Some Personal Thoughts
Welcome back! This week I will be talking about my thoughts on the whole Autism/Aspergers spectrum/not a spectrum topic. I know I know, my last message said that I would not be looking into the topic again for a while, but what I meant was that I would not be looking more into the article, or other information on this issue, for a while. Not stop talking about it. See the kind of verbal gymnastics I did there to try and weasel out of trouble? Impressive right? But enough weaseling, or mental gymnasticking (thats a word right?) let's get back to talking about my opinion.
Here is the majestic weasel, an animal known for being used to describe someone who is trying wriggle out of blame for something they may/may not have done.
On the question of the term, some of you say that the term neurodiversity is better sounding, more encompassing and accurate term than spectrum is, and perhaps you are right. Although admittedly, I did not think of the term “spectrum” in the same sense as the colour spectrum, in my view the article makes some good points (from what I have read of it). It does sort of make you think of a sliding Autism/Asperger scale doesn't it? That you are either this much Autistic/Aspie or this much. Either you are a little Autistic/Aspie or a lot, but in my opinion you are either Autistic/Aspie, or you’re not. There is not such thing as “a little Autistic/Aspie” (think of it like this: someone is either a moron or they are not, no one is “a little moronic”. Though in comparison of that person’s moronic actions to another, you’d probably think otherwise).
We, the Autistic/Asperger community, however, must be the ones to decide on a new term if we are to replace the old one. It will have to be one that hits all the marks we deem important, like inclusivity (including all the people whom we want to part of our community, whether it is just those with Autism/Asperger’s or people who are wired differently in general), encourage others acceptance of us and the diversity that resides within our community. I was just spitballing there, but you get the idea. We will need to put a lot of thought into what our new term would be, if we do decide to change it (doesn't that phrase sound disgusting to you? Although it could be worse, it could be “I’m just spitting hot nuegies here).
The phrase “spitballing” or “hot nuegie” is almost as gross as seeing this fly up close, and not wanting to eat it. Except it’s not up close, it’s the size of a small dog, and it is in fact your dinner.
You have probably realized from some of my former posts that I am advocating for some rather serious changes to some of the names already assigned to us, and doubtless I’m not the only one doing it to. But I think that now is the time we start to seriously consider whether we want to keep the same labels already assigned to us, considering that we, the Autistic/Asperger community, probably were not even asked on how we felt about the terms assigned to us (do you understand what I’m trying to say? I hope so, because while I know what I am trying to say, I’m not always sure how to word it right. Sigh, the curse of being a literally misunderstood artist, it is a cross I must bare).
That’s it for this week. Next week we will for sure for sure move on to a new topic (and no, it won’t be my thoughts on my thoughts. That’s for another date). But until next time, this continues to be, The Audacious Aspie.
Sources used:
https://theaspergian.com/2019/05/04/its-a-spectrum-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/