Is "on the spectrum" offensive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have recently been in situations where adults casually referred to awkward or socially unaware colleagues as "on the spectrum." I find this frustrating and offensive (and often inaccurate) and the term itself bothers me. I am a mom of a SN kid so definitely sensitive to this kind of thing.. is this objectively offensive? How about if referring to a kid with an ASD diagnosis?

Its offensive when they are basically bullying and making up stuff.

Quirky is a nice way of saying rude. On the spectrum is a nice way of saying quirky and rude. What you want is for people to excuse rudeness without ever even acknowledging that's what they're doing. That only works with friends and people who like you. For colleagues or acquaintances, it won't work.

Yuck. Someone on the spectrum isn't being rude when they don't adhere to your expectations.
If you see that someone is offended by something an autistic person is doing, seek to bridge understanding by being descriptive. "Hannah loves to voice her opinions, please let her/us know if you'd prefer we don't discuss X, y, z" "Tom is an enthusiastic storyteller and sometimes needs to be steered to other topics or reminded of your time limits." Whatever the case may be.

Society, school and work environments actually do have a basic level of social expectations. Make sure your parents, teachers and therapists teach you them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have recently been in situations where adults casually referred to awkward or socially unaware colleagues as "on the spectrum." I find this frustrating and offensive (and often inaccurate) and the term itself bothers me. I am a mom of a SN kid so definitely sensitive to this kind of thing.. is this objectively offensive? How about if referring to a kid with an ASD diagnosis?

What’s the alternative?

Does saying nothing accomplish something better?

Would being called rude be better?

Like in family court or work performance reviews you just focus on the pattern of behaviors and symptoms over and over and how they negatively affect things. No need to postulate a Dx or label. It doesn’t matter. The chronic symptoms matter. That’s where the buck stops. For others.

For the afflicted it’s up to them to manage their symptoms or find a better environment for them.

Multiple people have offered alternatives to making up a BS armchair diagnosis and you keep ignoring them. What TF is your problem.

#triggered

The above PP makes the point that no need to talk about potential diagnoses.

Everyone knows to talk about the behavior patterns that are negatively affecting others, the work product, the team, the relationship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what should be said instead? Do we just say a person is weird/quirky? Or do we just not acknowledge their weirdness and pretend it doesn't exist?

Why, anything. I don't know. Along those lines, are you saying something when on is fat or ugly or is part of religion you don't care for? Why are you saying or acknowledging this one part of them? Odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what should be said instead? Do we just say a person is weird/quirky? Or do we just not acknowledge their weirdness and pretend it doesn't exist?

Why, anything. I don't know. Along those lines, are you saying something when on is fat or ugly or is part of religion you don't care for? Why are you saying or acknowledging this one part of them? Odd.

Because it’s a behavior pattern.

If someone fat or ugly or XYZ religion was being rude or unresponsive on the regular, they’d be called out too for that.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the spectrum as a term is not offensive. However, saying someone is on the spectrum because you perceive them as quirky can be offensive and derogatory. [/quote]

This is what I think too. I hate armchair diagnoses that are often given in bad faith. [/quote]

I agree 100%. And what gets me is: why can't they just call the person quirky? Every time... I just want to tell the person to expand their vocabulary and stop using fad language. Using "spectrum" makes some people feel smart.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. I mean yes it’s often used to describe someone who is misfiring socially in which case yes they are probably on the spectrum

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the spectrum as a term is not offensive. However, saying someone is on the spectrum because you perceive them as quirky can be offensive and derogatory. [/quote]

This is what I think too. I hate armchair diagnoses that are often given in bad faith. [/quote]

I agree 100%. And what gets me is: why can't they just call the person quirky? Every time... I just want to tell the person to expand their vocabulary and stop using fad language. Using "spectrum" makes some people feel smart.[/quote]

Bc they’re not saying quirky they’re saying the person has autism. On the spectrum is like ‘person of color.’ Feels a little less on the nose than ‘Black person’ or ‘autistic’

[Anonymous]

It’s 2024, any use of the word quirky to describe someone heavily connotes ASD I.

Upon meeting you’ll quickly find out if the person can hold a back & forth conversation beyond their special interest or quirks. And that’ll do it.

