tw ╱ mentions of autism , ableism , nazism

hi, besties! let’s talk about autism and how you can be actively anti-ableist towards autistic people.

let’s start with functioning labels. “high-functioning” and “low-functioning” are labels used even in and amongst the medical profession to determine how an autistic person is able to “function” in society upon diagnosis. these terms, though still used amongst a portion of the +

+ autistic community, are in fact ableist, with “low-functioning” suggesting that an autistic person is more autistic and less capable, and “high-functioning” implying that the autistic person is less autistic and therefore less affected by their autism. this is simply not true.

onto the term “asperger’s” or “asperger syndrome”. this was a term coined by hans asperger, a known nazi, and is therefore eugenics vocabulary. it has also been used within the community and the medical profession to suggest that an autistic person is “less autistic”.

instead, simply use “autism” or “asd” (autism spectrum disorder). autism is a spectrum. there is no less or more autistic, only autistic people and not autistic people. we all have our own separate, alternate, but completely valid struggles.

the large majority of autistic people prefer identity-first language (“autistic person”) to person-first language (“person with autism”) because the latter implies that we can take our autism off like hat, which we cannot. though it is not all that we are, it is very much a +

+ large part of our respective identities.

to conclude, because paigelayle on tiktok puts it that much more eloquently than i.

adding on because some people told me they found this thread helpful and that means the world and more!