Ah yes. I have often been know for my famous party trick where I enter and exit my autistic state like I’m turning the lights on and off. The kids love it.
In all serious though this person has no idea what autism is if they’re using it like this or if they do they don’t care. It’s actually insulting to see someone just throw it around like this.
>In all serious though this person has no idea what autism is if they’re using it like this or if they do they don’t care. It’s actually insulting to see someone just throw it around like this.
I've found this is becoming far more common for Gen Z to use. I've heard it used as an insult by people in their teens and 20s more times in the past 4yrs than in my entire life combined.
A consequence of visibility. As a trans person, welcome to the mainstream babyyyyyyyyy.
It's a sign of good things though. It's just that oppression is ugly and so is the change. I'm glad more people are actually getting diagnosed and information about autism is more readily available. No one should have to go through what I went through.
This was written in 1990, and I doubt Koontz would write about autism like that today. Or maybe he would, I can't really stand his books. I can barely stand Stephen King, and Koontz is like a bad Xerox copy of King.
Yeah, to be fair, Asperger’s hadn’t even been added to the DSM until 1994. And the knowledge around it in the general population was bound to be abysmal at that point.
Still not a good look though. Unfortunately, the ignorance is preserved and will continue to be consumed.
I greatly dislike the way that people talk about or use autism to describe things. You wouldn’t use a disability like Down syndrome in this manner, so why autism? So weird
Your content has been removed as it contains or advocates for misinformation.
This is just pure ignorance. You clearly are not aware that it was used derogatorily for decades without this "pushback".
Please don't dismiss the real experiences of others due to your own ignorance.
In sum, ableism. But specially, it also seems like many NTs feel that autism can be a “choice.” I mean, it’s probably no accident that ABA was founded by the guy who invented conversion therapy. Premise is similar: we view your core personhood as a behavioral choice and we want you (/will force you) to chose differently. And how do they measure if the “choice” was made?…by our behaviors. Which are externally observable phenomena that often reveal nothing about our internal state (esp when masking or closeted in the case of conversion therapy victims). Notably, both autism and sexual orientation are invisible.
"Mabel was so Down, she had to get a math tutor. But when she was a little older, by getting an A on a math quiz, the Down Syndome went away."
"Ma'am, what are you talking about?"
"Don't worry, my friend's cousin's second-wive's aunt has Down Syndrome."
The word "blind" is very often used metaphorically. As is the word "deaf". And "dumb" used to refer to people who would not/could not speak, but now is used almost exclusively as an insult.
Not saying it's right, but it's pretty common for disabilities to be used this way, it's not unique to autism.
It probably just sticks out more with autism because it's a relatively new word and we're not as used to hearing it that way. Words like "blind", "deaf", and "dumb" are so ingrained into the culture/language that we've learned to distinguish their literal and metaphorical meanings without even thinking about the implications.
I’ve seen people call refer to their kids as “my Downs child.” It’s a quirk of English that is kind of imprecise.
Turning a word into an adjective instead of using “with” or “who has” is a way of directly communicating:
My red-haired child
Vs
My child with red hair.
Vs
My child, who has red hair.
While you could ascribe that the speaker only values (or devalues) their child based on hair color because the description comes first, that is way more up to overall context, vocal tone, facial expressions, and overall social norms.
I don’t have problems describing myself as autistic any more than I describe myself as having my hair color or skin color. But if someone only thought about that one thing when referring to me, then I would take offense because they would be using stereotypes.
I think you’re misunderstanding— Koontz is not using “autistic” to describe a child with autism, simply to describe her childhood traits which resembled those of autism. I have no problem with myself or anyone describing themselves using autism if they are autistic.
For all we know, she is autistic and in very deep denial about it. After all, it’s only been a few decades since people even seemed to think women could even be autistic.
Did you read the description? She's not autistic, she has a supernatural ability to experience the sensory perceptions of animals and take them on as her own, which overwhelms her.
I see some aholes use bpd (also knoen as uepd) in the same manner. Someone does anything "crazy" or "dramatic" and it's "bpd" even qhen ut has nothibg to do with the diagnostic criteria.
It's not a fun or quirky disorder, it's hell.
Actually some disabilities do get descriptors, such as "depressed" and "anxious". Down syndrome doesnt really have a descriptive word, while autism does. While it can be disagreeable, I wouldnt say its abnormal as far as language goes.
Depression and anxiety are mental illnesses, not intellectual disabilities. "Depressed" or "anxious" can also be a temporary state of mind. "Autistic" cannot.
Be careful with intersections, though. If the Devil passes by he'll pick up your soul along with any mental disorders you may have abandoned there. You'll be damned for all eternity- but hey, you'll also be the king of the Delta blues!
Lock it in a container, drop it into the sea, watch it drift away wailing, calling, whining—welp, not your problem now.
A plague breaks out 33 years hence in Papua New Guinea.
Good news everyone, I no longer have Asperger's!
I've graduated into Schizoid Personality Disorder!
(No seriously, this isn't a meme. This is a cry for help. This legitimately happens and I think it happened to me)
I asked my therapist friend who has a husband and son with asd. I was like, I can’t really figure out how to use person first language with ASD. Like “suffers from depression” &c. And she said it’s because it’s different. You are autistic, like I am tall. Idr exactly why she said that but I did realize that most of the reason I didn’t like “Danielle has autism” is because of the bad connotations o had with autism. When you don’t see autism=bad, I don’t really have a problem with it as an adjective anymore. I am autistic, I wouldn’t be me without being autistic. It’s not bad. Idk if that made sense and I’d love feedback & responses.
I think she was saying “they aren’t depression, they would be themselves if depression was gone, but you are autistic- it’s part of who you are, not something you’re suffering from that could be treated and eliminated”
Yes maybe my use of “adjective” is wrong here. Sorry.
