"Aspie"

[zurb]

Yesterday, I was helping a person with a hammer to build a house. He asked me to get more nails, but I had to go by taxi. I asked the person with the taxi to take me to a hardware shop. When I got there, I asked the person with the shop where the nails were. When he showed me, I pulled out my wallet, but he explained I had to pay the person with the cash register. Today, when we collected more wood, I was allowed to be the person with the truck.

While I understand the thinking, "person with" structures tend to be awkward and clumsy.

 

[Myrtonos]

I'm taking a class in special education inclusion here at college. On the first day of class, my teacher said that we must refer to people on the spectrum as "person with autism" or "person with aspergers". I explained to her that not everyone on the spectrum likes that. She told me that, while she understood, we still have to use "person with autism" because it's required by federal law/regulations (can't remember which). This only applies to educators, I think. It still bothers me that I won't be allowed to call myself Aspie when I'm teaching. But at least I will be able to call myself an Aspie here.

Do you mean U.S. federal regulations? Do they also require educators attracted to the same sex to refer to themselves as "person attracted to the same sex" and not "homosexual" let alone "homo".

Well it seems that you can accept that the law doesn't allow you to say "aspie" when teaching, you don't accept that you should change the way you speak elsewhere. Is that similar with Beverly? Would she have to refer to herself as half-native American and not half-breed when teaching?

Yesterday, I was helping a person with a hammer to build a house. He asked me to get more nails, but I had to go by taxi. I asked the person with the taxi to take me to a hardware shop. When I got there, I asked the person with the shop where the nails were. When he showed me, I pulled out my wallet, but he explained I had to pay the person with the cash register. Today, when we collected more wood, I was allowed to be the person with the truck.

While I understand the thinking, "person with" structures tend to be awkward and clumsy.

I don't quite understand what this story has to do with "person with" structures. A shop, a cash register or a truck isn't part of who they are.

 

[ancusmitis]

Seriously, do you even know any gay people?

 

[Beverly]

Is that similar with Beverly? Would she have to refer to herself as half-native American and not half-breed when teaching?

Yes, it is similar, or so my lawyer daughter tells me. If I were an educator "person with autism/Asperger's/autism spectrum disorder" would be the only acceptable terms I could use and, I would have to refer to myself as a person with ASD who is also of Native American and, French Canadian heritage. UGH! Halfbreed Aspie is fine with me.

Still it's all a part of being as non offensive as possible, bloody politically correct crap - they even have to legislate us into doing it "right."

 

[Myrtonos]

Seriously, do you even know any gay people?

Aside from whether I know any gay guys (this is a public forum), one French poster here does sometimes identify as a homo, in addition to "aspie". Yes, he does sometimes say "homo" at least in French.

Yes, it is similar, or so my lawyer daughter tells me. If I were an educator "person with autism/Asperger's/autism spectrum disorder" would be the only acceptable terms I could use and, I would have to refer to myself as a person with ASD who is also of Native American and, French Canadian heritage. UGH! Halfbreed Aspie is fine with me.

Here's a thought, what if aspies aspiring to become teachers get together and appeal for an exemption to the law against saying "aspie" when teaching, if they can prove they are diagnosed, and students who don't like the term can choose to stay out of their classes.

 

[ancusmitis]

Yes, he does sometimes say "homo" at least in French.

It's still meant as an insult in English and I'd really like you to stop saying it in every other post.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

Do you mean U.S. federal regulations? Do they also require educators attracted to the same sex to refer to themselves as "person attracted to the same sex" and not "homosexual" let alone "homo".
...

Why on earth would they? Sexual orientation in completely different from diagnosable disorders! Homosexual is the correct, non-slang, non-insulting, term. And once again, of course they wouldn't be allowed to say 'homo' because it is an insult. also, the use of the word in French is irrelevant, because, you know, it's a different language. (apologies Ancusmitis for once again using the term).

At the end of the day, people can call themselves whatever they want, but should not call other people things that they are aware could be considered insulting. That's just basic decency. As is being aware of the potential impacts of your language (even when referring to yourself) when you are in position of authority, especially with children.

 

[ancusmitis]

(apologies Ancusmitis for once again using the term)

I understand that you are making a point. I did the same thing myself. I have used other words for the same reason, although I always make an effort to keep it to a necessary minimum.

 

[Myrtonos]

Why on earth would they? Sexual orientation in completely different from diagnosable disorders! Homosexual is the correct, non-slang, non-insulting, term. And once again, of course they wouldn't be allowed to say 'homo' because it is an insult. also, the use of the word in French is irrelevant, because, you know, it's a different language. (apologies Ancusmitis for once again using the term).

