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Do you object to the term "Aspergian"?
Yes 46%  46%  [ 19 ]
No 54%  54%  [ 22 ]
Total votes : 41

lau
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18 Feb 2009, 8:54 am

The results will probably be overwhelming to one side but I have personal objections to the term "Aspergian".

I object to the capitalisation as one would not use such for other conditions such as schizophrenia.

The term "aspie" is not bothersome to me and I prefer an informal label.


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Last edited by lau on 18 Feb 2009, 8:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

lau
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18 Feb 2009, 8:56 am

Please note:

I do not intend this as a parody of ewm80's poll.

I have tried to match his poll as closely as I felt I could, in order to get a reasonable feeling for the strength of opinion - one word against the other. (So much so, that I accidentally forgot to change the thread title at all, when I first copy/pasted it. :))


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18 Feb 2009, 9:28 am

I usually use the "rose by any other name"-guideline. Truth be told, I find the term "Aspergian" a bit more formal than "aspie". Personally I often simply use "person with Aspergers" though it's a bit long. Since english is not my native language, I don't use the term in either poll all that much...it just doesn't sound the same in dutch.

There's a difference regarding whether a term is used by someone to refer to himself or whether a term is used by someone to refer to someone else. "aspie" seems informal and appropriate for both self-reference and reference to others. "Aspergian" sounds a bit more...stuckup (for lack of a better term) when used as self-reference and maybe a bit odd when used to refer to someone else.

Personally I don't mind any word as long as it's relatively objective in nature.



t0
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18 Feb 2009, 9:31 am

I don't object to others using it, but I wouldn't use it (or aspie).



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18 Feb 2009, 9:35 am

I do not like the term, "person with autism" or "person with asperger's," either. Even aspergian or autist are much better than the condescending puzzle. I usually dress up to go to autism events, but I am thinking about getting or making a t-shirt that says, "I'm a person - not a puzzle" an wearing that.


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18 Feb 2009, 10:01 am

I can't stand the word Aspergian. I Hate it with a passion. I only know one Aspie who calls himself an "aspergian". And I know a good amount of Aspies these days.



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18 Feb 2009, 10:36 am

lau wrote:
The results will probably be overwhelming to one side but I have personal objections to the term "Aspergian".

I object to the capitalisation as one would not use such for other conditions such as schizophrenia.

The term "aspie" is not bothersome to me and I prefer an informal label.


"Asperigian"is capitalized because the root of the word comes from a name (I would also capitalize "Aspie", but tha't probably just me.)
"schizophrenia" is a medical term not named after a specific person.


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MONKEY
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18 Feb 2009, 11:08 am

I'm not too keen on the word "aspergian" it sounds too much like those people that are all big headed about it like what Stijn said about it sounding stuck up.
I prefer the word aspie as it's much more fun and friendly


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Sora
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18 Feb 2009, 11:25 am

I must say I absolutely dislike the word Aspergian. Not because of its users or the context its used in usually -

I just do not like it.

It sounds as if its a fancy formal word for a new race.

I'm not really AS but I'm diagnosed with AS and I don't want anyone to associate me with such a word as Aspergian because it seems to enforce stereotypes of AS with some people on and off the spectrum.

Aspergian also just sounds wrong to my ears. The word has a very disturbing melody to it.

I do not prefer aspie, but if I had to, I would choose aspie over Aspergian any day.


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18 Feb 2009, 12:19 pm

Which choice do I pick if I don't object so much as find it really annoying?

I find everything but "autistic" annoying. Don't know what's wrong with "autistic", but obviously something is, or people wouldn't produce so many alternatives.



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18 Feb 2009, 3:54 pm

I don't object to it. I just don't use it cause it tends to play tongue-twister with me.



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18 Feb 2009, 5:34 pm

Autistic is my first choice, but I don't mind Aspie either. Apergian just sounds really ugly to me. Maybe it just sounds too much like aspersion and carries the negative connotation?



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19 Feb 2009, 9:41 am

It just sounds really stupid, plus if anyone is familiar with the term they will link it to the nutjobs at Aspergian Island.

Aspie isn't much better. "Hi, I'm an ass pie." Yeah, not really liking that term. Or really Asperger's Syndrome in general. I prefer to simply say "autistic."


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22 Feb 2009, 12:23 pm

We live in a society that demand name tags. We're so used to the idea of needing one that we clamour to pick the right one. Whatever we call ourselves collectively, we are each totally different, and my autism is not your autism.

The problem is expediancy. How quickly can we pass on a piece of information to another person and then move on with the rest of the conversation. For me, I prefer to say "I am" rather than "I have". I am right handed, I do not have Left Brain Syndrome.

I'd rather say that I am autistic, however due to lack of exposure and lack of education, most people will need further clarification on what that means.



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22 Feb 2009, 1:49 pm

I far prefer the term autistic.

For some reason aspie never really grew on me. Perhaps because of its "cute" image. I generally hate all things that sounds like it ends in "ie" anyway as it seems patronizing to me. (cutie, baby, lovey, pookie, blah blah Its all very cutesy cutesy baby talk language and I hate it.)

Sometimes I use the word AS on here, or I might say aspie because I'm in the company (here at WP) of people that identify with that word, but it really does grate on my nerves to say it.

Then of course, there are those people that don't believe us that are diagnosed with Asperger's should call ourselves autistic anyway. So I can't really win. (although I do fit the criteria for autistic disorder and could have just as easily been diagnosed with that as with Asperger's.)



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23 Feb 2009, 1:07 am

Autism-Autistic-Autist.

And when confronted with those who in the newly educated world make the claim I am autistic, I claim to be unfamilier with the term and ask them to define it. So far none have passed that test.