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This! I use them interchangeably based on sentence structure.
But I do make a point (when comfortable) to people that "a lot of people prefer 'autistic' because 'having autism' implies that I could not have it. I can't leave it at home when it inconveniences me." I also usually demonstrate with my emotional support water bottle lol. I hold it and say I have it, then put it down and say I don't. Sometimes the NTs need visual aids
the way you phrased this is hilarious. I dont know if it was intended to sound the way I interpreted it, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. loved the „NTS sometimes need visual aids“ especially.
I use this way of communicating what language I prefer, too. tho it doesn’t really bother me if people that are not part of my life communicate differently.
My partner and I are both autistic and we both joke about it. I'm super picky about food and he will only drink out of mugs or wear shirts with no pattern or imagine on them, among other things we both do. Whenever we're being very autistic we say to each other "dayum you got the tism?" And we always act surprised and are like "me? Autistic? Never ever in my whole entire life have I ever done anything autistic ever" and your comment reminded me of that. I love the tism
I’m just me, the way I was born. It’s me just like the color of my eyes, or how tall I am, or how much I weigh or the color of my skin.
There are lots of people out there just like me. Wherever we go, we can recognize each other. And NT’s recognize there’s something different about us.
I’m tired of being on the outside looking in.
I want to embrace all of me, live authentically (because of course) and be accepted, not judged.
I honestly use them interchangeably. I don’t see much difference personally, but I know some people prefer one over the other which is completely okay! I just personally don’t mind either one
on a logical level I perfectly agree with you, still being called directly autistic is uncomfortable for me, probably because of its heavy use as an insult and a synonym of retarded in my childhood.
It definitely depends on delivery for me. Like I’ll never use person-first for myself, but if someone delivers it in a way that feels demeaning it’ll give me ick.
I just want to complement you on your user flair (serious). It explains everything one might need to know in such an efficient manner.
Also, respect for the neopronoun. I am trying out xie/xem but it's still awkward to tell people IRL.
Thank you! I’m glad it’s achieving its goal :) I even tried to make the at an @ but it wouldn’t accept it.
Only two people use it for me. I’m okay with x or z; it makes more sense when you’re actually talking about multiple people.
Language does matter on the socio-political stage and also on a personal and psychological level.
If I "have autism", I may tend to view it as a burden, as something icky I carry around, like I'm a videogame and my autism is that money-grab DLC with too many glitches, and I may more easily agree with the idea that I don't just have a disability, but a disability that needs a cure, a fix, to be corrected, as if neurotypicality is equivalent with brain health. This is what Dr Nick Walker calls the Pathology Paradigm and adopts a medical model of disability.
By contrast, if I "am autistic", I may tend to view my autistic experience as a standalone human experience, the inherent UI of the video game, that I am just of a neurotype of many neurotypes among human beings, and that my different experience is a source of creativity and value to the world, that there is such a thing as a healthy autistic person, fully functional by means of being allowed to exist in line with what my brain needs, not the neuro-majority's. This is what is called the Neurodiversity paradigm and agrees with a social model of disability.
For me, I will always be autistic, and I would never want to change that. Ive tried to be neurotypical and it made me sad and ill. It's not for me. I like my weird and wonderful brain and the hidden details I see in the world. Hope this helps.
I say “I’m autistic” but I don’t consider it an “essential” part of myself. It’s something I was born with, but I prefer to say “I’m autistic” opposed to “I have autism.”
However, when others refer to me, I prefer they say “you have autism” rather than “you’re autistic.”
I can’t explain why
Yes, both, and neither of those phrases carry the weight you're assigning to them and if you assume that they do when they don't, you'll think people are saying things they're not.
That's that thing that NTs do that we hate so much.
Yeah agreed. I'm trying to break the habit and be more autistic about shit. As a kid I started reading into everything to try and keep up and got it wrong half the time lol.
I'm a bit more skilled now but it still causes problems. It's like a form of paranoia.
I personally prefer “autistic” because to “have” something, in my brain, is more aligned with a sickness or disease that is curable or at least treatable. This feels different to me than autism because any “treatment” (at least what I consider good treatment) is more about helping autistic people exist in a NT world rather than “fixing” the autism.
I have always "had autism." I just didn't know it. I thought, rather, that something was wrong with me.
Of the past couple years, I "am autistic." I am become autism. And I have never before felt more compasion, patience, acceptance, and love for myself.
I think that you have just phrased the same thing in different ways. Personally I use both interchangeably and which one kinda depends on where in a sentence I am putting the word.
I prefer to refer to myself as being autistic, as it's always affecting me in some way or other. I don't do everything I do because I'm autistic, but it does affect the way I do them. It doesn't define me, but it shapes me.
I'm autistic and I prefer to say that as it is a part of myself and it affects almost every single action and reaction that I've ever done. I mean I say both but it's what I prefer if I think about it
Both. I don't think it really matters how you say it. I am an individual that also has autism, but autism is a big part of who I am and has shaped me. I don't exist separately from my autism, but I am not just my autism.
I am autistic with my diagnosis specifically being Aspergers.
After doing more research I would more likely have been diagnosed with just autism given that I have way more struggles than what was logged over the course of a decade. After talking to a lot of people while being juggled around the medical system I found out that Aspergers is a common diagnosis in my area either so autism can be ignored or you simply have interests that are considered smart.
So I identify more with autism than my actual diagnosis.
I'm autistic. It's quite literally who I am and how I've experienced life for 40 years. There's no part of me that is not autistic. It's how my brain is wired. To say I "have" it suggests there is a part of me that is not it doing the having. All of me is autistic.
I say I'm autistic, and I say my son is autistic. For me it's because it affects/forms all of my experiences. If my son in the future prefers "with autism" I'll switch it for him.
