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How to respond to 'Aren't we all on the spectrum'

Botty

I've had 2 people recently reply to hearing of my diagnosis 'Isn't everyone on the spectrum?'. I've found that quite insulting. No, autistic people will be on a spectrum of traits. Neurotypicals are NOT on the spectrum as far as I am concerened and have no idea of what we deal with.

What do others think? How do you reply to this cliche? 

Parents

  • The problem Is the word spectrum. It is not a sliding scale with people being more or less autistic.

    It is a set of discrete traits and experiences that vary widely from person to person.

    Each individual trait can be at different levels, so each person has a different mix, giving a spectrum of externally observable conditions. It is a spectrum of medical conditions grouped together in one bucket, not a spectrum of severity.

    The individual traits taken together have to get over a certain threshold, they have to be disabling, i.e. have significant impact on your life and badly compromise or prevent you from doing things.

    It is not that you don't like things, it's that they take a physical toll on you. 

    While you can push through sometimes, it disregulates your nervous system and the stress harms you. If done too much it leads to shutdowns, meltdowns and burn out, which requires isolation and rest for months to recover from.

    Are the individual traits limited to autistic people, no. Everyone has senses and feelings, it is about degree and the effect it has on you and how it is processed.

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  • The problem Is the word spectrum. It is not a sliding scale with people being more or less autistic.

    It is a set of discrete traits and experiences that vary widely from person to person.

    Each individual trait can be at different levels, so each person has a different mix, giving a spectrum of externally observable conditions. It is a spectrum of medical conditions grouped together in one bucket, not a spectrum of severity.

    The individual traits taken together have to get over a certain threshold, they have to be disabling, i.e. have significant impact on your life and badly compromise or prevent you from doing things.

    It is not that you don't like things, it's that they take a physical toll on you. 

    While you can push through sometimes, it disregulates your nervous system and the stress harms you. If done too much it leads to shutdowns, meltdowns and burn out, which requires isolation and rest for months to recover from.

    Are the individual traits limited to autistic people, no. Everyone has senses and feelings, it is about degree and the effect it has on you and how it is processed.

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