Do you like the word/term "Aspie"

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Good. Short and light.

is there another word beside Aspie that could be used for those whom don't have Aspergers but just Autism that is not blunt as Autistic?

I think that this discussion is always interesting, because y'all 'Aspies' seem to wish to avoid being thought of as people like myself, you know, 'autistic' types. Aspie is cute and you can make comparisons to Bill Gates, etc.

I like what Autistic Hoya has to say about functioning labels. And frankly, I prefer the word autistic from a linguistic standpoint, and don't feel the need to differentiate myself as 'better than' or 'higher functioning' than my non-verbal, autistic brothers and sisters.

http://www.autistichoya.com/2012/04/fun ... ructs.html

Yeah, I like it- it sounds adorable.
But then again, one of my special interests is the kawaii stuff from Japan. So I'm happy with anything cute: 3 makes me happy.

Slander.
Of course there are Aspie elitists that don't want associate with "autistics" but in my experience here and in support groups they are a minority. So I should not call myself a New Yorker just an American because there certainly are a few New York elitists, Because of Madeoff and a few other crooks I shall be shall stop calling myself a
Jew. After all I don't want to wonder if people think I am going to "Jew them down". If I were of Italian background it would be a good idea to drop that name because of the Mafia.

Of course New Yorkers, Jews and Italians keep there name while calling themselves also American, British or whatever. But since we "aspies" have been officially written out, so we got to accept and agree with what not to many other groups agree to do these days, just accept the internalized prejudice.

Not liking the way a word sounds is fine, debating the merits of functioning labels is fine, slandering a group just is not.

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 20 Feb 2015, 11:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Woo. I have no idea what you are on about. Slander is 'a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report' and I'm not sure how you extrapolate "slander" from my post. It's a fairly common statement amongst autistics in the autistic rights movement. Surely we aren't all 'slandering'.

http://autisticadvocacy.org/policy-advo ... tatements/

and

http://musingsofanaspie.com/2013/06/26/ ... ing-label/

and

I could link on but there's plenty online about functioning labels and how they are problematic for those interested.

It's a flawed comparison to suggest calling yourself a Jew, Italian, or American is the same as calling yourself Aspie or Autistic. Heritage and/or national/local area labels aren't functioning labels. I sincerely doubt the majority in society who have heard of Italians would say, 'Oh, yes, an Italian-American, I imagine you don't need a support worker full time like those other Americans. You are really lucky to be able to work! I bet you're glad you're not as low functioning as those other Americans. I could probably deal with an Italian-American child, but I think parenting one of those other Americans would be really hard.'

I very much like the term "Aspie". I don't see it as being derogatory at all. It's different from a marketing standpoint. So many autism organizations call themselves autism this and autism that. That's all great and such, but gets boring. Gives the impression and perception that everyone's the same in the autism arena. Everyone in the local autism community in my city knows about my GCA brand. Ask anyone locally about GCA, and they will tell you how much of an impact my organization has made on adults on the spectrum here. I have a good, solid brand, and that brand tells people what my organization does and more. Greater Chattanooga = the area GCA serves. GCA is the only support/social group within a 75 mile radius of Chattanooga for adults on the spectrum. Aspies = what part of the adult autism population we serve. The high functioning autism and Aspergers population. I don't have the manpower or time to take on the entire adult autism population locally, so I go with my strengths for what I can do.

Greater Chattanooga Autism sounds too bland, and also gives the connotation that my organization covers all of the life spectrum with regard to autism. It doesn't - just young adults and adults on the autism spectrum (and soon to be parents of those young adults and adults). I'm sticking with my GCA brand for quite some time to come. It's a good brand, and I wouldn't trade it for any other potential brand name having to do with autism. It's different and stands out in people's heads. People understand and know who Greater Chattanooga Aspies is and what we do. Like anything else, it's all about marketing yourself and promoting your brand so people know who you are.

I think this just about sums up my opinion of the term

Perhaps I'm not the only one who reads Aspie as ass pee. I don't want to go around telling people I'm an ass pee. Autistic sounds much nicer.

No, it sounds too childish. Supposing I truly have AS (very likely, but still unconfirmed), I prefer aspergian, because it sounds like a name for an alien species. Which is just as childish, but I would rather compare myself to a comic book alien than to a Discovery Kids character.

Actually, I use "autistic" more often, simply because the average guy has never heard of AS before, but has some basic (although often very negative, but usually I do not care) knowledge about autism.

I prefer more official names, not childlike abbreviations, I love language. When I was seventeen I began to own the rhyme nickname someone made of my name and made it my own. After a while I realized that while I'd taken it away as a weapon to be used against me I still kind of hated it so I dropped it. So now I apply that logic to the term Aspie, I don't like it nor will I ever and owning it won't make me hate it any less. Also yes, it does sound like ass pee, which is just as bad as ass burger, if there is any word I wish to champion it is Autistic.

Same. It's been tricky for me in Australia as a lot of our words are childlike abbreviations. It took me about eight years before I adjusted to hearing a grown man say things like 'choccy bickie'. What we don't shorten to an ee sound we add an o to. Ambulance drivers are ambos, fire fighters are firies, electricians are sparkies, construction workers are chippies (as are hot chips).

Autistic forever, and yes I also loathe the term 'autie'. Autistic is great.

I never realized that 'aspie' sounded like 'ass pee', but yes, it does. That makes me dislike it even more.

As I've always said, 'b' and 'p' sound totally different from each other to me. So 'ass-burger' doesn't sound like 'Asperger' at all. I have no idea why some people find it funny.

I definitely prefer 'autism' and 'autistic' to anything else as 'autism' is the official and most commonly known term for this condition although many people probably have wrong ideas about it.

I think it's great if folks with Aspergers can name and see themselves in a fun, positive way. I feel excluded in discussions though when they are about 'Aspies'. I didn't speak until I was 4 years old, and I was diagnosed with autism as a kid. So I wonder if I fit in those discussions, and if I can relate. I remember my mom's reaction when they told her I had autism. It's been a long road in accepting myself and if fun names like 'Aspie' or 'autie' help people to see themselves in a more happy and positive way, then that's a wonderful thing.

I think we'll never change the perception of 'autistic' unless we use it regularly and mean it in a positive way.