My younger brother says he has autism. He says it's because he doesn't attribute the best parts of himself to autism. He was often surrounded by ppl who reduced him to autism, and treated him like he wasn't as capable, so I understand where he's coming from. He also is an amazing artist, and he doesn't want it to be attributed to his autism, but rather his dedication and how he practiced Hours a day for years.
I think both are valid.
I’m autistic but the autism exists within me. Like a magic core in my brain that cannot be removed. (If it was removed I’d be a completely different person which is bad)
I'm autistic. It's how I think and feel, what I'm obsessed with, etc, it all can't be separated from 'me'. It's like asking if Windows is a computer (meaning: the "I" software is running on autistic hardware). My personality was shaped and embedded through the lense of being autistic.
I’m autistic and prefer that term. I don’t have an inherent problem with pfl but I don’t like the way it’s been used by certain people to speak for us. I’m ok with others choosing that terminology for themselves but not NTs declaring that it is correct for all of us (I hope that makes sense).
I'm autistic because it's who I am, not something that can be cured. Do we also ask if people have straight, or have gay? Obviously not because it's stupid.
i'm autistic, it's not something that i can ignore and impacts everything i say and do. I understand that i can never rid myself of it and i embrace that fact.
I'm autistic. It doesn't 100% define me, but it's essential because a lot of my thinking, routines, interests, etc. have been impacted by it. That, and using identity-first language is less effort for me speaking-wise that using person-first language (when I do talk, it can often turn into mile-a-minute word vomit, so whatever shortcuts I take the better).
I’m autistic. After going through elementary/middle school without having a diagnosis and being essentially socially ostracized because people thought that I was just “weird”, I kinda cling to autism as part of my identity. It’s relieving to have a reason for being “weird”, as opposed to just beating myself up for it thinking that it must be all my fault.
Both, I am autistic and I have Autism. But in my eyes, there really isn't a distinction in identity. I find the former is just another way to say the latter. That doesn't mean I expect everyone else to view it that way. That is how \*I\* view it when this subject gets brought up. They are essentially the same thing to me.
I normally say I'm autistic. "I have autism" sounds too... medical? imo
It's not really part of my identity, but it does affect a lot of my life
Weirdly, I prefer other people say I have autism rather than say I'm autistic, since saying someone is autistic (even if they actually are) sounds derogatory
i hadnt thought about it till now. my autism is a part of me, it is not separate. a life long ‘condition’ that impacts how i walk through life and how others may treat me and has been an integral part of my experiences. so “im autistic”
Autism is not my superpower though. I'm just awesome (most of the time as a person), I am creative (I have artism), and I have autism. So I'm an awetist.
To put it more seriously, I am autistic, but I don't display as autistic all the time. I have autism all the time even when I don't behave autistically. I don't identify with autism, I'm just me and I happen to function this way. I don't often compare myself to NTs because that was never my ideal to begin with.
I say I’m autistic because I have no idea how to separate my autistic symptoms out from me. The symptoms are so wholistic I don’t know what isn’t impacted by autism
Before diagnosis, I was a teacher with a SPED certification (still have the cert.). We were instructed to use 'people first' language, stating the person has autism.
Now that I've been diagnosed myself, I say I'm autistic. The 'people first', politically correct language model does not fit for me, and I would not use it in the future, unless forced/coerced.
I have mixed feelings about the person first vs condition first language discussion.
I get why it's important to talk about for some people, but to me it's just wordplay. Saying autistic people's people with autism doesn't make the condition any different, and the people who see autistic people existing as a problem aren't going to suddenly change their minds because of it.
If we want substantial social change in the direction of equality/equity, legislate it. Let the abelist fucks cry.
Games make us feel good, but that's about it
I say either / or, depending on what else I am saying. I don’t consider them to mean different things. I know there is the whole person first / disability first thing, and having multiple disabilities I do identify with my disabilities because they affect every single aspect of my life. However I don’t always say it one way, or the other way. It doesn’t really matter to me. I hate when people say “differently abled” because I am not differently abled, I cannot do the things abled people can, I am disabled. But I say both “I’m disabled” and “I have disabilities.”
I don’t view autism as a disease, so I don’t ever say I have autism. It sounds like “I have cancer”. Though I would say I have ADD/ADHD. I also rarely would say I’m autistic, because there is so much more to me than that. Autism sometimes explains my eccentricities, but frankly I need to tell people I’m autistic as often as I need to tell people I’m straight (meaning almost never). My wife talks about it way more than I do. Though it gets funny that anyone I can have a conversation with is probably also autistic (or at least that is her observation).
Sure, both are fine, whatever. 😁
All terms are imperfect. Words are merely grunts and hoots that vaguely gesture towards imprecise nodes in an ever-shifting web of abstractions and analogies. Try to call people what they want to be called, and try not to find offense where none was intended.
I don't wanna hijack this thread so I'll just ask and make a separate if anyone wants- is there anyone here who would be interested at some point in a serious discussion about the modern conception of autism and how that conception is blurring the lines of mental disorder and social identity- As someone who has been criticized because I resisted my whole life the autistic label but was often placed on me because of my own existence at the blurred lines between the spectrum and the high end of the non autistic profile often found in the family of the autistic person where a cluster of traits often associated with autism tend to be much higher
It could be a cool argument to talk about. I don't think I can be properly contribute to it, but it would be interesting for me to partecipate in the discussion.
