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Autism, it’s just a 6 letter word.

Coppo

I’m trying to open up a discussion as I’m confused.

I’ve been attending some support sessions and some people celebrate being diagnosed autistic and have a party.

Now thats upto them, their choice.

I know it’s me that needs to see things differently but I find this really difficult to understand at the minute.

All the issues lifelong I have.

Lets just pretend autism wasn't named autism for a minute, after all it’s just a word somebody has put to a set of behaviours etc, let’s say it’s called an apple sandwich instead. 

So let’s just say you’re called Julie and I said “ Right Julie, you are just being born again, would you want to walk up and down the street repeatedly back and forth, touching hedges, gates, fences,  or would you want to not have to do this”

There’s surely not a person alive who would say they want to be born and do that and be an apple sandwich. 

Thats just one behaviour/aspect, there’s plenty more but just one example.

Autism is just a word it’s the things that you seem compelled to do I hate. 

Parents

  • I'm not bothered by the word, as all conditions recognised by medics have names to describe a set of symptoms. I need names for things as it's quite difficult to (for example) buy a bed when you have to describe the thing to a salesperson or a search engine rather than use a word that has already done that work. I may not have chosen to be autistic, but I don't think I've suffered more than many NTs because of it. It gives me a slightly more objective view, free of the influence of social pressure. I have managed a good career in a variety of jobs within a large organisation and had a number of long-term realitionships. 

    Studying psychology really helped me over the years. Apart from anything else, it made me realise how insecure most NT people are, even though they try to hide it. My friendships have shown me that few people have truly happy childhoods and everyone goes through tough periods in their lives. Some never experience long periods of contentment. The downside is that those years of observation made me assign different causes to explain my own symptoms. When I finally realised I am [call it what you want], I felt relieved to know I wasn't the failed fish I thought I was, but a successful duck.

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  • I'm not bothered by the word, as all conditions recognised by medics have names to describe a set of symptoms. I need names for things as it's quite difficult to (for example) buy a bed when you have to describe the thing to a salesperson or a search engine rather than use a word that has already done that work. I may not have chosen to be autistic, but I don't think I've suffered more than many NTs because of it. It gives me a slightly more objective view, free of the influence of social pressure. I have managed a good career in a variety of jobs within a large organisation and had a number of long-term realitionships. 

    Studying psychology really helped me over the years. Apart from anything else, it made me realise how insecure most NT people are, even though they try to hide it. My friendships have shown me that few people have truly happy childhoods and everyone goes through tough periods in their lives. Some never experience long periods of contentment. The downside is that those years of observation made me assign different causes to explain my own symptoms. When I finally realised I am [call it what you want], I felt relieved to know I wasn't the failed fish I thought I was, but a successful duck.

Children