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How do you guys deal with the term "autistic" being abused online?

Ameriblush

Ameriblush

Violin player.
Every time I turn around, I swear I can see the term being used as another word for cringey, gross, questionable, low-quality, etc, and It's driving me mad. It makes me upset to the point of wondering if the internet was a giant mistake. Yet whenever someone points this out, they get called a 'snowflake' or stupid for not knowing that humans are cruel, and that they need to develop a thicker skin. Yet it still bothers me regardless of what I've been told.

I've also been told to just leave the internet(or in the more toxic places, kill myself) for having the audacity to take the internet seriously. But I ended up coming to the disturbing conclusion that if anonymity online makes people say the things they do, then that makes me think that people
online always think these things in real life, but say it only on the internet.

This leads me to think that most people are d-cks...and me getting angry at them for saying such things apparently makes me a 'weak snowflake' that should just kill myself, and at worst, they describe the fact that autistic people have trouble communicating, and that since humans are social animals, it's natural for them to abuse us, and that it's even our fault, or that since we're "unnatural", they'd be better off without us...except that we're not animals living in the jungle anymore, we should be able to get over that lizard thinking. The deeper down the rabbit hole I go, the more misanthropic I become, and I need some kind of support that it isn't as bad as it seems, or else I'm afraid that I'll become the next serial killer within the next few years with all the stress I'm going through from overthinking everything. Sorry for the tangent, I'm just so tired of it all.
 
When some idiot on a forum I used to go on Googled me, found I was Aspie and literally told the world without my consent, I started to get called retarded and stuff I can't even repeat.

Therefore I just don't mention it any more, because people think anyone who has any form of mental health issue isn't "normal" in their opinion (define "normal"?! Contrary to popular belief, I and all the other Aspies on here are just as "normal" as every bugger else!)
 
I try to ignore it, but tbh when someone I know makes a joke about autism I just tell them I am. Makes them quite awkward. E.g i was talking to my friend the other day on call and he was like "lOlll i have autism im so retarded" and i was like "thats funny because im autistic". And he stuttered so much and tried to backtrack ,it was quite amusing. People are ignorant. and uneducated. A lot of the time, people who joke about something - be it sex, race, sexuality, gender, autism or some kind of condition like PTSD with the triggered meme, don't know anyone affected by it. They don't see it for what it actually is, it's just a joke that isn't actually a real thing.
 
No doubt this will be regarded by some as an over-simplistic answer. How do I deal with online abuse of autistic people in particular?

I choose this as the only interactive domain to access on the entire Internet. I may lurk in a great deal of places online, but interact with NTs I don't know? Not a chance...that's something I'm simply done with.

While I have great concerns (and occasional disagreements with the mods) over such abusive and ignorant people wandering into this domain, in comparison with virtually all other online communities, this one remains the most reasonable along such lines. Sure at times we have our arguments and such, but not on the scale of most everywhere else. But then the vast majority of us are on the spectrum of autism. Here we are all our own true peers. It's that simple. Go anywhere else and at some point you'll be called "retard", "jerk", "pompous" and a plethora of other insults most of us have heard before online or offline.

Though on occasion I'm amused by the possibility that most of such predatory behavior may well avoid us here simply because such malicious souls truly believe we really ARE mentally retarded and not worth being given the time of day let alone as victims of trolling. Works for me, anyways. :cool:

However it's worth noting that myself and countless others here have posted many times how important it is to keep your autism on a need-to-know basis only. That you simply cannot rely on compassion and understanding of others, even when it may involve friends and family let alone total strangers.
 
Once this guy shouted across from me (he was higher up, behind a fence...
'Hey sh"thead'
Me - obvlious, not sure of what he was saying..
'Hey sh"thead'

Me ; 10.45,

I guessed he mustve been asking me the time..

He then threatened to beat me up... 'do you want me to come down there?'

'No'

Guess he just wanted to gain some self esteem...

As I read yesterday violence is a means to gain self esteem.. thought it was an interesting way to think about it.

Just completlely random...

Maybe that's the key.to avoid a beating.... tell them the time.
 
I haven't encounted many jokes about autism on the internet or in real life, but I'm not around other sites a lot except for this one. I haven't encountered any jokes about autism in real life. If I did, I'd find it offensive, but I'd try to ignore it, because I don't want to draw attention to myself.

Also, I don't wish to feed trolls.

