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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 think it depends. I can understand that for some people, autism may be extremely debilitating to the point they simply cannot function without help and need full time support. However, when my daughter was diagnosed (and I self-diagnosed), I felt conflicted about referring to it as a disability or disorder - that implied something negative about my daughter, where actually she is happy in herself and faces some challenges instead. With me, I have never considered myself disabled/disordered - I simply have some inconveniences with my life which I push through (sometimes hard), I just happen to know what they are now.

Reply

  • I think it depends. I can understand that for some people, autism may be extremely debilitating to the point they simply cannot function without help and need full time support. However, when my daughter was diagnosed (and I self-diagnosed), I felt conflicted about referring to it as a disability or disorder - that implied something negative about my daughter, where actually she is happy in herself and faces some challenges instead. With me, I have never considered myself disabled/disordered - I simply have some inconveniences with my life which I push through (sometimes hard), I just happen to know what they are now.

Children
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