Cool- The relationship between the traditional conception of autism spectrum disorder, terms that are largely out of use like "Asbergers", clustered autism traits in non spectrum families of autistic person, and the modern conception of the autism that is blurs the lines between the diagnostic and the identify is very complicated and multifaceted and informed by a dialogue that has been ongoing between a community that includes a very diverse array of experiences and radically different relationships with the term autistic- and as the very reaction to my earlier post indicated, this dialogue isn't just those who are within the community but also, it's seldom discussed how often those on the perifrey and who are not but especially those who have a set of traits that seem to suggest that many of these folks have at times struggled with their relationship with the spectrum and these traits. I've had a radical notion before that our definitional boundaries need to be given some clarity-
Since being diagnosed I feel like "I have autism" carries the weight of how it feels to live with it. I've only been formally diagnosed for a few months but It has impacted my life to such degrees that I feel it's necessary to realize how much of myself and life is impacted by autism. maybe I've misread the body as well but the two kind of go hand in hand depending on the type of conversation you may be having or whatever.
I think 'having autism' sounds better. 'Being autistic' sounds more personal, and autism is often associated negatively, so I don't wanna make it sound like it's all there is to me
A friends son has lvl3 autism and really has full neurodivergent mind, non verbal. Everything for him works different. Most here I feel, like me, are a bit on the spectrum. Not needing permanent care, special schools etc.
I say both depending on the situation, but I generally prefer identity first language. Autism ties back to a LOT of my behaviors, experiences, etc, so I don’t think it’s separable from my identity.
I use both but I do not identify with my autism and view it as a disorder that I was born with. Though it is a highly identifiable part of me that other people notice easily, it does not solely define me and isn't something I highly hold onto from an internal aspect.
It's a condition that I have to live with and find ways to aleviate in order to find joy in my life.
I use the two phrases interchangeably, partially because I have a speech impediment and sometimes “I have autism” comes out of my mouth easier.
I know there are differences in has autism/is autistic but I don’t care which one people use for me. It’s like saying “she has brown hair” vs “she is brunette.”
How people treat me, whether they’re understanding when I need something explained twice or I don’t get their sarcasm, whether or not they accuse me of “making excuses” for my behavior, etc, is SO much more important than little language differences and a much more important thing to fight for. IMO
In swedish, I have autism (jag har autsim), in english, I'm autistic. I just use what is the more convenient option depending on which language I'm speaking. I don't really care.
I personally don't care, like I'd people say, "you have autism" I'm like well sure, and if someone else is like "no you are autistic" I'm like okay bro chill.
I totally get why people have such strong feelings by the why I just personally don't care.
I always say I'm autistic. at this point I don't know which parts of me are or aren't effected by my autism. it's like saying I'm blonde, or I'm short. it's part of me, it's who I am
I prefer I'm autistic, but there isn't an equivelant that i know of for adhd which makes it feel akward regardless (saying it different for one vs the other). I had my adhd diagnosis for 15+ years before autism, so I'm already used to saying I *have* adhd. When typing, easy enough to write I'm audhd.
I actually have stronger feelings about how to say other things about myself that I *don't* strongly identify with
It is a permanent condition ergo I am autistic. To label someone as a person WITH implies that the condition is temporary. A person with a cold, with the flu, with Covid, with cancer, with a broken leg, with a concussion, with a black eye. I didn't just roll out of bed in 2005 and whoops caught me a case of the 'tism on my way to breakfast. Permanent conditions, especially those that affect every aspect of your day are not referred to in this manner: paraplegia, blindness, stupidity, autism to name a few. It is demeaning and downplaying our situation to have it be referred to in the same manner as the common cold.
I am autistic. Whilst I occasionally find people who make it their whole personality a bit tiresome, especially the OMG SO QUIRKY AND NEUROSPICY types on social media, it does absolutely influence everything I experience and how I move in the world. I don't think there will ever be a cure, but if there was would I take it? I don't know who I would be, I've never known any other way. Trying to be neurotypical made me miserable and masking tires me.
When I take ADHD medication it focuses me and suppresses my stims but it allows me to be a more refined version of myself. If any treatment made me more sociable and didn't have it tire me quite so much, I'd be tempted.
It's inextricably me though, so unlike a person with diabetes who may have to take insulin or be mindful or what they eat and when, it doesn't change who they are, autism is very much the prism through which I see and am seen.
(I know this thread is full of autistic people because OP is being dragged for the language they're using - if there's one thing I've discovered it's that people with ASD have opinions and you will hear them ha ha )
I use these interchangeably, but “I’m autistic” is used much more often than the other one. But I don’t put too much weight on it. If someone calls me “person with autism” I wouldn’t have any strong feelings about it.
Both. I’m autistic. I have autism. Those are one and the same for me. I’m an autistic person. I’m a person with autism. Those are the same sentences to me lol
I’m autistic in english and I have autism in my native language💀 I think that me and my autism cannot be separated, it impacts every single aspect of my life down to the way I sit on the toilet or chew food BUT the word autistic sounds weird in polish. I have no idea if it’s maybe internalized ableism from hearing it used as an insult or some linguistic phenomenon.
as someone who is both chronically ill and autistic, I am autistic, I have chronic illness.
to me, my autism is an inherent part of me that does not need to be cured or treated. of course there are aspects of it that cause me difficulties, that make me have different needs than others but to me those are just parts of me.
which is different from my chronic illness, which is a condition i was born with, not a part of my identity. i actively treat the symptoms and wish there was a cure.
I say both, honestly. I am autistic because I have autism, I guess?
Mostly, I just try to go with what others prefer when referring to them. The thing that upsets me is when others argue with an autistic person/person with autism and tell them the way they self-identify is wrong.
I just hate It when healthcare "professionals" tell my I "have" autism as if it is offensive to call myself autistic. Firstly, don't police my experience maybe? Secondly, I inherently identify as autistic and neurodivergent the same way I don't "have" homosexuality. I am queer, it is my identity and it will never go away and there is nothing wrong with it.
