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How do you prefer to define it?

odd.avocaddo

Hi everyone, I've been doing some research about autism during a few weeks now and I developed a question.

I've read that in some places they define it as a "neurodevelopmental disorder" and others say, as for example this organization, it's "a lifelong developmental disability...".  How do you feel regarding the word disability? Do you prefer to call it a disorder or a disability? And why? Do you prefer another way of calling it? I would genuinely love to know. 

My hope is to gather information as realistic as it can be so I can start advocating for autism in the near future. Thanks to all of you. You're great humans!

 

Parents

  • I believe that, in the UK, autism (ASD) is classed as a disability under anti-discriminatory law, but, in order to gain disability benefits from the government, further assessment is required. So autism is a disability, but in practice may not be assessed as such in all cases. An autism diagnosis does not automatically give disabled status, except in the realm of discrimination.

    Personally, I prefer the concept of autism as a condition, rather than a disorder, Given the extreme effort that most autistics make to ensure their world is as ordered as possible, calling us 'disordered' is something of a misnomer, if not an insult. As regards disability, again personally, I do not feel disabled. My autism has impaired my natural ability to do certain things, but I have used my intellect and some bloody hard work to cope with my impairments, if not overcome them. As a result my autism has not disabled me from achieving the things I really wanted to achieve.This has come at a price. I have had more difficulties, more exhaustion, more anxiety, and had to force myself into enduring many more deeply uncomfortable situations than the vast majority of allistics ever experience.

  • in reply to Martin
    Martin said:
    My autism has impaired my natural ability to do certain things, but I have used my intellect and some bloody hard work to cope with my impairments, if not overcome them. As a result my autism has not disabled me from achieving the things I really wanted to achieve.This has come at a price. I have had more difficulties, more exhaustion, more anxiety, and had to force myself into enduring many more deeply uncomfortable situations than the vast majority of allistics ever experience.

    Yes! re your last line.

    My autism has disabled me from achieving most things I really wanted to achieve, so we are different there.

Reply
  • in reply to Martin
    Martin said:
    My autism has impaired my natural ability to do certain things, but I have used my intellect and some bloody hard work to cope with my impairments, if not overcome them. As a result my autism has not disabled me from achieving the things I really wanted to achieve.This has come at a price. I have had more difficulties, more exhaustion, more anxiety, and had to force myself into enduring many more deeply uncomfortable situations than the vast majority of allistics ever experience.

    Yes! re your last line.

    My autism has disabled me from achieving most things I really wanted to achieve, so we are different there.

Children