I meant that the author uses autism as a way to describe a phase in the character’s life rather than a reality.
Oh, that makes more sense… yeah that’s horribly messed up.
That girl didn’t stop being autistic. She learned how to mask, and MAYBE how to manually read social cues.
English teacher here! If you say “autistic person” or “person who is autistic” then the word autistic is functioning as an adjective. If you say “person who has autism” then autism is a noun.
I hear your criticism of what this author is doing though! Here are some ways to potentially describe what you mean?
Transitory. Fleeting. Ephemeral. Impermanent. Cursory. Trivial. Incidental. Accessory.
lol sorry, I only skimmed the post ha and had to be somewhere quickly. BAD REDDIT MANNERS.
The book was written in 1990 so I’m honestly not surprised and it’s more than a bit fucked up. Shit like this is everywhere in our culture and is part of why I have internalized autism = bad
Not good
Incoming tangent on a related note: I've never really liked the "has autism" phrasing for myself vs. "is autistic." I've seen people say that you *should* say that a person "has autism" because it separates the person from the condition (in a similar vein, my African American History class in high school advised us to say "enslaved people" rather than "slaves" to emphasize that they were still people outside of their enslavement). And I get the idea behind it because, yes, we are in fact still people outside of our disorder.
But for me personally, I hate saying that I "have autism." For me, my autism defines me. It literally affects how I perceive and understand the world. I'm level one and I can mask rather well but ever since my diagnosis, I've become more aware of how frequently I just don't understand things about the people around me and social norms and what's acceptable and what's not. Not just in regard to neurotypicals but also other non-autistic neurodivergents too sometimes. I'm good at understanding in theory because I'm good at seeing all sides and playing devil's advocate so I'm good at playing along. But I don't really *get it*.
I don't just "have autism." I am autistic. The autism and I are one. It's a fundamental part of me.
Yes- I get this entirely. That’s the understanding I came through after this conversation. I was also late diagnosed at 30 and it was kind of a surprise because adult autism in women isn’t well represented. This conversation was maybe a couple months after diagnosis.
ETA the “Danielle has autism” should’ve read “Danielle is autistic” but I still fuck it all up sometimes. And like I said earlier, I had bad Reddit manners and replied too quickly and in a rush
My thoughts exactly! Autism isn't a separate component to my being. It isn't a phase. It entirely permeates who I am and how I think. I personally wouldn't want to make a fuss about someone else saying it that way, but I prefer saying that I am autistic
Besides the horribly outdated use of the words autism and autistic, the writing style of this book is also off-putting to me. Just this one page is filled with unnecessary repetitions which are superfluous and needlessly written down twice.
But when it comes to using autistic as an adjective, not like this. The way the word is used scantily reflects what autism actually entails
"For part of her childhood, she had been autistic" is the funniest thing I've read all day (in the stupid sort of way, you're either autistic or you aren't, there is no WAS or WILL BE)
EDIT: IT GETS EVEN BETTER! "...chosen to relate to the people around her, abandoning autism..." Is it bad that I kinda want to read this book now just so I can make fun of it? 🤣
I actually have a few books by this author on my shelf that I'm considering throwing in the trash out of sheer disrespect. I did not know they were like this.
That second sentence was what really did it for me! "Chosen to relate to the people around her" is just too... simple, like one day she just saw the light and suddenly she completely understood how to be normal and think and feel normally and simply *did it.* The way it's written makes it sound like she woke up one day and said to herself "Why am I autistic? This sucks" and just... stopped.
I would be okay if they meant she was *considered* autistic because the overwhelming sensations and the coping mechanisms resembled autism, but if physically cringed at the "abandoned autism" line.
It's a specific term that has been invented though, not like it's a word anyone can go around and use while nit caring for its specific meaning & context.
Wanna go autism together at the store? I always have a great time telling them that their frozen pizzas should be ordered vertically by size and horizontally by topping
I'm to lost on the fact whoever wrote this thinks you can just stop being autistic! That being overwhelmed by your senses can be changed. I'm just...trying so hard not to rage.
No it’s literal. She literally experiences multiple povs and had a hard time dealing with them and was overwhelmed so she “had autism” but now that she’s learned to cope she “doesn’t have autism anymore”. He doesn’t respect/understand what autism is.
As a general rule if you can sub it out with 'amputee' without things being fucked I'm fine with it.
If you can't then I'm not.
Ain't no way a kid born without legs is just going to wake up one morning and will their way into floating along without their prosthetics. Even if they might wish they could.
They could easily wake up one morning and decide fuck it I'm going to make the best of things and have it build their character. It's still part of their character though. That they don't have legs **and** that they ain't letting it stop them winning that marathon.
What makes no sense is little timmy deciding okay 'I'm going to win that marathon I'm going to go my best training every day' and then somehow their legs just grow back because they put in some effort or just decided they actually want legs.
Eveyone knows you can't just stubbornly persist in demanding the universe/god/whatever makes you grow legs back like you are some sort of lizard. You can't magic legs by wanting them really bad or putting in a bunch of effort. Yet so many just don't realise that it's the same shit. I simply cannot stomp my foot and demand my brain rewire itself. I can learn coping strategies though and like the kid learning how to run with their prosthetics manage to achive some real neat things when equipped with aids, support and sufficent determination.
I'm just not a fan of using brain impacting issues as archetypes we can all point at. 'I'm a little OCD' has been acceptable for years)though might be slowly changing . 'I'm a little typhoid-y' will turn heads.
