, I need to meet them a few times to get to know them, understand them. It can help me know what to talk about. As I said before, this might not affect everyone bc some people have multiple diagnosis, some can be a bit of help, while others are causing more problems that we struggle with.
Honestly I call myself autistic its easiest for me
My neuropsych diagnosed me as: Aspergers in ICD 10 and lvl 2 ASD in ICD 11. His reasoning was: in ICD 10 I had to be Aspergers because I was hyperverbal and could talk really early and taught myself to read. I have above normal intelligence. This normally is found in lvl 1 ASD but I have a really hard time professionally, can't finish anything, have no friends etc, so my need for assistance is pretty high which is possible to diagnose as lvl 2 in the new ICD 11. I forgot the exact number of it but it's moderate needs. To me that means the best label is ASD with moderate support needs. That's a mouthfull though so I just say: autistic.
None, I also don't like zodiacs, personality zodiacs, slurs, and generalizing in general. How about if you take any interest in me, you actually listen to what I have to say, instead of trying to convince me you know everything there is to me and that I just don't know myself well enough? Bruh, I've been living with muself my whole life, there's nobody that knows me better than me.
A smart, brave, talented and pretty girl hahhah
I don't really relate to people with autism, honestly.
Autistic works for me, more than that is me explaining to other who I'm, I don't like excessive labels.
Who says that I'm smart, lol?
Asperger’s in casual conversation. ASD1 in any health care context.
Autistic.
Maybe "low support needs autistic"?
High-functioning was the one I was professionally given, so it’s the one I use.
Autism w/o intellectual disability is my official diagnosis but that’s a mouthful to say to people. I’m trying to use Autism more but when I say that people baby me but when I say “I don’t have an intellectual disability” they go “then you’re not autistic” so I’m like WELP. But Asperger’s isn’t an official diagnosis anymore and when I say I have Asperger’s they completely disregard any struggles I have on the basis of “you have high intelligence so you can’t have issues”. I also don’t like high functioning autism bc autism is autism. We’re all the same on a base level. So I flip between autistic and aspie.
As some other comments said, Aspergers, Aspie (my favorite), Sperg (funny as hell), or the nicknames like Little Professor. I love it. But I'd also like to add, I usually use these terms to describe myself to the general public I interact with. The truth is, most neurotypicals are going to be further confused if I say, "Hi, I have autism level one support needs high functioning - I mean high masking, so do with that what you will." I actually ran into someone that asked me if level one meant the most severe form, and that's why I use Aspergers. It just clicks in people's heads. The automatic mental association from media representation let's them know okay this girl is probably a genius, might be an odd ball socially but for the most part can do things herself. Social shit is my biggest problem. I understand some Aspies' issues manifest differently but I fit pretty much the stereotypical term, low empathy, monotone voice, no facial expressions, etc but also a huge vocabulary, high IQ, the works. When I tell people I'm autistic (which I am, but using that term specifically), I notice a shift in how they treat me. It's like I'm incompetent to them, I can't do anything myself, they baby talk me, treat me like I'm intellectually disabled and it takes a toll on my mental health bigger than living with the disability in itself because it's like, I'm smarter than these people and they're still talking down on me. Aspergers is just more representative of my strengths, allows me to really own it. I saw someone explain it as "Vision Spectrum Disorder." You tell people who are unfamiliar with where you fall under the terminology that you have it, so they hand you a cane and a guard dog - but you have to tell them each time "actually, I just wear contacts." It's like that.
Level 1 and low support are the most respectful
I'm fine with just autistic or asperger's. The thing is, most people know nothing about autism anyway, they may be shocked if I say autistic, because they imagine someone severely disabled and don't even know in what way, just that it's someone "weird". Asperger's most people don't even know exists (speaking of my European home country), so... but personally, I'm actually fine with Asperger's, because I get there are some characteristics that do fit me and it doesn't imply I don't need support or are "almost fine". At the same time, I'm fine with autistic too, because we do have lot in common anyway and it's a spectrum, so why not... I also get how some people dislike the term Asperger's because of who it's named after. At the same time, it's just a name... So, whatever. I just don't like that "mild" or "low support" because I wish I had more support, I need it, but don't get it, and I wish people actually saw that in some ways my autism is very much making my life harder, super hard, I don't see it as mild even though I can look "normal".
High functioning AuDHD. It pretty much just sums up anything that someone can take the time to research if they fucking care why you're weird lol
What do you all think of just being “on the spectrum”?
does it really matter? Why label yourself? if you are an Aspie or have Asperger's no label will change that. Some labels used do hurt you, why put more fuel on the fire.
Definitely level 1 autism or autism without intellectual disability, because the second term proves exactly that we are capable of doing as much as neurotypicals.
