I think the writer went a bit overboard but also has a point

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https://themighty.com/2015/12/yes-i-say ... tism-mama/

I hope this link works. I need to let you know that I did not read the links before posting this so do not know if doing so will change my thoughts. I do plan on reading the links though.

tl;dr

The writer brought up a point that's argued a lot here on WP - is someone autistic or someone has autism?

For myself, I say I'm autistic. For me to say I have autism is like saying I have negroism or I have homosexuality or I have right-handedness. Seems kind of awkward in that text.

I like that woman's attitude. It's refreshing to hear from an 'autism parent' who has clearly paid some attention to autistic people rather than just to other allistic parents.

I do like how she admits that it is autistics who can answer best what those of us on the spectrum need. I do wish I could find a similar thing that focuses only on AS.

Omg who cares. This is over PC bull. I say I have autism but I think there's more important issues that need addressing. This kind of thing annoys me because important issues are ignored and dumb small things are magnified to huge proportions.

I kinda agree with you.

I'm fine with either term.

The aspects I would prefer to say I 'have' are the sensory overload and executive functioning issues. I have these issues; I'm not inherently a fragile, hypersensitive, disoriented, confused person. I'm a strong, capable person who is set back by a neurological disorder that I would prefer not to have.

But in terms of being introverted, obsessive, routine-oriented... Yes, that's me, not something I 'have'.

I also like her attitude. She accepts her son the way that he is. She's also willing to listen to actual autistic people. I think that's a great attitude to have as a mum in the 21st Century.

Agreed, I wish more NTs could have her attitude.

People should be able to identify as they please. But with Autism it is not that way. I have been on so many comment sections where language police correct people who say they are autistic, insisting the poster call themselves "a person with autism" because "autistic" is offensive. I have almost 60 more years of experience with autism then most of these language police, who are they to tell me how I should identify myself?

If it was just internet comment sections I would not give much of s**t. But most of the media and educational systems have rules that say use people first language. So me objecting to the established institutions calling me what I do not want to be called is being "politically correct"? No, it is me not liking bieng disrespected. It is the language police in positiion of power that have made people first language which should be a choice politically correct.

Amen.

Either one is fine with me.

I can't say I've encountered "person-first" language much. Perhaps British liberals are less prone to misguided hair-splitting about language than their American equivalents.... Where I have seen it, it feels awkward and ever so slightly patronising.

I've known several people who work in disability services, and all of them were happy putting the disability first. It's just an adjective, after all. They are more careful about certain terms- always "visually-impaired person" rather than "blind person," for example. Which I guess is a) more accurate for the many people who do have some vision and b) doesn't have the bad secondary meaning. (i.e. "You fool! You blind, ignorant fool!") Even that, though- if someone prefers you to be more down to earth and refer to them as "blind", I'd have to respect that.

Try reading the comments of some NAS Facebook posts in which they call someone 'autistic'.

It's absolutely ridiculous.

Personally, I use 'autistic' but couldn't care less what others use.

Like ASPartOfMe, I've seen so many examples of people being told not to describe themselves as autistic, and of people taking offence to the word 'autistic' in general, usually 'on behalf' of their child, who is on the spectrum and probably could not care less about which wording others are using.