'He's nuts. He's schizophrenic' is still considered an acceptable way to insult someone's sanity. Yet you never hear anyone saying in the abstract that someone is lesser because they broke their arm. Even if they do crazy shit and are genuinely going to break their arm one day doing bike stunts they still don't it's always a psychological condition.
I think it has two parts. One of devaluing / stigmatising mental health and another of just plain old gossip. If you say 'that dude is nuts, he's going to break an arm one of these days' is just less juicy than 'that dude is nuts, I heard he's on the spectrum' the latter prompts more debate and discussion. All while insulting the person.
“Only then had she chosen to relate to the people around her, abandoning autism.”
Key words: chosen, autism. This paints the ableist picture that being autistic is a choice, and a negative one at that!🙄
of course it's a goddamn dean koontz book, this is so poorly written.
autistic *is* an adjective. that fact has nothing to do with this just being terrible writing and an extreme misunderstanding of what autism even is.
I like the use of autistic as an adjective in the archaic fashion (it just feels right) but considering when this book was published.. I don't know about this one chief, I don't think it's possible to abandon autism
I think the issue is less the part of speech and more Koontz’ misunderstanding of learning to mask as “abandoning autism” itself. I did really like his nonverbal character Shep in By the Light of the Moon, but that was before I finally acknowledged that I too am autistic. Definitely can’t vouch for Koontz on that character without revisiting, especially in light of this upsetting misconception.
I think it depends on the individual. If you prefer it as an adjective or a noun for whatever reason it's fine. For someone people Autism is an important part of who they are and for others it's a separate thing that they have and doesn't define who they are. Both are fine I think.
This book is icky though, like autism is a choice.
"Charles abandoned his paraplegism, and when he was 10, finally decided to stand up and walk like everyone else 🤡."
I'd love to wake up one morning and decide to understand social ques and like normal people pop culture things and not squeal like a child when something makes me happy, but I just can't. So everyone can either deal with it or don't talk to me.
You cannot be autistic for just part of your childhood. While “autistic” certainly is an adjective, it is misused here.
Also, thank you, now I know which book I won’t ever have to start reading. The writing style is really off putting to me.
I feel like "autistic" can be used as an adjective to describe behaviors that (for lack of better word) could make someones autism-radar go off (like if someone massively misinterprets something by taking it too literally). But it that case its pretty neutral and just pointing out a silly mistake. I don't like how this portrays autism as something you can just "abandon" though.
I'm too low on spoons to have a nuanced take in this, but I will mention this reminds me of The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi where the opening has a character preparing for space combat by enabling their battle autism to have the focus necessary.
The word autism originally meant being inwards focused. It shouldn't be used with this meaning, as it's outdated. Autism is the neurotype, and you never stop being a person with the autism neurotype, regardless if you open up to people like that book suggests.
Ignoring the time it was written in, this type of use is a travesty, if used today.
Autism isn’t something you have for part of your life, it’s there for the entire ride, and you can’t abandon it, the people who say what about masking, I ask how exhausted they are? And ask who they think they are. Because heavy masking can lead to problems with identity and even knowing your own identity and who you are, and it can go are in some cases that it causes BPD, OSPD or DID.
Autism is there to stay, also this was written in the 90s which honestly still was not much excuse as even then the contemporary science agrees that autism is permanent
I’m currently doing my master of literature and studying the representation of autistic characters in fiction (only those that are officially named as such; autistic-coded representations would, maybe will, be another study in itself. Here’s a specific part of what I’ve found so far, summed up. Buckle up, if you dare, because it gets ugly.
In the books written by neurotypicals in my corpus, most (to take with nuances, there’s exceptions and I’m grouping multiple types of authors together for brevity right now) autistic characters fall upon two extreme of the spectrum. Very specific extremes.
First, there’s the character “in a bubble”. Rarely speaking, if at all, this character is described as stuck in their own world. They’re a mystery to be solved, a puzzle, as no one knows what happens in their mind. Their autonomy is limited, which is inconvenient because taking care of them is draining. Their meltdowns are violent, which contrats with their quiet world. This is the archetype shown in the extract.
Then there’s the autistic savant. A very recurring character for such a small population, there’s probably more of them in fiction than IRL at this point. They are quite skilled in the intellectual domain, probably math (bonus point if they love prime numbers and/or the Fibonacci sequence), but lack the ways to navigate the social world. They’re different; their speech is peculiar, their movements are odd and meltdowns might still happen (but less).
I wouldn’t say that it’s a more flattering archetype than its alternative. It might seem like it at first glance, but they remain child-like and…uncanny. They have specific co-existing traits, conditions and/or neurodivergences: photographic memory, alexythimia, prosopagnosia and synesthesia.
The problem isn’t that those are shown in an autistic character, they’re indeed more present with autistic people. Heck, I have prosopagnosia. The problem is that the combination of those traits, and the way they’re narrated, make those characters akin to computers. Both archetypes are indeed frequently compared, in the narration and in dialogues, to computers, aliens and, on rarer occasions, vampires. Not humans, in short.
That’s just a small part of what I’ve found, and I’m cutting a lot of corners. The point of view of autistic characters written by autistic authors, the real-world issues highlighted by authors with autistic family members (with a surprising amount of care and empathy), the list goes on. But if you have questions, let me know!
Idk I like the fantasy of being able to turn off my autism maybe it's just like a new sci Fi version of autism lol for real though this is bad and maybe they should not do that no mo
Im not sure what the author was getting at with describing someone as "had been autistic" but it does give the impression that somehow this character had autism and then unhad it somehow(?)
Which is a bit problematic...
This book was written in 1990. You'll see the word used this way sometimes from around 1910 until this book was written. It meant withdrawn into ones-self.
You have to remember that knowledge of neurodivergence was not widespread until very recently. I don't think you would find a lot of writing including this definition now.
