Who is here?

Just for a bit of fun, I thought I would do a poll on the demographic of individuals who use this forum and then we can see what our online community looks like and argue over the diversity of it (okay, so that last bit might be a joke!). 

Please note: within this poll I have used the term ‘ASD’. I did so because this is what people are usually formally diagnosed with and because it would fit into the poll. If I could have used all alternative terms that people identify with then I would have but unfortunately there just isn’t room within the poll options. To avoid offence however, please substitute ‘ASD’ for whichever term you most identify with in your head and if you want to clarify which term this is, then please do so below.

  • As DC says, unfortunately you can’t vote twice with different responses, instead the poll will just change your vote.  I also overlap categories, and that’s why I mentioned a bit further up that we need polls that allow you to vote for more than one option.

    Still though, I think the results have been interesting and many of us have been able to express in the comments the different categories we fit into despite the poor voting facilities.

  • At this rate, I think I need a new category in my poll - Copybot! Arghh......

  • Greetings. I just voted also, for two maybe silly reasons:

    Because a lot of other good regulars seem to like this Thread and voted.

    The second reason is mainly to reply to Miss OrinocoFlo - it is not really possible to vote twice, but the vote can be changed. But most of all, I have not had good excuse to say this in ages and so I say it now...

    Your Icon is a Pokemon STARMIE! Yaaay!   :-)

  • I just voted as a parent of someone with ASD, because that's official, but am also self diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Would it work if those who need to vote in two categories voted twice? Or would that mess up the results?

  • I never saw the comment from NAS38247 before the moderators removed it, but I think I can guess who might have voted ‘Other’ in the poll...

  • I think you’re probably right there Song, as I’ve noticed that some people ask a specific question and then never comment again after that. 

  • The topic is personification, the attribution of human qualities and feelings to objects.

    In what context? presentation of personification in both ND and NT individuals? Personification to objects or to any non-human thing (i.e. animals).  I guess you have cleared this request with NAS based on the forum rules?, yes?

  • Comment removed by moderator - please note community guideline 8 

    "Requests for research study subjects and surveys need to be directed to research@nas.org.uk for data protection and research ethics reasons. Further information can be found on our research pages. Please be advised that any requests for research subjects or surveys posted on the Community will be deleted without warning."

    Regards, Heather - Mod

  • Haha because we’re autistic Blush

  • I don’t really have a problem with the word autism, but I didn’t grow up in the U.K.. Where I live, we just call it autism, unless you’re a doctor, or something.

  • I am a diagnosed autistic. I am not sure as to why I am pointing this out.

  • I'm not offended by it.  Very little actually offends me.  I think people get 'offended' far too often.  I just prefer not to use the term for myself.

  • Thank you NAS36609, my diagnosis literally saved my life. I had very calmly decided I was going to end my life but the night before, I gave life one last chance and begged the aliens (because I thought I was one) to give me a sign that I wasn't alone on the earth and the next day, it popped into my head, (completely out of the blue, I had NEVER thought this) that I was autistic and  in  that moment, my life changed and now I know what happiness is, so I'm not surprised that I tell every person that I meet that I'm autistic! 

  • I’m not sure why we don’t have many relatives, friends etc. of autistic individuals on this forum. There are many possible reasons, but I think only they really know why they don’t come here

    I think it's possible that NT  friends or relatives come in to find out something right away where as 'we' the autistic people who generally talk to each other in here are a loose  community and come in to perhaps belong/chat/not feel so alone rather than get an instant answer to a specific dilemma.

  • Hi NAS36609, I’m not opppsed to the term ASD and I’m certainly not offended but thank you for thinking of us Blush I’ve never really given it much or any thought to be honest, I have just always referred to myself as autistic. 

  • Well, left-handedness doesn't require additional support to function in life

    It's fairly minimal, but it might include left-handed tin openers or guitars. Back a hundred years ago, it was punished at school and people forced to write with their right hand. There's also an analogy with homosexuality being listed as a disorder in previous versions of DSM.

    But why do people have no trouble with ADHD and not wanting to change it to ADHC? 

    I don't know. I'm not formally diagnosed ADHD. Maybe with autism there's a stronger sense of needing deeper understanding and having the autistic community in control of their lives.

    You said earlier that people who understand jargon have privileged expertise.

    Not quite. I meant there was usually a perception if you hear a TLA that it is a specialist term with lots of associated knowledge. I've met social workers who didn't know what ASD means.

    My main point was actually that we hadn't had a response from parents/carers.

  • I understand your feelings over the term ASD. I really used it because it’s what most people are formally diagnosed with and because I couldn’t fit all possible terms that a person would use into the poll unfortunately. I thought about using ‘autism’, but I know that some individuals don’t like to use that term either. What I will do is edit the original post to explain why ‘ASD’ is used and make it clear that you can interpret it into your own favoured terms. I hope that will make it a bit less offensive to you  , Former Member and Former Member

    I’m not sure why we don’t have many relatives, friends etc. of autistic individuals on this forum. There are many possible reasons, but I think only they really know why they don’t come here.

  • I think I meant for those to come under ‘A person with undiagnosed ASD’, as you would have to either suspect it in yourself or someone else suggest you have it for you to fall into this category, it’s just that it’s not formally diagnosed. I will see if I can amend the poll though (I’m making no promises though as I’ve never tried that before and I have to go on a different computer to do it).

  • I’m glad your diagnosis was something positive for you BlueRay. I find that a lot of people feel this way with a late diagnosis.