The term "autistic behaviours"

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Yes it makes perfect sense and I agree with you. It doesn't really make me angry though, because I haven't been in a situation where it would come up that way.

I just started figuring out a little over 2 years ago that I might actually be autistic. Most people I have talked to about it don't seem to have any idea what "autistic behaviors" are in the first place. I wish those people could understand that some of my behaviors might be autistic.

On the other hand, I think the word "behavior" is definitely the wrong word to use. "Behavior" implies that something is done on purpose as a deliberate, conscious choice over behaving some other way. I prefer to say "autistic traits."

That's how I see it.

I understand how you feel, but I think you're wrongly blaming the words for how they're used.

1. If you study bird behaviour, you don't just study what they do for now reason. Some people won't see there's a reason behind our autistic behaviour, and no wording is going to fix that.

2.. Autistic behaviours is an unusual choice of words, so I think it comes from psychology. As such it wouldn't be used outside of psychological stuff.

3. Again, this is the association you get from people using it that way, not something inherent in the words.

All in all it's people's ideas we need to change, not the words they use. The words take on the meaning behind them regardless of how often you change them.

I have been a bit uneasy with the term "autistic behaviors", but not sure why.

Thanks, OP and Willard for well-stating why that term has troubled me.