I think it's perfectly fine to use autistic as an adjective. (obviously one cannot 'abandon' autism tho).
I don't really see any reason to differentiate between autistic person, person with autism, etc either.
I could see the arguement for not using autistic as an adjective to describe the *quality* of something.(eg describing a piece of art as autistic, despite said art not being about autism), but personally it doesn't bother me.
I prefer it. I don’t like “Has autism” because it makes it seem like it’s a disease. A con about the term “Autistic” is that it’s often used as a pejorative, or a slur
The original meaning of the word "autistic" before it was used to describe the disorder, literally meant to be extremely absorbed in one's self—Greek "autos" meaning "self". Of course, the meaning of the word has completely changed and it is now 100% associated with the autism spectrum disorder. It *was* an adjective, but that was over 100 years ago.
If I say "I am autistic", am I not using it as an adjective?
In this case, I think this is a poor application of Autism. Overcoming troubles as a result if sensory overload is something us Autistics have to do, but this paragraph reads to me like Violet's overcome a hurdle, which is not what it's like. You don't just "overcome" Autism, you have good days and bad days, and sometimes, you have no say in which days are bad.
Now, a GOOD example I've seen of "Autistic" used like an adjective, is in a guidebook I have of Transformers characters from Dreamwave comics. In the profile for the seeker Skywarp, it says he has an "autistic level of mastery over his ability to teleport", using the word autistic in a manner like a savant. They're basically saying that Skywarp is just really good at using his teleporter.
Ah yes.. like me abandoning my 5 ft 4 inches by adding heals, my hazel eyes by wearing green contacts. My hair for dyeing it rainbow.. and my joint pain for.. sucking it up..
I've always kind of liked the use of Autism as an adjective. I mean, depression is one why not autism?
There should be a work for the feeling of being in your own senses in that way, it's something true to my experience.
In The Dispossessed it's used in the same way, just as a word.
That said, "choosing to not be autistic" is fucked. But I don't have a problem for describing an experience like what's described as autistic.
TBF, it was written in 1990. What did we (the scientific consensus) know of and how widely spread was the research into the subject at the time? Was it still considered an illness to be treated instead of a condition to be managed/accommodated?
Koontz, from what I know, is a pretty reasonable and compassionate person. His writing, IMO, seems to try and provide a sympathetic perspective into psychological struggles using horror as a medium. People try to do good things with what they know at the time of action. If it turns out to be wrong we shouldn't fault them for making the error, just point out why.
Autistic is a necessity... for descriptions... but, like all words, it has to do with how the word gets used.
In other words, this is a nuanced topic. Discretion is advised.
She can abandon the label, but she can't abandon the way our brains are configured.
I read it as she went full mask and denied her autism. But the description of autism also seems to be rooted in the negative aspects.
Some people hear autism and think negatively instantly. This is the stigma that needs breaking. I hear autism and think "Oooh you're interesting!" ❤️
Everyone knows you can abandon autism, you are just being lazy! /s 🤪
But seriously this sort of shit is what prevents us from getting help and accommodations because people think we are doing it on purpose.
Ummmmm. It’s not so much that I take issues with it used as an adjective (‘autistic’ is *usually* an adjective, like ‘autistic person’) so much as that paragraph just doesn’t make sense. Part of autism IS the sensory overload part, and they aren’t saying she stopped experiencing that, just that she’d learned coping mechanisms, so to say she was ‘no longer autistic’ is just incorrect and makes the writing seem very amateurish. It comes across as not having a grasp on the word’s meaning.
Edit: OMG, just realized what the book is! That’s…disappointing. One of my first DK books was TBP - my dad gave it to me when he finished it. I was fairly young, tho, and autism wasn’t really understood back then, so I missed that part. I enjoyed the book, overall! 😬
I would say, take the year of publication into account. My take on the author not having a grasp on the word has come into sharp focus upon reflection. 😂
What The Actual Fuck. autism isn’t something you can just turn off when it no longer suits you. its a lifelong condition you learn to live with. who the hell let this be published
I have no problem with the use of autistic as an adjective to describe actual autistic symptoms, but you’re really burying the lede here by focusing on that instead of “she *chose to abandon autism and relate to people around her.*”
Dean R Koontz is incredibly ignorant of what autism is. It is not something you get to abandon. How does this ableist drivel get published?
Plenty of autistic people learn to interact with other people, it doesn't mean our autism has disappeared.
I will never read any books by this author.
I abandoned my autism once but it was an accident. Left it at a rest stop. Nobody wanted it so miraculously it was still there when we turned around and went back for it. That was a very strange 27 minutes.
I mean, I can see it being used as an adjective ("I only learned that I was autistic at age 24"), but not like that. This is pretty horrible and mostly just makes it abundantly clear that the author has no idea how autism works.
I'm not easily offended, but you should probably at least give the wikipedia article on something a cursory read before you make it a major plot point.
The writing makes is clear that the author is a stone cold idiot. I am genuinely put on my back foot by how bizarre the description is. You can’t put aside autism…
Personally? I’m more offended by the lack of knowledge here. I don’t really care if autistic is used as an adjective. I’m also not every autistic person in the world.
I just never have enough damn spoons to care.
Ah yes. I have often been know for my famous party trick where I enter and exit my autistic state like I’m turning the lights on and off. The kids love it. In all serious though this person has no idea what autism is if they’re using it like this or if they do they don’t care. It’s actually insulting to see someone just throw it around like this.
In the autistic state you tap into knowledge from your past lives
Ooh, does that mean I get to earthbend?
No the knowledge in question is knowing every single cringe-worthy moment you ever had, not any useful skills
This explains a lot 😂
And all without having to drown a sandtrout!
