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Separating The Self

JT

On a lot of posts on this forum we talk about autism, and us. We differentiate between those two things.

However, clearly, if we are autistic then we are also autism. So I feel as if we need to not refer to those two things separately?

It's extreme, but I sort of want to change my name to autism so people refer to me in one go.

So instead of:

'Oh so you are austistic?' ...'yes, my name is ________, and I am autistic'.

It would go:

'Oh hi there Autism' glad to see you.' 'Yes, hi there, nice to see you too. It's nice to be seen for who I am, and not a person WITH a condition you must accommodate'.

Parents

  • Autistic is an adjective (describing something) but autism is a noun (an actual thing.)  So saying "I am autism" is a bit like saying "I am glasses."  

    I am autistic.  I am queer.  I am British.  I am a parent.

    Language is weird.

  • in reply to Glitter

    Thats sort of my issue. Why should I have to tell people?

    I'd rather say, if a situation required it, to say ' yeah sorry, I struggle with load noises... Or... I have some sensory issues...or I just don't excel at making small talk'

    Overall I think I have an issue with the societal need to categorise people so readily. They call it autism, I call it normal

  • in reply to JT

    For me the problem is that the general public have this category called autism but they don't understand what it means.  They have a vague sense based on stereotypes. 

    The category autistic is more useful for me because I work in a school where there is much more awareness.  But in other places I might as well say I'm Kelpian for all the understanding it brings.

    Words are helpful in getting us to make sense of the world.  But that only works if we all understand the same meaning.

  • in reply to Glitter

    Jackpot.

    This is the exact issue, and why I don't feel it's right to categorise people into groups often.

    If there is ignorance in the air, then it's almost impossible for equality and fairness to prevail

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