That term is short for homosexual. You say they aren't allowed to use it because it's an insult. But it's not an insult when used by someone attracted to the same sex, even in English, yet as a teacher, you aren't regardless of sexual orientation, anyone than a teacher can say "aspie", which is technically also slang.

At the end of the day, people can call themselves whatever they want, but should not call other people things that they are aware could be considered insulting. That's just basic decency. As is being aware of the potential impacts of your language (even when referring to yourself) when you are in position of authority, especially with children.

But this thread is (mostly) about people with Aspergers saying "aspie" after all, nearly all forum members here have it. My point is that someone attracted to the same sex using the words they choose to use to describe their sexuality isn't much different from someone with Aspergers using the words they chose to use to describe.
Of course we should not call people things they are aware could be considered insulting, and this applies to non-autistic people saying "aspie" if they have heard that it could be considered insulting, and some on the spectrum may not like the term. But I wasn't comparing non-homosexual people saying "homo" (pardon my use of the term) with people without Asperger's syndrome saying "aspie". That's a different comparison that probably warrants being part of a different discussion.

 

[Cosmophylla]

This question will probably make me sound really ignorant but what exactly is it about the term "Aspie" that is considered offensive? In my first post in this thread I mentioned my poll choice being that I now use the term myself but used to think it was offensive, but that I didn't really know why it was, just that the tone seemed condescending when I heard it. And I was unaware about being on the spectrum.

Now I'm seeing/hearing the word from inside the community, which has naturally changed my perception of the word. Plus I am pretty socially isolated, so I'm finding it quite hard to see how people could use it in a derogatory way. Unless it is used a euphemism for "retarded" when "retarded" is used as a derogatory term and not in a factual way? Is that what is happening? And is it a big thing in the US? Is it happening elsewhere, that "Aspie" is an insult? Am I being offensive if I use it? (My cognitive functioning is taking a dip again as my stress levels have gone up in the past few days so I'm struggling to keep up with this thread...)

If that is indeed happening, it is an interesting, and somewhat distressing, development: that as autism awareness grows, so to do the insults and negativity.

It is heartening, though, that people on here are not feeling slighted. That we "own" the word "Aspie" and its use as an insult is like water off a duck's back. That there is unshakable pride.

 

[Myrtonos]

This question will probably make me sound really ignorant but what exactly is it about the term "Aspie" that is considered offensive? In my first post in this thread I mentioned my poll choice being that I now use the term myself but used to think it was offensive, but that I didn't really know why it was, just that the tone seemed condescending when I heard it. And I was unaware about being on the spectrum.

It has a similar tone to a number of terms that are offenisve, other than the oft-mentioned example here are terms "ginga" and "darky".

Now I'm seeing/hearing the word from inside the community, which has naturally changed my perception of the word. Plus I am pretty socially isolated, so I'm finding it quite hard to see how people could use it in a derogatory way. Unless it is used a euphemism for "retarded" when "retarded" is used as a derogatory term and not in a factual way? Is that what is happening? And is it a big thing in the US? Is it happening elsewhere, that "Aspie" is an insult? Am I being offensive if I use it? (My cognitive functioning is taking a dip again as my stress levels have gone up in the past few days so I'm struggling to keep up with this thread...)

Seeing-hearing those other terms inside the relevant communities might also change one's perception.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Ginger isn't an insult is it? What else do you call the hair colour that's orange? Is brown also an insult?

 

[Myrtonos]

The term I mentioned is actually "Ginga". Often it's just called "red".

 

[unsurewhattoname]

But it's not red, it's orange. I don't get the term red. Was whoever came up with the term colourblind or something?

 

[Myrtonos]

There's a historical reason why it's called red hair.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

There's a historical reason why it's called red hair.

What is it?

 

[Myrtonos]

The word orange was only known quite recently, before then, there was no word for that colour.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

The word orange was only known quite recently, before then, there was no word for that colour.

But there is now, so why keep using an old term?

 

[Myrtonos]

The newer term is Ginger, but I've heard that it's offensive.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

The newer term is Ginger, but I've heard that it's offensive.

How is hair colour offensive? Is blond also offensive? And brown? Black? Every ginger person I've met (which is a lot, given this is the UK) calls themselves ginger. I've not heard one say it's offensive. This sounds as ridiculous as saying aspie is offensive.