I hate to people who say they have autism. Just hate to healthcare professionals who tell you which you are.
I probably studied more academically and community sourced literature and experiences than them, it's time for healthcare professionals to start listening instead of talking out of their ass so much.
Oke rant over.
A fable:
I volunteer at a teen organization centered around giving disabled kids a place to socialize and have friends. I'm autistic, and once said to my friend something about what my teacher said and used the term autistic as in "She (me) is autistic" and not "She has autism". That friend was shocked and said that the teacher was wrong for calling me autistic and not saying I have autism, because "using that abbreviation categorizes you as autistic, and not a person first". I was confused and said that autism is an integral part of myself, and does not cost my personhood but coexists with it - she wouldn't hear it. Our supervisor - mind you, another non autistic person - happened to hear us, came up to me, and said "yeah, that's they correct way to call people with autism"
.
.
.
Who are you to tell me what's correct and what's not??? Anyway they are both not volunteers anymore
I am autistic...but I never say I am autistic, people always tell me I am weird and I don't correct them or tell them "I am not weird it's autism." I think there are three people in my life who know I am autistic and I was diagnosed when I was a child but my mother never told my family and I never told anyone either.
What are you on? It’s the same thing just used differently depending how you’re going to say it in a sentence, I.e I have autism, or I am autistic. Either way we got it guys!
I dont mind either really. I will say both quite happily. Its apart of me and who I am. In some instances I do think the other party has a right to know, as my behaviour wont always fit the situation.
I am always autistic. It is a part of my identity. I have chronic pain. It is always there, but it isn’t a part of my identity. I am disabled, my disabilities impact every aspect of my life and affect how I view myself.
I am German, I am tall, I am stubborn, and I am autistic.
I am not a person with Germanness.
I am not a person with tallness.
I am not a person with stubbornness.
So why would I call myself a person with autism?
Both, generally when I tell people either or it pretty much seems to make them avoid me after that so it’s really interchangeable, however I would prefer to say and often do say, I’m autistic
i usually say i'm an autist, in the same sense that i say i am gay. it's an important aspect of me and has influenced a lot of the ways i interact with the world, but it's not my entire personality.
I tend to say I'm Autistic, though there are sometimes where it flows better to say, "I have Autism" (I've noticed this happens more often when I speak Spanish).
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I usually say I'm autistic. It's an integral part of who I am, it may not *be* everything but it does *impact* everything.
Well put! I concur.
Yeah but also my Windows computer has Windows. No shade, I just think it's interchangeable.
This! I use them interchangeably based on sentence structure. But I do make a point (when comfortable) to people that "a lot of people prefer 'autistic' because 'having autism' implies that I could not have it. I can't leave it at home when it inconveniences me." I also usually demonstrate with my emotional support water bottle lol. I hold it and say I have it, then put it down and say I don't. Sometimes the NTs need visual aids
the way you phrased this is hilarious. I dont know if it was intended to sound the way I interpreted it, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. loved the „NTS sometimes need visual aids“ especially. I use this way of communicating what language I prefer, too. tho it doesn’t really bother me if people that are not part of my life communicate differently.
I’m an autistic with autism. 👍
Get that double dose! Saaaaame.
Stealing this!
I've got the tiz/tism
My partner and I are both autistic and we both joke about it. I'm super picky about food and he will only drink out of mugs or wear shirts with no pattern or imagine on them, among other things we both do. Whenever we're being very autistic we say to each other "dayum you got the tism?" And we always act surprised and are like "me? Autistic? Never ever in my whole entire life have I ever done anything autistic ever" and your comment reminded me of that. I love the tism
That's great - so lovely 😁 Reminds me of those episodes where I discover myself being nicely autistic. Those insights are interesting 😋
We got the TIZ! We got the TIIISSSSMMMM!! YEAH!!!
This literally made me smirk. It reeks of TISM, and I love it, you little Autismaniac
I really appreciate your response 😊
Leave no fellow Tismaniac behind🫡
🫡 Aye aye!
I honestly agree with this
Woah im audhd infp... Are all infps audhd?
I'm autism.
I have autistic
I got autisticism
Autism has me
Me autistic has autism
I’m just me, the way I was born. It’s me just like the color of my eyes, or how tall I am, or how much I weigh or the color of my skin. There are lots of people out there just like me. Wherever we go, we can recognize each other. And NT’s recognize there’s something different about us. I’m tired of being on the outside looking in. I want to embrace all of me, live authentically (because of course) and be accepted, not judged.
I love this. It has me too.
Hi Autism, I'm Dad
hi dad im gay
Hi gay this is patrick
Hi patrick this is a rock
this comment made me laugh more that it should have been.
No joke, this is what my mum says because she doesn't understand how words work sometimes.
Same
Heck should’ve known my joke would already be on here. Take my upvote.
I'm autistic, I consider it a big influencial reason as to why I think, behave, and experience life the way I do.
I honestly use them interchangeably. I don’t see much difference personally, but I know some people prefer one over the other which is completely okay! I just personally don’t mind either one
on a logical level I perfectly agree with you, still being called directly autistic is uncomfortable for me, probably because of its heavy use as an insult and a synonym of retarded in my childhood.
It definitely depends on delivery for me. Like I’ll never use person-first for myself, but if someone delivers it in a way that feels demeaning it’ll give me ick.
I just want to complement you on your user flair (serious). It explains everything one might need to know in such an efficient manner. Also, respect for the neopronoun. I am trying out xie/xem but it's still awkward to tell people IRL.
