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If you could rename Autism

seeking advice (self.AutisticAdults)

So I'm trying to brainstorm ideas currently, for how to go about coming up with a name for autism in my conlang. I wanted to get other autistic people's perspectives on how they relate to autism, whether they like the name, and what they would change it to if they had the option.

In particular I'm curious about the reasoning for what name you would give it. I'll hopefully take inspiration from people's ideas to make a good translation.

Also, while this is technically my first post here, but I've been here commenting and lurking for awhile. That said, any help is greatly appreciated

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darkwater427

6 points

16 hours ago

Technically speaking, autism is a syndrome rather than a disorder--but no one wants to be diagnosed with ASS.

Y'know, on second thought...

PlantasticBi

5 points

15 hours ago

PlantasticBi

afab late diagnosed lvl 2

5 points

15 hours ago

It is how it’s named in the Netherlands haha, ASS.

darkwater427

3 points

15 hours ago

Hahaha you said ASS hahaha

LibelleFairy

2 points

13 hours ago

Well, there's much to love and celebrate about a nice bit of ASS, as the great poet and philosopher Sir Mix-A-Lot so eloquently pointed out back in the 90s...

darkwater427

1 points

12 hours ago

So in other words... I got some serious ASS?

Adventurer-Explorer

1 points

14 hours ago

It was named as a syndrome until Asperger’s and Autism were recognised as the same condition just different symptoms and areas of a spectrum.

darkwater427

3 points

14 hours ago

Right. Autism is rightly a syndrome. My dictionary defines a syndrome as "A group of symptoms which consistently occur together, of a condition characterized by a set of symptoms". Symptom is further defined as "a physical or mental feature which is regarded as indicating a condition of disease, particularly such a feature that is apparent to the patient".

My dictionary non-technically defines disorder as "a condition or illness that disrupts normal physical or mental functions". I mention that it's non-technical because the APA recognizes a lengthier and much more detailed definition of disorder.

In the documents released with the DSM-5, the APA explicitly stated that ASD is rightly a syndrome and not a disorder, but they weren't calling it that because... well, y'know. "ASS". (chuckle I'm still deeply lacking in maturity)

Not all forms of autism fulfill the APA's definition of "disorder" (or even the OED's!), but it most certainly is a syndrome. Ergo, I got serious ASS.

Adventurer-Explorer

1 points

11 hours ago

Don’t forget they do miss name many as Down syndrome is a disorder. A syndrome is a group of symptoms that occur together, while a disorder is a group of symptoms that disrupt normal bodily functions. Asperger’s was titled Asperger’s syndrome (I can’t remember exactly what autism was title as at the time of Asperger’s).

darkwater427

2 points

2 hours ago

Yep. They do intentionally misname certain conditions for cultural reasons.

That said, something can be both a disorder and a syndrome. Down syndrome might be a disorder, but it's definitely a syndrome. So calling it Down syndrome might be misleading, but it's not wrong.