Aspergers label being used

I have only known about my Autism (ASD 1) for a few months but as I have learnt about it, I have come to wonder about the wisdom of putting all levels of autism under one umbrella and just calling it autism. I hate the term "high functioning autism" as I don't feel I function highly (well, maybe in some respects!) but I function, for want of a better term, "normally". I can care for myself and my family, earn money and live a comfortable life.

Although the science says that my brain type is similar to people who are level 3 ASD, I don't feel like there is much commonality between myself and level 3 autistic people. I always worry that that sounds like I am trying too hard to distance myself and make sure that everyone knows I am not like that and, to be 100% honest I can't deny that there is an element of that, but mainly I don't want to belittle the huge difficulties that a level 3 autistic person has, because my life is nowhere near as impaired as that.

I guess also that using Asperger's is just a quicker way of using a term that the layperson understands, without the need to explain all about the different levels etc.

Also, if you have referred to yourself as having Asperger's all your life, you may not want to change that, just because it has been decided that the name is problematic.

I don't personally use the term Asperger's to describe myself but I may use it as a reference point to help people understand.

I have only known about my Autism (ASD 1) for a few months but as I have learnt about it, I have come to wonder about the wisdom of putting all levels of autism under one umbrella and just calling it autism. I hate the term "high functioning autism" as I don't feel I function highly (well, maybe in some respects!) but I function, for want of a better term, "normally". I can care for myself and my family, earn money and live a comfortable life.

Although the science says that my brain type is similar to people who are level 3 ASD, I don't feel like there is much commonality between myself and level 3 autistic people. I always worry that that sounds like I am trying too hard to distance myself and make sure that everyone knows I am not like that and, to be 100% honest I can't deny that there is an element of that, but mainly I don't want to belittle the huge difficulties that a level 3 autistic person has, because my life is nowhere near as impaired as that.

I guess also that using Asperger's is just a quicker way of using a term that the layperson understands, without the need to explain all about the different levels etc.

Also, if you have referred to yourself as having Asperger's all your life, you may not want to change that, just because it has been decided that the name is problematic.

I don't personally use the term Asperger's to describe myself but I may use it as a reference point to help people understand.

People with intellectual disability and autism are often termed 'profoundly autistic', but people with intellectual disability who are also very outgoing and sociable are not called 'profoundly neurotypical'.