Rich Allen said:
When some idiot on a forum I used to go on Googled me, found I was Aspie and literally told the world without my consent, I started to get called retarded and stuff I can't even repeat.
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If I were you, I'd not give out my real name or any personal details such as specific place names about myself online, especially if you're looking for employment - potential employers can Google your name and find personal details about yourself, or anybody - do you really want that?
 
before i came here, i was an active 4chan user. you have to have some hard skin to be on that website, so i am almost impervious to people online calling me names. though, when the word autistic shows up, it isnt just another throw around insult. i mostly stayed on a forum called Robot9001, a forum based around outcasts. when people used the word autistic, yes it was an insult, but we internalised the word, calling ourselfs the very insult everyone else tried to hurt us with. kinda surprising, it became less of an insult, and more of personal acceptance to our problems, putting a word to it.

kinda boiled down to a philosaphy. everyone is a bit autistic, so you may as well accept it.
 
I don't. Just ignore it and go on about my business now, as some people slinging it around freely like that have little or no clue.

If that's their idea of communication - picking each other clean down to the bone to see who wins, because it's not just the autistic guy that's getting it either - then count me out. I've got better things to do.
 
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There are many people I hate, loathe and despise. People I work with, people I know. I simply don't like them.

The people online also have an opinion. They may hate, loathe and despise me. They are quite entitled to feel that way. It doesn't effect how I feel about myself. It is simply something that happens. I hate some people, some people hate me. It seems fair to me and so doesn't bother me. It is what it is.

On the autistic front, I'm proud of my autism, quite happy with it. If a stranger on the internet who I don't know and will likely never ever meet has another opinion, again, so be it. Different opinions make life so colourful.
 
Think I've run into or encountered every form of humanity online, who can use a computer.
Now I ignore many people on online sites, especially the trolls, unless they are amusing in some way. And also ignore the ones spewing hatred. Everyone is fighting something.
It takes years to get to the point where you simply don't care what other people say about you or others. When I see or read real abuse of people though, I usually fight back, I report, sometimes I respond. Most people can defend themselves, after a certain age. The internet is that kind of place, that gives everyone a voice, the good, bad and the messed up.
 
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If you respond to it, you're playing their game. Don't play their game. You won't change their minds. People like that are riddled with insecurities and need something to prop up their fragile ego. That's why they go all agro if you threaten their delusions of superiority by telling them they've got it wrong.

Just report it and move on, never let someone pick a fight with you.
 
Judge said:
However it's worth noting that myself and countless others here have posted many times how important it is to keep your autism on a need-to-know basis only. .
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It saddens me each time I read words similar to the above on this forum.
 
I don't tell anyone I'm autistic. I use a mobility scooter/wheelchair outside anyway so people assume I have physical issues and wear hearing aids outside (to block sounds as much as possible, they work better than than crap foam ear plug things), people assume I don't understand them because I'm very deaf, but I just struggle to understand people at all, with or without body language/gestures!

I'm an older lady now (closer to 50 than I'd like!) most of my neighbours are over 55 as the bungalows are. I'm in one of the two 'disabled bungalows' and the youngest here in my late 40's! Lived here a while now and although most of older neighbours were more able than me when I first moved here they are now having issues and see people using sticks and rollators that didn't before. It's for the most part really quiet here and part of me's glad I'm seen as older woman as I still half expect people (particuarly if have to pass kids) to mock me like they did at school and have to remind myself these kids don't know you and didn't know you then, they just see an older lady on a mobility scooter.

I used to go in chatrooms more but got abuse of people and never knew why, no matter how many times I changed my names so they didn't relaise it was the same person so I could try and start again. I've given up trying to communicate with NT's. I left facebook cos I don't want to be that online persona that no-one likes anymore. I'm trying to get it down to 2 persona's... the more severely autistic one that will only come out when I'm home alone and can't do anything if anyone's watching her and one persona that everyone see's when I have to go out to walk the dog or deal with people. This is my first attempt at consciously creating a persona/alter the others kind of appeared all on their own but now I understand why, I feel I can control them better and am attempting to create one that includes my current health problems more than my past ones (some of which no longer exist).

I only come on this page now to 'socialise' otherwise internet is only used for shopping/banking and research. I think I've reached a stage now where I've absolutely no interest in trying to fit in anymore and just want to be left alone with my dog for company!
 
Meh, i've heard too many diasability slurs to care by now. After someone calls you the r-word for the fiftieth time, you learn to just deal with it. I find it's helpful to stay quiet about my ASD as well.
 
Rich Allen said:
When some idiot on a forum I used to go on Googled me, found I was Aspie and literally told the world without my consent, I started to get called retarded and stuff I can't even repeat.
Click to expand...
Progster said:
If I were you, I'd not give out my real name or any personal details such as specific place names about myself online, especially if you're looking for employment - potential employers can Google your name and find personal details about yourself, or anybody - do you really want that?
Click to expand...
Further, I use different screen names for different kinds of forums.

I am Sabertooth at Christian Forums and Playscale Poser/Studio 126 at most 1:6 scale action figure sites.
 
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