Thank you! I’m glad it’s achieving its goal :) I even tried to make the at an @ but it wouldn’t accept it. Only two people use it for me. I’m okay with x or z; it makes more sense when you’re actually talking about multiple people.
I am autistic. "I have autism" sounds like you are trying to say you caught a contentious disease.
Soy autista :D
Wow Español!
Language does matter on the socio-political stage and also on a personal and psychological level. If I "have autism", I may tend to view it as a burden, as something icky I carry around, like I'm a videogame and my autism is that money-grab DLC with too many glitches, and I may more easily agree with the idea that I don't just have a disability, but a disability that needs a cure, a fix, to be corrected, as if neurotypicality is equivalent with brain health. This is what Dr Nick Walker calls the Pathology Paradigm and adopts a medical model of disability. By contrast, if I "am autistic", I may tend to view my autistic experience as a standalone human experience, the inherent UI of the video game, that I am just of a neurotype of many neurotypes among human beings, and that my different experience is a source of creativity and value to the world, that there is such a thing as a healthy autistic person, fully functional by means of being allowed to exist in line with what my brain needs, not the neuro-majority's. This is what is called the Neurodiversity paradigm and agrees with a social model of disability. For me, I will always be autistic, and I would never want to change that. Ive tried to be neurotypical and it made me sad and ill. It's not for me. I like my weird and wonderful brain and the hidden details I see in the world. Hope this helps.
By far the most complete and thought comment I've received, it surely helps me to get the main point.
I love this!!
I'm an autist.
Same, was looking for this one
i'm autistic as FUCK
I say “I’m autistic” but I don’t consider it an “essential” part of myself. It’s something I was born with, but I prefer to say “I’m autistic” opposed to “I have autism.” However, when others refer to me, I prefer they say “you have autism” rather than “you’re autistic.” I can’t explain why
Yes, both, and neither of those phrases carry the weight you're assigning to them and if you assume that they do when they don't, you'll think people are saying things they're not. That's that thing that NTs do that we hate so much.
>That's that thing that NTs do that we hate so much. You mean reading too much into the minutiae of language?
That's the one.
Yeah agreed. I'm trying to break the habit and be more autistic about shit. As a kid I started reading into everything to try and keep up and got it wrong half the time lol. I'm a bit more skilled now but it still causes problems. It's like a form of paranoia.
I personally prefer “autistic” because to “have” something, in my brain, is more aligned with a sickness or disease that is curable or at least treatable. This feels different to me than autism because any “treatment” (at least what I consider good treatment) is more about helping autistic people exist in a NT world rather than “fixing” the autism.
I am autistic. It's not something that I acquired, nor is it something wrong with me. it's who I am.
I have always "had autism." I just didn't know it. I thought, rather, that something was wrong with me. Of the past couple years, I "am autistic." I am become autism. And I have never before felt more compasion, patience, acceptance, and love for myself.
*I am become autism, organizer of worlds.* -FriedBrice Disclaimer - this quote was half made up and taken out of context. Vote for me.
you become autism
However you say it, there's nothing wrong with you.
I think that you have just phrased the same thing in different ways. Personally I use both interchangeably and which one kinda depends on where in a sentence I am putting the word.
They're absolutely the same for me. You can't have autism without autism being part of you and influencing you. I use both phrases
Both r same lol. U have autism that's why u identify as autistic.
I was about to comment that same thing. I am autistic because I have autism.
I prefer to refer to myself as being autistic, as it's always affecting me in some way or other. I don't do everything I do because I'm autistic, but it does affect the way I do them. It doesn't define me, but it shapes me.
I'm autistic and I prefer to say that as it is a part of myself and it affects almost every single action and reaction that I've ever done. I mean I say both but it's what I prefer if I think about it
Both. I don't think it really matters how you say it. I am an individual that also has autism, but autism is a big part of who I am and has shaped me. I don't exist separately from my autism, but I am not just my autism.
Either/or. They’re both accurate in my mind.
i say “i have autism” more often but really it’s whatever, i don’t care
I am an autism
I am autism
I am autistic with my diagnosis specifically being Aspergers. After doing more research I would more likely have been diagnosed with just autism given that I have way more struggles than what was logged over the course of a decade. After talking to a lot of people while being juggled around the medical system I found out that Aspergers is a common diagnosis in my area either so autism can be ignored or you simply have interests that are considered smart. So I identify more with autism than my actual diagnosis.
Aspergers is no longer a separate thing. If you were diagnosed today, it would be ASD. It's all included now. Welcome to the fold.
Im autistic because I have autism. This is like asking "Are you beautiful or do you have beauty"
I have autism and I consider it a disability that has significantly affected my life in a very negative way. It has nothing to do with my identity.
I'm autistic, I wouldn't be me without the tism.
I’m autistic.
I’m autistic
I am autistic
My son is autistic. I love the affirmation “autistic” provides. Raising him to love his autism as an integral piece of who he is. :)
I’m Autistic
I'm autistic. It's quite literally who I am and how I've experienced life for 40 years. There's no part of me that is not autistic. It's how my brain is wired. To say I "have" it suggests there is a part of me that is not it doing the having. All of me is autistic.
From my perspective The autism is not accompanying me. It is apart of me. I am the Autism and the Autism is me .
I’m autistic
I say I'm autistic, and I say my son is autistic. For me it's because it affects/forms all of my experiences. If my son in the future prefers "with autism" I'll switch it for him. My younger brother says he has autism. He says it's because he doesn't attribute the best parts of himself to autism. He was often surrounded by ppl who reduced him to autism, and treated him like he wasn't as capable, so I understand where he's coming from. He also is an amazing artist, and he doesn't want it to be attributed to his autism, but rather his dedication and how he practiced Hours a day for years. I think both are valid.