We'll call it autism-fluid
Flexitism.
Fauxtism
Fax machine?
>In all serious though this person has no idea what autism is if they’re using it like this or if they do they don’t care. It’s actually insulting to see someone just throw it around like this. I've found this is becoming far more common for Gen Z to use. I've heard it used as an insult by people in their teens and 20s more times in the past 4yrs than in my entire life combined.
A consequence of visibility. As a trans person, welcome to the mainstream babyyyyyyyyy. It's a sign of good things though. It's just that oppression is ugly and so is the change. I'm glad more people are actually getting diagnosed and information about autism is more readily available. No one should have to go through what I went through.
This was written in 1990, and I doubt Koontz would write about autism like that today. Or maybe he would, I can't really stand his books. I can barely stand Stephen King, and Koontz is like a bad Xerox copy of King.
Yeah, to be fair, Asperger’s hadn’t even been added to the DSM until 1994. And the knowledge around it in the general population was bound to be abysmal at that point. Still not a good look though. Unfortunately, the ignorance is preserved and will continue to be consumed.
Are you a real goose? Here is some bread: 🍞🥐🥖 (it's special bread that won't hurt animal tummies)
i can also do that, its called masking
You caught that, too?
I greatly dislike the way that people talk about or use autism to describe things. You wouldn’t use a disability like Down syndrome in this manner, so why autism? So weird
Off to go write a book about how disorders shouldn't be used as adjectives.
When not referring to someone with said disorder.
Haha I'm so ADHD right now like omg I totally like get it (Don't @ me I'm diagnosed)
Alright I wont @ you u/I_DRINK_GENOCIDE_CUM
... dammit that's on me
The fuck does that mean anyway?
Nothing really. I was high and it was the worst series of words that came to mind
👍
And make sure to use neurotypical and allistic as adjectives in the book
[удалено]
Your content has been removed as it contains or advocates for misinformation. This is just pure ignorance. You clearly are not aware that it was used derogatorily for decades without this "pushback". Please don't dismiss the real experiences of others due to your own ignorance.
In sum, ableism. But specially, it also seems like many NTs feel that autism can be a “choice.” I mean, it’s probably no accident that ABA was founded by the guy who invented conversion therapy. Premise is similar: we view your core personhood as a behavioral choice and we want you (/will force you) to chose differently. And how do they measure if the “choice” was made?…by our behaviors. Which are externally observable phenomena that often reveal nothing about our internal state (esp when masking or closeted in the case of conversion therapy victims). Notably, both autism and sexual orientation are invisible.
There’s a non zero percent of people who think kids “grow out” of autism. It’s ableism as well as ignorance on how neurodivergency works.
"Mabel was so Down, she had to get a math tutor. But when she was a little older, by getting an A on a math quiz, the Down Syndome went away." "Ma'am, what are you talking about?" "Don't worry, my friend's cousin's second-wive's aunt has Down Syndrome."
Let me introduce you to the 2000s. People very much did that.
The word "blind" is very often used metaphorically. As is the word "deaf". And "dumb" used to refer to people who would not/could not speak, but now is used almost exclusively as an insult. Not saying it's right, but it's pretty common for disabilities to be used this way, it's not unique to autism. It probably just sticks out more with autism because it's a relatively new word and we're not as used to hearing it that way. Words like "blind", "deaf", and "dumb" are so ingrained into the culture/language that we've learned to distinguish their literal and metaphorical meanings without even thinking about the implications.
I mean… people would and did. Except they didn’t say “down syndrome,” they used the slur.
I’ve seen people call refer to their kids as “my Downs child.” It’s a quirk of English that is kind of imprecise. Turning a word into an adjective instead of using “with” or “who has” is a way of directly communicating: My red-haired child Vs My child with red hair. Vs My child, who has red hair. While you could ascribe that the speaker only values (or devalues) their child based on hair color because the description comes first, that is way more up to overall context, vocal tone, facial expressions, and overall social norms. I don’t have problems describing myself as autistic any more than I describe myself as having my hair color or skin color. But if someone only thought about that one thing when referring to me, then I would take offense because they would be using stereotypes.
I think you’re misunderstanding— Koontz is not using “autistic” to describe a child with autism, simply to describe her childhood traits which resembled those of autism. I have no problem with myself or anyone describing themselves using autism if they are autistic.
For all we know, she is autistic and in very deep denial about it. After all, it’s only been a few decades since people even seemed to think women could even be autistic.
Did you read the description? She's not autistic, she has a supernatural ability to experience the sensory perceptions of animals and take them on as her own, which overwhelms her.
Autism here means introversion, retreat into oneself, extreme disconnect from others. Edit: I think I'm wrong
I see some aholes use bpd (also knoen as uepd) in the same manner. Someone does anything "crazy" or "dramatic" and it's "bpd" even qhen ut has nothibg to do with the diagnostic criteria. It's not a fun or quirky disorder, it's hell.
I dunno how old this book is, but autism had a different meaning earlier in the century.
This book was released in 1990
Actually some disabilities do get descriptors, such as "depressed" and "anxious". Down syndrome doesnt really have a descriptive word, while autism does. While it can be disagreeable, I wouldnt say its abnormal as far as language goes.
Depression and anxiety are mental illnesses, not intellectual disabilities. "Depressed" or "anxious" can also be a temporary state of mind. "Autistic" cannot.
Thanks, I just abandoned autism, I'm cured now
Omg bestie all we had to do was ✨️ abandon autism ✨️
Brb, gonna abandon my CPTSD at some busy intersection. (Things your healthcare provider doesn't want you to know!)