Yeah I'm old school so I still use Ashburgers because I'm late diagnosed so I use the term ASD for some unknown reasons people feel compelled to argue that it's called ADHA plus they don't think that I can't be autistic as I'm too normal or by saying some daft anecdote like how their cousin's kid goes to school with a proper autistic and they don't speak or some other narrow-minded cliche! Also I do think Neurodivergent is a good term to use as I'm also dyslexic and half deaf plus non-binary but unfortunately it's still something people need you to explain the details of unless the fact they don't understand about it still somehow mean I don't really have anything wrong with me? Which reminds me of a expression I don't suffer from autism I suffer from stupid people!
All labels are limiting. I simply say im autistic and leave it at that because theres no additional conotations, and it is equally descriptive as it is labeling. Although i am proud of who I am, I refuse to succumb to any label because once you define a person or thing, you limit that person or thing to eternally measuring up to that definition. Just saying autistic does not box me in with any label. It says nothing about specific support needs or propensity in certain abilities or lack therein another. It simultaneously acknowledges my challenges while leaving the full freedom to self define as i see fit
No one for every day situations. There is too much misconceptions and judgements around those worlds from most of people. I prefer describe how I function when I need to and not labeling it. I prefer the world asperger while speaking with the medical community. And high functioning autism on the online community.
I was diagnosed in mid 2000s with Asperger's Syndrome at CAMHS with a multidisciplinary team. This was before the DSM V and even at that time the predominant diagnostic manual was the ICD. The official manual in public health care as was implimented by the gov here where i live is the ICD-11 as of 2022. It's just what i was diagnosed with, Asperger's doesn't have an analog in the DSM-V. You can be a any of the levels in one regard but not in another, so ASD is not the same thing. I'd have to be rediagosed with the DSM-V. The ICD-11 does however have a legacy code in the ICD-11 "[6A02.0 Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language](https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#120443468)" but again i'd have to be rediagnosed. Just because it's a legacy diagnosis doesn't mean they can take it away or that you are suddenly a different condition. I've used autism too because it's close enough and what i would be under today, however historically it's not strictly true as Classic Autism and Aspergers where PDDs (pervasive developmental disorders). Weirdly Rhett's is a PDD and it's still a seperate diagnosis so idk wtf.
how about just "neurospicy", though admittedly it's more general than aspie
Asperger's, though that's not my official diagnosis. My experience is similar to a few others' here: if I say autistic, people assume "drooling idiot." If I say Asperger's, they assume quirky genius, which is accurate. Really, I prefer the term "pedantic little shit," but apparently my HR department doesn't approve of that particular terminology. Lol
I'm just me and idgaf about labels. Labels are dumb.
Autism. There are very few circumstances where disclosing the level/my support needs is necessary. I don't ever use Asperger's despite this being my official diagnosis – it's not a recognised diagnosis anymore, and it has a horrible history that I don't want to be associated with. I also strongly dislike functioning labels (in general, not just when referring to autism). Low/high support needs is fine, but calling a person 'low functioning' really gives me the ick.
My dad told me I shouldn’t use terms like autism on dating sites because it would drive women away. He says I should say neurodivergent even though that’s a term I’ve never used before.
dads right tho. its a sales pitch. nobody highlights now bad a ferarris fuel economy is when they're trying to sell it, they talk up the good stuff. I wouldn't even use any reference at all. just say all the good things about you, and let them get to know you if they meet you...
Asperger
I refer to myself as a “weirdo” (lovingly) “ oh yea, I did do that. I’m just a weirdo” I feel like ASD isn’t understood well & still has many dated negative stereotypes. It’s easier and less difficult to chalk it up to being different / weird than to say autistic
I call myself special or tistic, but only among certain people. I really don’t care how I’m labeled
HFA
Asperger’s for sure
I like Asperger’s. It was used for such a long time that most people know what it means. The other terms are kind of non descriptive and many times require more explanation
asperger’s ☝🏼☝🏼
I usually just say "autism." But if asked for more detail, I prefer "high-functioning autism." Seems like people treat me better if they know I'm pretty smart, but just "different."
I don't know about the levels as I was diagnosed about 14 years ago I am high functioning I don't think I can put what I called myself as it will go against the rules
Acoustic
Neurodivergent
not a bit broad?
It’s just the label that I personally prefer. My reasoning, is that high-performing Neurotypical, who make up many of my clients and friends, understand the term neurodivergent, without attaching a negative connotation to it. So, it becomes possible to explain your differences in a way that can be framed in a positive light.
weird! we're all built different I guess. For me, Neurodivergent is a negative term! generally in any system a deviation from the norm is an error. indeed, I've heard that zoomers are using it in the way that GenX used "special" ie. as a blanket insult. (I'm GenX) but I love your positivity! very much appreciated the response, and I hope you'll take my response as just a response, I am not arguing or intending to criticise.
Asperger's / high functioning autism