I'm autistic. It's the way that I am, not something I have. Saying "I have autism" makes it sound like a defect or an illness.
I am autistic. Its just a part of me. I can't separate it from myself because it affects every single part of my life.
I’m autistic but the autism exists within me. Like a magic core in my brain that cannot be removed. (If it was removed I’d be a completely different person which is bad)
I'm autistic. It's how I think and feel, what I'm obsessed with, etc, it all can't be separated from 'me'. It's like asking if Windows is a computer (meaning: the "I" software is running on autistic hardware). My personality was shaped and embedded through the lense of being autistic.
im autistic! i heavily identify with it with much love and appreciation 🥹
I’m autistic and prefer that term. I don’t have an inherent problem with pfl but I don’t like the way it’s been used by certain people to speak for us. I’m ok with others choosing that terminology for themselves but not NTs declaring that it is correct for all of us (I hope that makes sense).
I’m autistic because I was born this way, as opposed to having autism which I equate more to acquiring it over time like an illness or something.
I'm autistic because it's who I am, not something that can be cured. Do we also ask if people have straight, or have gay? Obviously not because it's stupid.
I’m autistic. Which means all of the autism is mine. Give me your autism 🔫 /s
When I self refer or refer to other as an "autist". Medically I refer as I am autistic. I generally use autism as an adjective.
Autistic. I don’t get hung up on this though. If other people want to say they have autism, that’s fine too.
Autistic
I am autistic.
I am autistic. It literally is in my brain and wired in my system. It’s a part of my body, not something that came from outside.
i'm autistic, it's not something that i can ignore and impacts everything i say and do. I understand that i can never rid myself of it and i embrace that fact.
i am autistic!
Either🤷 being autistic is part of who I am but it's still disabling and is something I have to deal with.
I'm autistic. Saying I have autism feels like I have some affliction or something. My brain is just made differently, I'm not sick.
I'm autistic. It doesn't 100% define me, but it's essential because a lot of my thinking, routines, interests, etc. have been impacted by it. That, and using identity-first language is less effort for me speaking-wise that using person-first language (when I do talk, it can often turn into mile-a-minute word vomit, so whatever shortcuts I take the better).
Im autistic
I’m autistic. After going through elementary/middle school without having a diagnosis and being essentially socially ostracized because people thought that I was just “weird”, I kinda cling to autism as part of my identity. It’s relieving to have a reason for being “weird”, as opposed to just beating myself up for it thinking that it must be all my fault.
I think I feel more like I just am autistic. "Having autism" feels more like it implies autism is something curable or contagious even, lol.
Both, I am autistic and I have Autism. But in my eyes, there really isn't a distinction in identity. I find the former is just another way to say the latter. That doesn't mean I expect everyone else to view it that way. That is how \*I\* view it when this subject gets brought up. They are essentially the same thing to me.
I normally say I'm autistic. "I have autism" sounds too... medical? imo It's not really part of my identity, but it does affect a lot of my life Weirdly, I prefer other people say I have autism rather than say I'm autistic, since saying someone is autistic (even if they actually are) sounds derogatory
My autism feels like such a central part of me and my identity, so I always just tell people I'm autistic.
i’m autistic it’s a part of who i am
i hadnt thought about it till now. my autism is a part of me, it is not separate. a life long ‘condition’ that impacts how i walk through life and how others may treat me and has been an integral part of my experiences. so “im autistic”
I'm an awetist.
I’m Autistic, through and through
Autism is not my superpower though. I'm just awesome (most of the time as a person), I am creative (I have artism), and I have autism. So I'm an awetist. To put it more seriously, I am autistic, but I don't display as autistic all the time. I have autism all the time even when I don't behave autistically. I don't identify with autism, I'm just me and I happen to function this way. I don't often compare myself to NTs because that was never my ideal to begin with.
I say I’m autistic because I have no idea how to separate my autistic symptoms out from me. The symptoms are so wholistic I don’t know what isn’t impacted by autism
I am autistic,
Before diagnosis, I was a teacher with a SPED certification (still have the cert.). We were instructed to use 'people first' language, stating the person has autism. Now that I've been diagnosed myself, I say I'm autistic. The 'people first', politically correct language model does not fit for me, and I would not use it in the future, unless forced/coerced.
sometimes i just say “I AM AUTISM” but i usually say i am autistic :)
Both. I also have brown hair and my hair is brown. Two ways of saying the same thing.
Sono autistico!
a fellow italian?
Yes
I am not autistic and I don't have autism... autism has me 😭
Phrasing-wise, I say both. Belief-wise, I’m autistic. It *is* an essential part of myself because it affects every part of my life.
I'm autistic just as I'm homosexual.
I have autism
I have mixed feelings about the person first vs condition first language discussion. I get why it's important to talk about for some people, but to me it's just wordplay. Saying autistic people's people with autism doesn't make the condition any different, and the people who see autistic people existing as a problem aren't going to suddenly change their minds because of it. If we want substantial social change in the direction of equality/equity, legislate it. Let the abelist fucks cry. Games make us feel good, but that's about it
both seem off i'm a human person and autism is all i've ever experienced
I say either / or, depending on what else I am saying. I don’t consider them to mean different things. I know there is the whole person first / disability first thing, and having multiple disabilities I do identify with my disabilities because they affect every single aspect of my life. However I don’t always say it one way, or the other way. It doesn’t really matter to me. I hate when people say “differently abled” because I am not differently abled, I cannot do the things abled people can, I am disabled. But I say both “I’m disabled” and “I have disabilities.”
I have autism. I was diagnosed at 2-3 and it's kinda why my mom decided against further vaccinations until I hit high school/college.
