#functioning labels -

[walkinredinstead]

hi! i'm sort of new to the autistic community and idk if you know anything/know any resources that can explain the whole aspie discourse? personally i still call myself an aspie/say i have asperger's sometimes bc if i say i'm autistic people will deny it and such bc they separate the two terms in their minds so idk?

it’s because there’s a long history of Aspie Supremacy. The Discourse™ from what i can tell (unless I’ve missed something - I’ve been on bad wifi for a week so I haven’t thoroughly been checking the tags) that Aspie Supremacy is a problem, and some people (Aspie Supremacists) think it isn’t.

Aspie Supremacy is when those who were diagnosed with Aspergers or “high functioning autism” have ableist ideas towards those who were diagnosed with “classic autism” or “low functioning autism”. 

Specifically ideas such as:-they’re less human-they’re a burden on society-they’re suffering because of autism*-they’re better off dead**

Aspie/Aspergers are useful terms when interacting with people outside the autistic community - they take you more seriously as a person, they might let you do things by yourself, and it will affect your ability to get a job less, as well as other social benefits.Within the autistic community, there’s literally no difference - Aspergers is autism. They are the same.

Bonus - a source about why to not use Aspergers, though unrelated to Aspie Supremacy:The American Psychiatric Association expunged Asperger’s in large part because studies revealed little consistency in how the diagnosis was being applied. (I couldn’t read the whole article because attention span and eye strain but what i did read seemed ok, someone lmk if its Not)

*Some people do believe they’re suffering because they’re autistic. This belief is valid and understandable when it is in regards to oneself (someone can think that about them and their autism, not about others), despite me, and many others, not agreeing with it.

**This is an actual thing - I had this said to my face by a “mildly autistic” kid in my school.

[awn-network]

Important that this is getting recognition. 

[Content note: Use of functioning labels]

[walkinredinstead]

my mom refers to me as """high-functioning""" and i'm like mom don't do that and shes like "this is my high functioning child uwu he has aspergers" whenever she introduces me to anyone like mother s h u t u p

S A M E

my parents dont mention my being autistic but whenever i bring it up theyre like “yea but youre high functioning” and im like... no. stop that

[walkinredinstead]

so for day 21 (support) i’m going to talk about support labels, which were created as an “alternative” to functioning labels.

to me, they’re essentially the same thing. they split autistics into “a burden on society” and “useful to society”. 

they were introduced as such:

High support: Anyone who isn’t able to live independently and needs help with some or all of their basic daily living skills such as eating, bathing, basic grooming, putting on makeup, getting dressed and completing tasks. Can be abbreviated online or in writing as HSP for High Support Person or HSAP for High Support Autistic Person.

Medium support: Anyone may or may not live independently and doesn’t need help with basic living skills, but needs help with other things like cooking, completing some tasks, transportation if unable to drive and assistance for things like grocery shopping. Can be abbreviated online or in writing as MSP for Medium Support Person or MSAP for Medium Support Autistic Person.

Low support: Anyone who more often than not lives independently and may only need assistance with minor things like balancing a checkbook, getting started on some tasks like organizing a garage sale or arranging to move from one house to another. Can be abbreviated online or in writing as LSP for Low Support Person or LSAP for Low Support Autistic Person.

High support can be summarized as “can’t do anything alone”. synonymous with “low functioning” other than the intelligence assumption

Medium support can be summarized as “needs help with lots of things”, is synonymous with “low functioning” other than the intelligence assumption

Low support can be summarized as “can do most things alone”, is synonymous with “high functioning” other than the intelligence assumption.

[lemonstars]

"[O]ne would predict that an autistic person, even a high-functioning one, could probably not introspect, could never feel self-esteem or self-deprecation—let alone experience self-pity or self-aggrandizement—or even know what these words mean." (p. 262) how can you study autism for years of your life and still sound like you've never actually spoken to an autistic person ever

[lemonstars]

"a medium-functioning autistic child" MEDIUM

[autisticconfessions]

For some reason, people think that if they knew one autistic person that suddenly they’re an expert and they’re not ableist (is that the word? Idk, autism speaks level BS here) because of it. “Yeah we think he (an adult) has aspbergers or is somewhere on the spectrum of……….. yeah. Because he is really odd and never dates.” Like…. no????? Or my personal favourite, “your experience as an autistic person are invalid because you aren’t Autistic Enough to count.” Or, its cousin, “I read an article on autism once and therefore know everything and you aren’t autistic because you can [insert autism stereotype].”

Like, yes, I have a full-time job. But guess what! I’m!!!!!!still!!!!!autistic!!!! I might be /able/ to talk, but it takes so much out of me. If you know ASL, it would make my life so much easier. And yeah, I can look you in the eyes, but when I’m looking into your eyes, I have no idea what you are saying, because all my focus is on maintaining eye contact. And I stim. I can’t flap because of my fibromyalgia (which sucks because i love flapping!), but i do stim. I enjoy it. It helps me focus. And I have Special Interests (Harry Potter and Supernatural!). And I have a job. And insurance of my own. And live on my own. I’m successful according to your standards, but I’m still autistic! And my experience is valid no matter what you say! Man, allistics are exhausting. - @agenderedryan

[justallisticthings]

JustAllisticThings #126

“You’re faking it. You can type so you’re clearly high functioning, so you can’t possibly flap your hands when you’re happy or hit yourself when you’re upset.”