A Short Word History of Autism

People talk about how "Asperger" is a bad word now and how they no longer want to be associated with it, but is "autism" really any better?

The origin of the word autism combines aut- (a shortened form of auto-, meaning "self"), -ism (meaning "devotion", "action", or "practice"). Therefore, it means devotion or action toward oneself, i.e. selfishness, and autistic basically means "selfish". At least that's how I read it.

I'm not sure about anyone else here, but I don't consider myself selfish. I try and have tried to help, support and connect with other people, and it's not my fault that there has always been a barrier in the way of that. I am not devoted to myself or my own needs any more than any neurotypical people are devoted to themselves and their own needs. In fact, I suspect I am a considerable amount less devoted to myself than others are to themselves, in fact, because the effort on my part is frequently there even though it is not recognised as such, whereas certain others (though not everyone, of course), who would not have any particular trouble connecting with and supporting people around them, are clearly and markedly in it only for themselves.

This has been bothering me for a while, and it is to the point where I almost find the word "autistic" (along with its variations) offensive, even before all the many stereotypical assumptions come into it.

Does anyone else have an opinion or feeling about any of these words?

DragonCat16 said:

The origin of the word autism combines aut- (a shortened form of auto-, meaning "self"), -ism (meaning "devotion", "action", or "practice"). Therefore, it means devotion or action toward oneself, i.e. selfishness, and autistic basically means "selfish".

You are confusing etymology with definition. The original definition of 'autism' is stated in my opening post. The current definition (according to the OED) of the word is:
A neurodevelopmental condition of variable severity with lifelong effects which can be recognized from early childhood, chiefly characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication, and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour. In early use more fully infantile autism.

Oxford Dictionaries (which focuses on the current language and practical usage) gives this definition:
A developmental disorder of variable severity that is characterized by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour.

That word has that definition because someone invented it, using the etymological meaning as the intended meaning, referring to a group of people with a particular set of traits corresponding to the etymological meaning, or at least that is how he perceived it at the time. I wouldn't mind it so much if he had called it "cute person syndrome" instead. Then we'd all be "cuties".

I prefer to put my trust in the OED and take the facts as presented, without assumptions.

It is a shame that you have tried to make the thread about your 'connotations'. A separate thread would have suited your needs better.

I prefer to put my trust in the OED and take the facts as presented, without assumptions.

It is a shame that you have tried to make the thread about your 'connotations'. A separate thread would have suited your needs better.