Why do some people feel compelled to call autistic people "retarded"? We are neurodivergent, we're just a bit different.

[WhenTheyCry]

title

 

[sserafim]

I have Asperger's/autism and this annoys me so much. I've never been called that personally, but it still gets on my nerves. It also irks me when people call it an intellectual disability. My IQ (I got it officially tested) is the superior/gifted range, there's nothing wrong with my intelligence. I'm not intellectually disabled, I'm socially disabled.

 

[Life_and_Death]

We are neurodivergent, we're just a bit different.

i wish i knew the answer to your question but i dont, however i wanted to echo that, yeah it f'en sucks

 

[WhenTheyCry]

I have Asperger's/autism and this annoys me so much. I've never been called that personally, but it still gets on my nerves. It also irks me when people call it an intellectual disability. My IQ (I got it officially tested) is the superior/gifted range, there's nothing wrong with my intelligence. I'm not intellectually disabled, I'm socially disabled.

Society will see your intelligence and think, "wow, how can we turn him into a super efficient cog in the wheel?" without any regard for the accommodations you'll need due to being autistic. Are we just tools to them.

 

[mortuarymary]

Disgusting thing to say to someone.

 

[sserafim]

Society will see your intelligence and think, "wow, how can we turn him into a super efficient cog in the wheel?" without any regard for the accommodations you'll need due to being autistic. Are we just tools to them.

Lol I'm a "her" but this is true. Society isn't very accommodating towards us and downplays or just flat out ignores our needs and required supports, yet it expects us to understand neurotypical people and be good cogs in the wheel/well-functioning members of society.

The worst thing is that I look normal on the outside, but once my mask slips up and I unintentionally do things that rub other people the wrong way, and they get mad and frustrated at me. If I continue making these faux pas, they slowly begin to grow annoyed of me.

I definitely agree that we're just tools to them. This may sound cynical, but I believe that everyone is just a tool under capitalism, existing to make corporations and rich people even richer.

 

[Arachno]

I heard such things too and I just don't get it, why would anyone say things like this? I hate it.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think it's because we're animals at the end of the day. Packs of animals will attack and even kill those that appear weaker, different or a threat. There are also power struggles within a group. A wannabe leader or bully will try to ostracize other members to get rid of competition, gain followers, seize control.

In human societies, we normally need to be taught to be compassionate to people who are disabled, look deformed or act strangely I think. I have this terrible memory of being quite young and we went to visit some friends of my Dad's. They had a relative there and I'm not even sure what he was afflicted with but he got so excited about playing the piano and I made some mean comment about it and was (rightly) pulled up on it. It wasn't really mean by the way. I definitely didn't call him anything. I think I was just a bit snarky- saying he'd gotten a bit over-excited. It was mean though. Very cleverly, the relative didn't exacty tell me off. She went in the other direction and said how grown up I was to know such a long word. It sank in though that it was a shitty thing to do because I still feel bad about it now.

I guess my point is, I don't think compassion towards someone different necessarily comes naturally to us. I wonder if we have to learn it through empathy. Through being teased ourselves. Some people maybe never learn it. Some people never really mature either. They probably think it makes them look strong/ superior to pick on other people. Plus, sometimes, disturbingly it works- other people laugh and join in. Sadly- we do seem to have brains that enjoy to hate 'the other'. Look at all the wars and genocides that have happened because one group of people decide they are superior to another.

The other thing is maybe it's a form of relief. We're a cruel species. We will laugh at the misfortunes of someone else- in part because we're probably just glad that wasn't us.

I suppose as well, if you unknowingly offend someone- they may well lash out back. They may not believe you did it unknowingly.

 

[aGoodDayToDie]

It's down to fear. They hear other people use the word retarded. They then fear that associating with people with autism could cause them to attract negative attention to themselves. They're sheep. They want to be accepted by people who have threatened others to feel safe. So they then copy their behaviour

 

[Tokugawa_Yoshinobu]

People are very evil against anyone who sticks out. So you get labled things that are offensive.

 

[Bianka]

I don't think we should look at these things as anything other than words. They're meaningless. What matters is the intention behind it

 

[needpeace18]

Lol I'm a "her" but this is true. Society isn't very accommodating towards us and downplays or just flat out ignores our needs and required supports, yet it expects us to understand neurotypical people and be good cogs in the wheel/well-functioning members of society.

The worst thing is that I look normal on the outside, but once my mask slips up and I unintentionally do things that rub other people the wrong way, and they get mad and frustrated at me. If I continue making these faux pas, they slowly begin to grow annoyed of me.

I definitely agree that we're just tools to them. This may sound cynical, but I believe that everyone is just a tool under capitalism, existing to make corporations and rich people even richer.

To look normal and be neurodivergent is horrible. I too suffer from that. I have a personality disorder but look normal.

 

[sserafim]

To look normal and be neurodivergent is horrible. I too suffer from that. I have a personality disorder but look normal.

Sorry to hear that. Yeah I know right, it sucks, I think we probably give people uncanny valley syndrome or something.

 

[Kit1]

I didn't speak till the age of 5/6 send was apparently picked on for this. When I was 10 or 11, a teacher told my mother that I was "mentally retarded ". Mum beat the hell out of me and ended up with a visit to the hospital. Really don't have time for people who are ignorant or violent - speaks of the type of people they are. I don't have a problem with being different and if someone else cannot handle it, that is their problem. The sad part is being let down by those who are supposed to help - parents, teachers, doctors, mental health workers etc. But hey, the world if full of intelligent people who are free to judge those of us who are different and use their great brains to make our lives hell. Completely get it - I am being sarcastic. Apologies for the sarcasm, but trying to survive in this world and struggling to understand the language of this world. And I am sorry for everyone who are on the same boat - just feels unfair and painful.

 

[Napoleon]

title

Probably because actual Aspergers is for some reason (due to BigPharmaPhags & political correctness) with literal retards, so normalfags automatically assume that all actual Autists/Aspies are the same as mentally-crippled people who can barely wipe their ass. We need to segregate them away, and give actual retards a name of their own. Idea: BigPharmaPhags should start classifying retards as retarded again. Mind-blowing, I know.