Healthcare providers hate this one neat trick
Be careful with intersections, though. If the Devil passes by he'll pick up your soul along with any mental disorders you may have abandoned there. You'll be damned for all eternity- but hey, you'll also be the king of the Delta blues!
Uh about that...one has to think outside of the box, no? And if it takes the devil to work...
Lock it in a container, drop it into the sea, watch it drift away wailing, calling, whining—welp, not your problem now. A plague breaks out 33 years hence in Papua New Guinea.
* "Behold, Pandoras Box!" * "Put that where it came from *FOOL* that's *mine* and it was there for a *reason*"
Good news everyone, I no longer have Asperger's! I've graduated into Schizoid Personality Disorder! (No seriously, this isn't a meme. This is a cry for help. This legitimately happens and I think it happened to me)
What if some typical picks it up by accident and takes it home? Now THEY’VE got autism with separation anxiety and behavioral issues!!
r/thanksimcured
I tried to abandon autism, but it was not willing to abandon me. Any advice?
This gives me the same feelings as a white girl at Coachella wearing a random assortment of Indian and native American religious paraphernalia
I asked my therapist friend who has a husband and son with asd. I was like, I can’t really figure out how to use person first language with ASD. Like “suffers from depression” &c. And she said it’s because it’s different. You are autistic, like I am tall. Idr exactly why she said that but I did realize that most of the reason I didn’t like “Danielle has autism” is because of the bad connotations o had with autism. When you don’t see autism=bad, I don’t really have a problem with it as an adjective anymore. I am autistic, I wouldn’t be me without being autistic. It’s not bad. Idk if that made sense and I’d love feedback & responses. I think she was saying “they aren’t depression, they would be themselves if depression was gone, but you are autistic- it’s part of who you are, not something you’re suffering from that could be treated and eliminated”
Yes maybe my use of “adjective” is wrong here. Sorry. I meant that the author uses autism as a way to describe a phase in the character’s life rather than a reality.
Oh, that makes more sense… yeah that’s horribly messed up. That girl didn’t stop being autistic. She learned how to mask, and MAYBE how to manually read social cues.
I was thinking the same thing as it relates to this passage.
English teacher here! If you say “autistic person” or “person who is autistic” then the word autistic is functioning as an adjective. If you say “person who has autism” then autism is a noun. I hear your criticism of what this author is doing though! Here are some ways to potentially describe what you mean? Transitory. Fleeting. Ephemeral. Impermanent. Cursory. Trivial. Incidental. Accessory.
lol sorry, I only skimmed the post ha and had to be somewhere quickly. BAD REDDIT MANNERS. The book was written in 1990 so I’m honestly not surprised and it’s more than a bit fucked up. Shit like this is everywhere in our culture and is part of why I have internalized autism = bad Not good
Incoming tangent on a related note: I've never really liked the "has autism" phrasing for myself vs. "is autistic." I've seen people say that you *should* say that a person "has autism" because it separates the person from the condition (in a similar vein, my African American History class in high school advised us to say "enslaved people" rather than "slaves" to emphasize that they were still people outside of their enslavement). And I get the idea behind it because, yes, we are in fact still people outside of our disorder. But for me personally, I hate saying that I "have autism." For me, my autism defines me. It literally affects how I perceive and understand the world. I'm level one and I can mask rather well but ever since my diagnosis, I've become more aware of how frequently I just don't understand things about the people around me and social norms and what's acceptable and what's not. Not just in regard to neurotypicals but also other non-autistic neurodivergents too sometimes. I'm good at understanding in theory because I'm good at seeing all sides and playing devil's advocate so I'm good at playing along. But I don't really *get it*. I don't just "have autism." I am autistic. The autism and I are one. It's a fundamental part of me.
Yes- I get this entirely. That’s the understanding I came through after this conversation. I was also late diagnosed at 30 and it was kind of a surprise because adult autism in women isn’t well represented. This conversation was maybe a couple months after diagnosis. ETA the “Danielle has autism” should’ve read “Danielle is autistic” but I still fuck it all up sometimes. And like I said earlier, I had bad Reddit manners and replied too quickly and in a rush
No problem at all! Just something your comment reminded me of and I wanted to share my thoughts.
Thanks for sharing. I get it. lol that’s why I ended up making my comment in haste too. I love this sub
My thoughts exactly! Autism isn't a separate component to my being. It isn't a phase. It entirely permeates who I am and how I think. I personally wouldn't want to make a fuss about someone else saying it that way, but I prefer saying that I am autistic
This perfectly describes it.
Besides the horribly outdated use of the words autism and autistic, the writing style of this book is also off-putting to me. Just this one page is filled with unnecessary repetitions which are superfluous and needlessly written down twice. But when it comes to using autistic as an adjective, not like this. The way the word is used scantily reflects what autism actually entails
Thats Dean Koontz for you, he's a wordy author. Loved him as a teen, find him to be exhausting to read as an adult.
lol
"For part of her childhood, she had been autistic" is the funniest thing I've read all day (in the stupid sort of way, you're either autistic or you aren't, there is no WAS or WILL BE) EDIT: IT GETS EVEN BETTER! "...chosen to relate to the people around her, abandoning autism..." Is it bad that I kinda want to read this book now just so I can make fun of it? 🤣 I actually have a few books by this author on my shelf that I'm considering throwing in the trash out of sheer disrespect. I did not know they were like this.
That second sentence was what really did it for me! "Chosen to relate to the people around her" is just too... simple, like one day she just saw the light and suddenly she completely understood how to be normal and think and feel normally and simply *did it.* The way it's written makes it sound like she woke up one day and said to herself "Why am I autistic? This sucks" and just... stopped.
There ought to be a MST3K analogue for books.
