Published on 12, July, 2020
How do y'all feel about an autistic person identifying as an "aut*st" or calling their autistic friends they have close relationships with the same word? My autistic friend prefers it because he says it is "taking the word back", but only autistic people can use it. He likens it to the n-word or h*llbilly.
Personally, I agree with him. In fact, I designed a shirt that says "All my friends are aut*sts" (but actually spelled out without the astrix). It's from a running personal joke where I was completely unaware I was autistic and just thought I liked autistic people, which is why I would say, "All my friends are autistic." Using the word "aut*sts" in the shirt would be an indirect way of disclosing my autism flavor since only autistic people can use it. Would this shirt be offensive?
This thread concerned me a bit as its a word I’d started to use. Certainly here, relatively often - having seen it in many posts and thinking that it was perfectly correct. Now I feel really unsure. Is it a slur? Was it a slur in the past? Isn’t it just a quick way to say ‘autistic person’? I’ll certainly step away from using it for now if there’s any such aspect to it, and I apologise if it caused offence at any point, I just assumed that as it was son commonly used on here it was a sanctioned term. I feel embarrassed now! Like I thought I knew it all when I’m still very much learning
I think some NTs use it as derogatory when they are jealous of our ability to focus on a topic.
The reason I was concerned with using it is because this site says to avoid that word in one of the guides.
At school a few people have taken to using it as an insult towards me and the word autism. People say it makes me retarded
I'm sooooo looking forward to that thread.
An internet personality for whom I'd gained a lot of respect for telling the truth and "having her head screwed on" generally, instinctively responded to my revelatiion with "Oh your'e a retard then".
Overall my condition has not made me gain an ability for being particualrly "with it" and the main effect of my diagnosis has been a lowering of peoples expectations of me, and increased acceptance of my little foibles.
It's hard to accept someone who isn't as bright as me, (most people clearly are not) calling me a "retard" but easier when you know it's someone who is a fellow teller of the truth as they know it.
After a couple of years mulling it over, I can see how the label does fit me.m In many, many, ways I've gained some skills very slowly indeed. Particularly the social ones.
I don't like being insulted, and it's taken me a long time to get used to it, and learn to deal with insults. BUT in the real world, you ARE going to get insulted, and rather than struggling with it for fifty years like I did, maybe we can cut the learning curve down a bit.. I'll start a thread on the topic of how do we deal with being insulted.
As Autists we find it really hard to navigate the nuances of the insult, but like any form of combat, it can be dissected, understood, and the skills and strategies for success grown. Essentially if you can "take" a good insult with grace and then (in most, but not all cases) deliver a better one back, you can gain respect in normie society is my take on the matter.
There's nothing wrong with you. They are just awful people for using slurs against you and trying to create new ones out of harmless description to use against you too. Honestly take it to safeguarding and the police, because these kids are just gonna be hate crime merchants and assault people one day if they aren't held accountable now.
Sadly no if your different they home in on it and its made fun off.
Thank you ️
I'm really sorry to hear that.
Virtual hug x
That's horrible, I'm so sorry. I naively assumed kids these days were more enlightened.