wishing for non-diagnotic related autism labels

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I'm thinking, I wish there was a term for being autistic, and/or aspie, that was totally separate from and disorder label.

Dissociation, you can talk about someone experiencing it, them being dissociative, without it being a pseudo-diagnosis. The label doesn't point to any particular disorder. It covers multiple disorders AND it covers things that aren't at all disorders, things people who are both ordinary and mentally healthy do.

I can talk about my experiences with dissociation, and use that word, without it being any sort of self-diagnosis. But when I talk about being autistic, or having aspie traits, it becomes a self-semi-diagnosis. And it's not because I think differently about autistic traits versus dissociation. Rather, it's because the word autism is associated with a particular diagnosis, as is the word aspie. But I don't have a word to use that points to the traits I see without pointing at a diagnostic label, which in my case is a diagnostic label (or labels) that I don't have.

i don't fully understand your post (having confusing day) but a word is a label, all language is labels representing ideas and concepts what those label/words represent to one person may mean something completely different to another person.

A word is a label yes (well, not all of them, but the ones we are talking about ), that's not the issue.

Of course, it would help if I hadn't completely flubbed up the end of the first sentence.

I don't even remember what that was supposed to be. I think it was supposed to be (last 3 words), "... the disorder labels".

I wish there was a work for being autistic that wasn't a reference to a disorder, but rather, was about having particular traits, and covers those traits with or without it being a disorder. Like there is with dissociation. And depression.

how about Semi Not Autistic Not Aspie or SNANA

Last edited by Titangeek on 20 Nov 2010, 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

What? "Freak" doesn't cover it?

Hmmmm....if someone asked me how I define myself, I'd say I'd get back to them and calmly walk away

I do get what you mean though, I think it has to do with connotative meaning (what shades of grey society attributes to the word). I think it's hard to be Aspie or Autie in a world where some people see all on the spectrum as Rain Man. There is a wide world which is quite clueless; you throw in some bigotry and there you go! but I digree...

I think Temple Grandin's label "Anthropologist on Mars" is a good start (though a bit unwieldy). Perhaps it is that we are in a separate reality from NTs, and a colloquial label reflecting that would help others feel that the condition is less "out there" than a label of autism.

Sorry I couldn't offer a valid suggestion. I just tend to define myself as "a Jim", since I'm one of the few I know, and therefore makes me a rare commodity...perhaps a jesting personal label would help instead of trying to redefine a medical term. Hope this helps you out a bit

I think I understand what you mean.

I will use your example about dissociation.

Dissociation by itself is not a diagnosis and doesn't necessarily lead to a diagnosis, it is not an issue if it happens once in a while, probably everyone, sometimes in their life, can experience dissociation for a reason or another ... and it doesn't have a label other then being just that, "dissociation". However if it happens more often then what is considered "normal" - i.e. usual, common - then this is when it may become an issue and therefore is considered a "disorder" from a medical or scientific point of view, hence the label, because I guess they need to put names on what they consider "abnormal", it makes it easier for them (doctors, scientists, etc) to communicate, study, and get opinions from each other about it.

Shadi

p.s. I also don't like labels much, a few years ago I had to go to the hospital, and you know how they call people "patients" ... well I know for them it just means "a doctor's customer", but the word bugged me so much, I am a person not a patient, all of a sudden - for them - I was defined by the word "patient", I told them I am not a "patient" I am a person, and I am NOT patient either lol.

Last edited by Shadi2 on 21 Nov 2010, 3:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

What about:
Semi Autistic Not Typical Always... SANTA

It's seasonal, and I imagine you'd get quite a reaction saying "I'm SANTA."

Couldn't help myself.