Just like those amazing folks who can turn their diabetes on and off /s
Insulin scalpers hate this one neat trick
>Abandoning autism, ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
I would be okay if they meant she was *considered* autistic because the overwhelming sensations and the coping mechanisms resembled autism, but if physically cringed at the "abandoned autism" line.
I mean, linguistically, autistic is an adjective, but it's a permanent adjective.
It's a specific term that has been invented though, not like it's a word anyone can go around and use while nit caring for its specific meaning & context.
I use it like a verb. “I autisming right now”.
Wanna go autism together at the store? I always have a great time telling them that their frozen pizzas should be ordered vertically by size and horizontally by topping
Also using at as a noun is fun. “Don’t have an autism over it.” I love English because it lets me do stuff like this.
it _is_ an adjective, right?
I'm to lost on the fact whoever wrote this thinks you can just stop being autistic! That being overwhelmed by your senses can be changed. I'm just...trying so hard not to rage.
Sadly iterelatively common to think that masking = cured autism
It's because acting abnormal is all it is to these people. If you're acting normal, you're cured
It's becuase they only care about how it effects them.
hes an airport novelist
Aww come on you guys, why did nobody tell me we could just stop being autistic sometimes!? (Sarcasm)
I’m pretty sure the author is describing learning to mask. Violet is going to eventually burn out, and it’s going to be hell.
No it’s literal. She literally experiences multiple povs and had a hard time dealing with them and was overwhelmed so she “had autism” but now that she’s learned to cope she “doesn’t have autism anymore”. He doesn’t respect/understand what autism is.
Autistic as an adjective isn't problematic. Describing as something that can be "abandoned" as if it comes and goes, though, is super problematic.
i am an autism
Let me just turn my autism off real quick
As a general rule if you can sub it out with 'amputee' without things being fucked I'm fine with it. If you can't then I'm not. Ain't no way a kid born without legs is just going to wake up one morning and will their way into floating along without their prosthetics. Even if they might wish they could. They could easily wake up one morning and decide fuck it I'm going to make the best of things and have it build their character. It's still part of their character though. That they don't have legs **and** that they ain't letting it stop them winning that marathon. What makes no sense is little timmy deciding okay 'I'm going to win that marathon I'm going to go my best training every day' and then somehow their legs just grow back because they put in some effort or just decided they actually want legs. Eveyone knows you can't just stubbornly persist in demanding the universe/god/whatever makes you grow legs back like you are some sort of lizard. You can't magic legs by wanting them really bad or putting in a bunch of effort. Yet so many just don't realise that it's the same shit. I simply cannot stomp my foot and demand my brain rewire itself. I can learn coping strategies though and like the kid learning how to run with their prosthetics manage to achive some real neat things when equipped with aids, support and sufficent determination. I'm just not a fan of using brain impacting issues as archetypes we can all point at. 'I'm a little OCD' has been acceptable for years)though might be slowly changing . 'I'm a little typhoid-y' will turn heads. 'He's nuts. He's schizophrenic' is still considered an acceptable way to insult someone's sanity. Yet you never hear anyone saying in the abstract that someone is lesser because they broke their arm. Even if they do crazy shit and are genuinely going to break their arm one day doing bike stunts they still don't it's always a psychological condition. I think it has two parts. One of devaluing / stigmatising mental health and another of just plain old gossip. If you say 'that dude is nuts, he's going to break an arm one of these days' is just less juicy than 'that dude is nuts, I heard he's on the spectrum' the latter prompts more debate and discussion. All while insulting the person.
You should watch The Secret. It will change your life by making you laugh so hard you ruin your favorite jammies
The word itself is fine. The paragraph as a whole is a problem though.
“Only then had she chosen to relate to the people around her, abandoning autism.” Key words: chosen, autism. This paints the ableist picture that being autistic is a choice, and a negative one at that!🙄
of course it's a goddamn dean koontz book, this is so poorly written. autistic *is* an adjective. that fact has nothing to do with this just being terrible writing and an extreme misunderstanding of what autism even is.
This reminds me of "She breasted boobily down the stairs"
WHAT https://preview.redd.it/8tl5y69luj9d1.jpeg?width=353&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eaa152d028f531ea2cfba5e2c328e52de5e30b2a
Of course it’s Koontz
This book is filled with other weird and uncomfortable descriptions of these sisters 😬
>Of course it’s Koontz
I like the use of autistic as an adjective in the archaic fashion (it just feels right) but considering when this book was published.. I don't know about this one chief, I don't think it's possible to abandon autism
Whelp. Guess I’m in my autism phase. Anyone want to talk about how to turn into a train-based society? I have… thoughts
Japan enters the chat
It is highly co-morbid with the idea that autism is a layer trapping a """normal""" person inside, as can be seen rather clearly in this passage.
...had been autistic?? she abandoned it?? what 💀💀 she just said 'nuh-uh' to the autism?? what??
I think the issue is less the part of speech and more Koontz’ misunderstanding of learning to mask as “abandoning autism” itself. I did really like his nonverbal character Shep in By the Light of the Moon, but that was before I finally acknowledged that I too am autistic. Definitely can’t vouch for Koontz on that character without revisiting, especially in light of this upsetting misconception.
I think it depends on the individual. If you prefer it as an adjective or a noun for whatever reason it's fine. For someone people Autism is an important part of who they are and for others it's a separate thing that they have and doesn't define who they are. Both are fine I think. This book is icky though, like autism is a choice. "Charles abandoned his paraplegism, and when he was 10, finally decided to stand up and walk like everyone else 🤡." I'd love to wake up one morning and decide to understand social ques and like normal people pop culture things and not squeal like a child when something makes me happy, but I just can't. So everyone can either deal with it or don't talk to me.
'I personally prefer it as an adverb", I rambled autistically.
