Is there pride in autism/asperger's?

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I've been tracking an interesting topic about autism/asperger's tshirts (Aspie" t-shirts, opinions?) and it made me wonder if there is pride to be found in autism.

Some people might disagree with this because they don't want their diagnosis to define them. I agree with this to an extent, but I've been embracing the positives to having asperger's while working to help the negatives. I'm glad that I have the memory I do and this crazy passion and ability to fix things and solve problems and puzzles. I also really like being a bottom-up processor.

Of course I don't want to just run up to random people and shout "I HAVE ASPERGER'S", but wearing a t-shirt that shows autism support or even wearing the puzzle piece autism ribbon doesn't seem like a bad idea. If I saw someone with something like that, I might not approach them for a conversation, but it would make me smile knowing that someone else has or supports people with autism.

I've told close friends and family about my diagnosis and I've received nothing, but support and interest about it. Maybe it's because I haven't been the victim of bullying or abuse over this that I feel happy about it, but I was wondering how the WP community felt. I have seen threads of people who are in a relationship with another who has autism/asperger's and they've used words like "proud" and "happy" when describing their relationship.

So, is it okay to have pride in our diagnosis or am I nuts?

Probably indifferent.I have seen other threads similar to yours.

I hadn't noticed any, sorry .

Search.

No pride, no shame. I didn't do anything to get it.
It would be like being proud of my shoe size or my eye colour.
I try to exploit the positives and work on/deal with the negatives. Just like anyone else, except I think the split between what I'm good at and what I'm bad at is rather wider than normal.

I can understand that. I'm starting to feel kinda weird about feeling this way.

I celebrate the differences that I have because of my Asperger's and I take pride in my accomplishments.

Thank you! That's what I was talking about. I just didn't word it properly. I take pride in my Asperger's because it has helped me with my accomplishments.

I wish there was a word other than pride/proud that was the "proper self-respect" part of it. I dislike the use of the word pride in 'gay pride', and 'autistic pride' seems to be the same sort of situation as that.

I do not like being a aspie, but IDK man, the crap treatment from NTs sort of makes me take pride in it to a extent. Being called the R word, slow, etc, makes sort of have a chip on my shoulder mentality.

Not to mentioned being unfairly judged by NTs, also contributes to me feeling this way.

At work several NTs at work have called me a A hole (But never to my face, only in a snide way), and quite frankly, I just don't give a damn. I like being nice to people, but it just feels so good returning the favor to people who treated you bad and mock/make fun of you.

Eye for an Eye!

I think Tuttle has it right, too. It's not so much pride, but self-respect. I guess pride makes it seem like you want to show it off, even though I am proud of what I've accomplished due to my Asperger's.

Trainbuff, I'm sorry you get treated so poorly by people like that. Most of that comes from being misinformed and having the wrong idea of what you have. Even so, they don't sound like good people.

As I await Tuesday's results from my assessment, I continue to struggle with this sort of thing. It doesn't feel like gay pride to me, but I came out as a teenager, and I'm finding out if I have Asperger's in my 40s. I've noticed many people who come out as gay later on in life seem to have a similar struggle to mine about Asperger's, and I think now I understand them for the first time.

But I also think maybe I don't view Asperger's in the same way as being gay. I'm troubled by the increasing degree to which I'm realizing how I've appeared to others and how uncomfortable I've made them, even as I now understand that it's not out of any moral failing on my part. So, I guess I'm less inclined to be harsh with myself, but I also feel less justified in being angry with others for how they've treated me.

I also don't feel certain that I possess any particular quality that an NT couldn't have in equal degree. I know a lot of people who are more talented and knowledgeable than I am, and I don't think I'm any more kind, or whatever else, than other people, either. I'm not terrible or stupid; I'm just not anything to write home about. So, I guess I'm not sure what the source of pride would be for me. On the other hand, I can easily see how others could take pride in it if they're getting more of the up side of having it. If they have pride, I'm glad.

My opinion is, why not be proud of who you are, especially if you can't change it! Sure, I have some serious PTSD (I was severely mentally, verbally, and occasionally, physically, abused by my peers all throughout school) and a "chip on my shoulder mentality" as Trainbuff so aptly put it, but hey, this is who I am, if you don't like it, you don't have to be around me. If you don't like me and you are around me by choice, pull up your big girl panties and deal with it, 'cause again, you don't have to be around.

I see both gay pride and autistic pride as "This is me; this is part of me and always has been. I'm accepting of myself, I love myself as I am. I don't want to be different. I want others to love me as I am and not want me to be different. I am myself and I am proud of being myself instead of someone else no matter how falsely stigmatized groups I am part of are."

I agree with you on this. That is exactly what it should be. I also see the point of your criticism that there should be a better word for it.

I have to admit that probably one of the best things ever for my self-esteem was knowing I am autistic. Not because being autistic is necessarily straight up amazing, but just understanding myself better helps so much.

Well, I sort of have pride in my AS, on another forum, in my signature, I put "Aspie and proud!" in bold, pink letters. But I've only told a few people in real life, no-one else. But it doesn't matter if I tell people, because my bigmouth sister already has! So much for surprise revelation next year! I'll still do the speech anyway, and tell people during, just it may not be a surprise anymore. The way I see it, my sister told people. People have friends and siblings who they would likely tell. It would go through a whole bunch of friends and siblings, get to my year level, and BAM! It's no longer a surprise! But I'm still sort of hoping it doesn't happen like that.