Vaccines don’t cause autism though
I don’t view autism as a disease, so I don’t ever say I have autism. It sounds like “I have cancer”. Though I would say I have ADD/ADHD. I also rarely would say I’m autistic, because there is so much more to me than that. Autism sometimes explains my eccentricities, but frankly I need to tell people I’m autistic as often as I need to tell people I’m straight (meaning almost never). My wife talks about it way more than I do. Though it gets funny that anyone I can have a conversation with is probably also autistic (or at least that is her observation).
Sure, both are fine, whatever. 😁 All terms are imperfect. Words are merely grunts and hoots that vaguely gesture towards imprecise nodes in an ever-shifting web of abstractions and analogies. Try to call people what they want to be called, and try not to find offense where none was intended.
I don't wanna hijack this thread so I'll just ask and make a separate if anyone wants- is there anyone here who would be interested at some point in a serious discussion about the modern conception of autism and how that conception is blurring the lines of mental disorder and social identity- As someone who has been criticized because I resisted my whole life the autistic label but was often placed on me because of my own existence at the blurred lines between the spectrum and the high end of the non autistic profile often found in the family of the autistic person where a cluster of traits often associated with autism tend to be much higher
It could be a cool argument to talk about. I don't think I can be properly contribute to it, but it would be interesting for me to partecipate in the discussion.
Cool- The relationship between the traditional conception of autism spectrum disorder, terms that are largely out of use like "Asbergers", clustered autism traits in non spectrum families of autistic person, and the modern conception of the autism that is blurs the lines between the diagnostic and the identify is very complicated and multifaceted and informed by a dialogue that has been ongoing between a community that includes a very diverse array of experiences and radically different relationships with the term autistic- and as the very reaction to my earlier post indicated, this dialogue isn't just those who are within the community but also, it's seldom discussed how often those on the perifrey and who are not but especially those who have a set of traits that seem to suggest that many of these folks have at times struggled with their relationship with the spectrum and these traits. I've had a radical notion before that our definitional boundaries need to be given some clarity-
Since being diagnosed I feel like "I have autism" carries the weight of how it feels to live with it. I've only been formally diagnosed for a few months but It has impacted my life to such degrees that I feel it's necessary to realize how much of myself and life is impacted by autism. maybe I've misread the body as well but the two kind of go hand in hand depending on the type of conversation you may be having or whatever.
I've just always said that I have autism
both. just am autistic and have it too. integral part of me and affects everything but its not *everything* if that makes sense.
I think 'having autism' sounds better. 'Being autistic' sounds more personal, and autism is often associated negatively, so I don't wanna make it sound like it's all there is to me
A friends son has lvl3 autism and really has full neurodivergent mind, non verbal. Everything for him works different. Most here I feel, like me, are a bit on the spectrum. Not needing permanent care, special schools etc.
I say both depending on the situation, but I generally prefer identity first language. Autism ties back to a LOT of my behaviors, experiences, etc, so I don’t think it’s separable from my identity.
I use both but I do not identify with my autism and view it as a disorder that I was born with. Though it is a highly identifiable part of me that other people notice easily, it does not solely define me and isn't something I highly hold onto from an internal aspect. It's a condition that I have to live with and find ways to aleviate in order to find joy in my life.
Yes
I use the two phrases interchangeably, partially because I have a speech impediment and sometimes “I have autism” comes out of my mouth easier. I know there are differences in has autism/is autistic but I don’t care which one people use for me. It’s like saying “she has brown hair” vs “she is brunette.” How people treat me, whether they’re understanding when I need something explained twice or I don’t get their sarcasm, whether or not they accuse me of “making excuses” for my behavior, etc, is SO much more important than little language differences and a much more important thing to fight for. IMO
In swedish, I have autism (jag har autsim), in english, I'm autistic. I just use what is the more convenient option depending on which language I'm speaking. I don't really care.
I personally don't care, like I'd people say, "you have autism" I'm like well sure, and if someone else is like "no you are autistic" I'm like okay bro chill. I totally get why people have such strong feelings by the why I just personally don't care.
I generally say “I _have autism._” Like other disabilities, in my opinion, the person comes before the disability.
I'm indifferent. You can say "I have diabetes," and "I'm diabetic." It's the same to me.
Both autism is a disorder which I possess and an autistic person is someone who possesses autism
Either/or because I've got so many more important things to worry about than semantics.
Autistic, fuck the handbag having autism language.
I'm autistic, I feel like I can't separate it from myself. it's a *part* of me
I always say I'm autistic. at this point I don't know which parts of me are or aren't effected by my autism. it's like saying I'm blonde, or I'm short. it's part of me, it's who I am
I have autism. I don’t like my autism defining me, even though it kind of does
Im autistic
I am autistic
I'm autistic
I say “I have an autism” or “I’m on the spectrum”
I say both but I feel more comfortable saying I have autism because I hate this sht sometimes
I prefer I'm autistic, but there isn't an equivelant that i know of for adhd which makes it feel akward regardless (saying it different for one vs the other). I had my adhd diagnosis for 15+ years before autism, so I'm already used to saying I *have* adhd. When typing, easy enough to write I'm audhd. I actually have stronger feelings about how to say other things about myself that I *don't* strongly identify with
I feel more comfortable saying I have autism. But I don’t really have any logic behind that.
It is a permanent condition ergo I am autistic. To label someone as a person WITH implies that the condition is temporary. A person with a cold, with the flu, with Covid, with cancer, with a broken leg, with a concussion, with a black eye. I didn't just roll out of bed in 2005 and whoops caught me a case of the 'tism on my way to breakfast. Permanent conditions, especially those that affect every aspect of your day are not referred to in this manner: paraplegia, blindness, stupidity, autism to name a few. It is demeaning and downplaying our situation to have it be referred to in the same manner as the common cold.
