Note For Anyone Writing About Me

Guide to Writing About Me

I am an Autistic person,not a person with autism. I am also not Aspergers. The diagnosis isn't even in the DSM anymore, and yes, I agree with the consolidation of all autistic spectrum stuff under one umbrella. I have other issues with the DSM.

I don't like Autism Speaks. I'm Disabled, not differently abled, and I am an Autistic activist. Self-advocate is true, but incomplete.

Citing My Posts

MLA: Zisk, Alyssa Hillary. "Post Title." Yes, That Too. Day Month Year of post. Web. Day Month Year of retrieval.

APA: Zisk, A. H. (Year Month Day of post.) Post Title. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://yesthattoo.blogspot.com/post-specific-URL.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Laughing About Language

"I am an autism with personhood"
"an autistic with personhood?"
"An autistic who happens to be experiencing life with personhood!"
Laugh at it. We were joking (sort of...) 
I mean, we were also poking fun at the folk who try to separate the autism from the autistic person, which doesn't actually work. So we're separating it out the other way. Don't take it seriously- the fact that we are people is very important, after all. But think about how ridiculous "an autistic who happens to be experiencing life with personhood" sounds. Think about why it doesn't make sense. 
In this case, we are calling personhood an appendage that can be removed at need or something that is only incidental to who this person is. Clearly, that's inaccurate. But is "person who happens to be experiencing life with autism" any more accurate? Hint: No, not really. Autism isn't a detachable appendage or something that is only incidental to who this person is either.
Which is why, however much those statements at the start were made jokingly, they aren't any less accurate than "person with autism" or "personhood with autism" or "a person who happens to be experiencing life with autism."
I won't ever tell you what to call yourself, but if you tell me to call myself a person with autism, be warned: This is what I'm going to joke about. Possibly behind your back, possibly in front of your face.

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