There are well rounded people who work FT, exercise, have various friend groups, plus do a quirky hobby (military books, train models, document insects). Thats different than one trick ponies.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the spectrum as a term is not offensive. However, saying someone is on the spectrum because you perceive them as quirky can be offensive and derogatory. [/quote]

This is what I think too. I hate armchair diagnoses that are often given in bad faith. [/quote]

I agree 100%. And what gets me is: why can't they just call the person quirky? Every time... I just want to tell the person to expand their vocabulary and stop using fad language. Using "spectrum" makes some people feel smart.[/quote]

Bc they’re not saying quirky they’re saying the person has autism. On the spectrum is like ‘person of color.’ Feels a little less on the nose than ‘Black person’ or ‘autistic’ [/quote]

They're not qualified to diagnose autism. When a random person tries to do this it connotes ignorance and cruelty on their part as it is clearly a dig at another person's social skills.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the spectrum as a term is not offensive. However, saying someone is on the spectrum because you perceive them as quirky can be offensive and derogatory. [/quote]

This is what I think too. I hate armchair diagnoses that are often given in bad faith. [/quote]

I agree 100%. And what gets me is: why can't they just call the person quirky? Every time... I just want to tell the person to expand their vocabulary and stop using fad language. Using "spectrum" makes some people feel smart.[/quote]

Bc they’re not saying quirky they’re saying the person has autism. On the spectrum is like ‘person of color.’ Feels a little less on the nose than ‘Black person’ or ‘autistic’ [/quote]

They're not qualified to diagnose autism. When a random person tries to do this it connotes ignorance and cruelty on their part as it is clearly a dig at another person's social skills. [/quote]

Again, it’s the chronic symptoms that cause issues at work, home or socially.

Not the Dx. Stop fixating.

If saying the word quirky or on the spectrum quickly explains the behaviors and situations, then so be it. That’s all it’s doing, describing the behavior. No one cares to get into to the neuropsych test or mental disorder care or their avoidance of it. They care about the suffering and issues that are created. And must be dealt with. In the workplace, in the home, in the relationships.

Frankly most people would assume the rude person is being Passive Aggressive and not stick around long enough to view the pattern as on the spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Headline: not everyone has the same social skills.

But never ever talk about that.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the spectrum as a term is not offensive. However, saying someone is on the spectrum because you perceive them as quirky can be offensive and derogatory. [/quote]

This is what I think too. I hate armchair diagnoses that are often given in bad faith. [/quote]

I agree 100%. And what gets me is: why can't they just call the person quirky? Every time... I just want to tell the person to expand their vocabulary and stop using fad language. Using "spectrum" makes some people feel smart.[/quote]

Bc they’re not saying quirky they’re saying the person has autism. On the spectrum is like ‘person of color.’ Feels a little less on the nose than ‘Black person’ or ‘autistic’ [/quote]

They're not qualified to diagnose autism. When a random person tries to do this it connotes ignorance and cruelty on their part as it is clearly a dig at another person's social skills. [/quote]

Again, it’s the chronic symptoms that cause issues at work, home or socially.

Not the Dx. Stop fixating.

If saying the word quirky or on the spectrum quickly explains the behaviors and situations, then so be it. That’s all it’s doing, describing the behavior. No one cares to get into to the neuropsych test or mental disorder care or their avoidance of it. They care about the suffering and issues that are created. And must be dealt with. In the workplace, in the home, in the relationships.

Frankly most people would assume the rude person is being Passive Aggressive and not stick around long enough to view the pattern as on the spectrum.

[/quote]

"The spectrum" refers to a specific diagnosis. It's offensive to use it to refer to someone with troubling social behaviors who causes "suffering" in the workplace. People can have troubling social behaviors for a variety of reasons including anxiety, BPD, sociopathy, you name it.

You're being willfully obtuse on this. I wonder if it's possible you - the person fixated on referring to problem people in the workplace as being "on the spectrum" may actually be the source of the problems in the workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the spectrum as a term is not offensive. However, saying someone is on the spectrum because you perceive them as quirky can be offensive and derogatory.

This is what I think too. I hate armchair diagnoses that are often given in bad faith.

I agree 100%. And what gets me is: why can't they just call the person quirky? Every time... I just want to tell the person to expand their vocabulary and stop using fad language. Using "spectrum" makes some people feel smart.

Bc they’re not saying quirky they’re saying the person has autism. On the spectrum is like ‘person of color.’ Feels a little less on the nose than ‘Black person’ or ‘autistic’

They're not qualified to diagnose autism. When a random person tries to do this it connotes ignorance and cruelty on their part as it is clearly a dig at another person's social skills.

Again, it’s the chronic symptoms that cause issues at work, home or socially.

Not the Dx. Stop fixating.

If saying the word quirky or on the spectrum quickly explains the behaviors and situations, then so be it. That’s all it’s doing, describing the behavior. No one cares to get into to the neuropsych test or mental disorder care or their avoidance of it. They care about the suffering and issues that are created. And must be dealt with. In the workplace, in the home, in the relationships.

Frankly most people would assume the rude person is being Passive Aggressive and not stick around long enough to view the pattern as on the spectrum.

"The spectrum" refers to a specific diagnosis. It's offensive to use it to refer to someone with troubling social behaviors who causes "suffering" in the workplace. People can have troubling social behaviors for a variety of reasons including anxiety, BPD, sociopathy, you name it.

You're being willfully obtuse on this. I wonder if it's possible you - the person fixated on referring to problem people in the workplace as being "on the spectrum" may actually be the source of the problems in the workplace.

DP. Or vice versa.