I’m autistic as it’s my personality
I kind of use them interchangeably
I am autistic. Whilst I occasionally find people who make it their whole personality a bit tiresome, especially the OMG SO QUIRKY AND NEUROSPICY types on social media, it does absolutely influence everything I experience and how I move in the world. I don't think there will ever be a cure, but if there was would I take it? I don't know who I would be, I've never known any other way. Trying to be neurotypical made me miserable and masking tires me. When I take ADHD medication it focuses me and suppresses my stims but it allows me to be a more refined version of myself. If any treatment made me more sociable and didn't have it tire me quite so much, I'd be tempted. It's inextricably me though, so unlike a person with diabetes who may have to take insulin or be mindful or what they eat and when, it doesn't change who they are, autism is very much the prism through which I see and am seen. (I know this thread is full of autistic people because OP is being dragged for the language they're using - if there's one thing I've discovered it's that people with ASD have opinions and you will hear them ha ha )
I use both but I also sometimes say around my friends I have the tisms
I use these interchangeably, but “I’m autistic” is used much more often than the other one. But I don’t put too much weight on it. If someone calls me “person with autism” I wouldn’t have any strong feelings about it.
Use both
It doesn't matter to me in the least how it is said
I do not give a shit how it is said. I am autistic, I have autism, I’m fucking acoustic, it doesn’t matter at all.
Both. I’m autistic. I have autism. Those are one and the same for me. I’m an autistic person. I’m a person with autism. Those are the same sentences to me lol
I tend to say that I'm autistic, but also often say that I have autism and ADHD.
im BOTH
I’m autistic, I don’t have a real description for why I prefer it, but it just sounds more natural.
I’m autistic in english and I have autism in my native language💀 I think that me and my autism cannot be separated, it impacts every single aspect of my life down to the way I sit on the toilet or chew food BUT the word autistic sounds weird in polish. I have no idea if it’s maybe internalized ableism from hearing it used as an insult or some linguistic phenomenon.
as someone who is both chronically ill and autistic, I am autistic, I have chronic illness. to me, my autism is an inherent part of me that does not need to be cured or treated. of course there are aspects of it that cause me difficulties, that make me have different needs than others but to me those are just parts of me. which is different from my chronic illness, which is a condition i was born with, not a part of my identity. i actively treat the symptoms and wish there was a cure.
I speak autism
yes
I say both, honestly. I am autistic because I have autism, I guess? Mostly, I just try to go with what others prefer when referring to them. The thing that upsets me is when others argue with an autistic person/person with autism and tell them the way they self-identify is wrong.
I just hate It when healthcare "professionals" tell my I "have" autism as if it is offensive to call myself autistic. Firstly, don't police my experience maybe? Secondly, I inherently identify as autistic and neurodivergent the same way I don't "have" homosexuality. I am queer, it is my identity and it will never go away and there is nothing wrong with it. I hate to people who say they have autism. Just hate to healthcare professionals who tell you which you are. I probably studied more academically and community sourced literature and experiences than them, it's time for healthcare professionals to start listening instead of talking out of their ass so much. Oke rant over.
A fable: I volunteer at a teen organization centered around giving disabled kids a place to socialize and have friends. I'm autistic, and once said to my friend something about what my teacher said and used the term autistic as in "She (me) is autistic" and not "She has autism". That friend was shocked and said that the teacher was wrong for calling me autistic and not saying I have autism, because "using that abbreviation categorizes you as autistic, and not a person first". I was confused and said that autism is an integral part of myself, and does not cost my personhood but coexists with it - she wouldn't hear it. Our supervisor - mind you, another non autistic person - happened to hear us, came up to me, and said "yeah, that's they correct way to call people with autism" . . . Who are you to tell me what's correct and what's not??? Anyway they are both not volunteers anymore
I am autistic...but I never say I am autistic, people always tell me I am weird and I don't correct them or tell them "I am not weird it's autism." I think there are three people in my life who know I am autistic and I was diagnosed when I was a child but my mother never told my family and I never told anyone either.
What are you on? It’s the same thing just used differently depending how you’re going to say it in a sentence, I.e I have autism, or I am autistic. Either way we got it guys!
I’m autistic.
I dont mind either really. I will say both quite happily. Its apart of me and who I am. In some instances I do think the other party has a right to know, as my behaviour wont always fit the situation.
I usually don’t care which term I use, although I generally say I have autism.
I am always autistic. It is a part of my identity. I have chronic pain. It is always there, but it isn’t a part of my identity. I am disabled, my disabilities impact every aspect of my life and affect how I view myself.
I am German, I am tall, I am stubborn, and I am autistic. I am not a person with Germanness. I am not a person with tallness. I am not a person with stubbornness. So why would I call myself a person with autism?
Both. Language is a reflection of its people. As long as there's no judgement, there's no problem.
Both, generally when I tell people either or it pretty much seems to make them avoid me after that so it’s really interchangeable, however I would prefer to say and often do say, I’m autistic
i usually say i'm an autist, in the same sense that i say i am gay. it's an important aspect of me and has influenced a lot of the ways i interact with the world, but it's not my entire personality.
I tend to say I'm Autistic, though there are sometimes where it flows better to say, "I have Autism" (I've noticed this happens more often when I speak Spanish).
I'm autistic. Honestly my Neanderthal DNA didn't cause my brain to grow faster than normies to just not identify as it being and intrinsic part of me.
I'm autistic
Yes. Both. It consumes me. I am autism. Fear me. ^/s
I have autism but in the same way I have 10 fingers. It's inseparable from me and yet only part of the experience? Idk I'm on my second Scotch.
I’m autistic.