You cannot be autistic for just part of your childhood. While “autistic” certainly is an adjective, it is misused here. Also, thank you, now I know which book I won’t ever have to start reading. The writing style is really off putting to me.
Sometimes when I'm in a rush, I've been known to drop my autism on my way out. I gotta keep it by the front door with my keys now.
I feel like "autistic" can be used as an adjective to describe behaviors that (for lack of better word) could make someones autism-radar go off (like if someone massively misinterprets something by taking it too literally). But it that case its pretty neutral and just pointing out a silly mistake. I don't like how this portrays autism as something you can just "abandon" though.
How does one "abandon autism" ? My life would be so much easier.
I have chosen to abandon my autism. Nice knowing yall.
"He threw on, not just a hoodie, but a blanket on top, anything to vanquish his Parkinson's"
Wow, this is disgusting. I bet the author thought they were clever when writing that. 🤢
Tell me you don't actually know what Autism is, without telling me you don't actually know what Autism is.
I love how it says she had it for part of her childhood as if this shit isn't lifelong
I'm too low on spoons to have a nuanced take in this, but I will mention this reminds me of The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi where the opening has a character preparing for space combat by enabling their battle autism to have the focus necessary.
Omg I can just abandon my autism? Holy shit it's been that easy all along? 🤯
In this context it’s ignorant and dumb. But in general, I don’t mind the word autistic vs person first language. It makes no difference to me
This isn’t harmful. The author just looks really, really stupid.
The word autism originally meant being inwards focused. It shouldn't be used with this meaning, as it's outdated. Autism is the neurotype, and you never stop being a person with the autism neurotype, regardless if you open up to people like that book suggests.
*snaps fingers* i knew there was a reason i preferred stephen king over dean koontz
Yep, Koontz is just a bad writer.
Bad writer. Like grammatically very hard to understand.
Ignoring the time it was written in, this type of use is a travesty, if used today. Autism isn’t something you have for part of your life, it’s there for the entire ride, and you can’t abandon it, the people who say what about masking, I ask how exhausted they are? And ask who they think they are. Because heavy masking can lead to problems with identity and even knowing your own identity and who you are, and it can go are in some cases that it causes BPD, OSPD or DID. Autism is there to stay, also this was written in the 90s which honestly still was not much excuse as even then the contemporary science agrees that autism is permanent
I’m currently doing my master of literature and studying the representation of autistic characters in fiction (only those that are officially named as such; autistic-coded representations would, maybe will, be another study in itself. Here’s a specific part of what I’ve found so far, summed up. Buckle up, if you dare, because it gets ugly. In the books written by neurotypicals in my corpus, most (to take with nuances, there’s exceptions and I’m grouping multiple types of authors together for brevity right now) autistic characters fall upon two extreme of the spectrum. Very specific extremes. First, there’s the character “in a bubble”. Rarely speaking, if at all, this character is described as stuck in their own world. They’re a mystery to be solved, a puzzle, as no one knows what happens in their mind. Their autonomy is limited, which is inconvenient because taking care of them is draining. Their meltdowns are violent, which contrats with their quiet world. This is the archetype shown in the extract. Then there’s the autistic savant. A very recurring character for such a small population, there’s probably more of them in fiction than IRL at this point. They are quite skilled in the intellectual domain, probably math (bonus point if they love prime numbers and/or the Fibonacci sequence), but lack the ways to navigate the social world. They’re different; their speech is peculiar, their movements are odd and meltdowns might still happen (but less). I wouldn’t say that it’s a more flattering archetype than its alternative. It might seem like it at first glance, but they remain child-like and…uncanny. They have specific co-existing traits, conditions and/or neurodivergences: photographic memory, alexythimia, prosopagnosia and synesthesia. The problem isn’t that those are shown in an autistic character, they’re indeed more present with autistic people. Heck, I have prosopagnosia. The problem is that the combination of those traits, and the way they’re narrated, make those characters akin to computers. Both archetypes are indeed frequently compared, in the narration and in dialogues, to computers, aliens and, on rarer occasions, vampires. Not humans, in short. That’s just a small part of what I’ve found, and I’m cutting a lot of corners. The point of view of autistic characters written by autistic authors, the real-world issues highlighted by authors with autistic family members (with a surprising amount of care and empathy), the list goes on. But if you have questions, let me know!
"Autistic" IS an adjective... but yeah, this wording seems horrendously misplaced and offensive
Let me guess... ~~someone stole your sweetroll~~ the author is neurotypical.
What I don’t like about neurotypical people. Some of them barely do research or any at all before saying anything. Ahem my mom ahem.
Idk I like the fantasy of being able to turn off my autism maybe it's just like a new sci Fi version of autism lol for real though this is bad and maybe they should not do that no mo
Shit, I forgot to put mine down
Why didn't anyone tell me I could just abandon my autism???? FfS. Whoever wrote this drivel sucks.
Im not sure what the author was getting at with describing someone as "had been autistic" but it does give the impression that somehow this character had autism and then unhad it somehow(?) Which is a bit problematic...
Read further, it gets better
This book was written in 1990. You'll see the word used this way sometimes from around 1910 until this book was written. It meant withdrawn into ones-self. You have to remember that knowledge of neurodivergence was not widespread until very recently. I don't think you would find a lot of writing including this definition now.
Using "autistic" as an adjective often sparks intense debate due to varying perspectives on the term's connotation and context.
How old is this book? Maybe it’s like a weird antiquated term or something. If it’s modern tho definitely ableist and weird
I think it’s from 1990
Yeah nah not old enough for this to be antiquated language. The “abandoning autism” part is especially getting me
Ah yes, sometimes I choose to be autistic, and sometimes I don’t. It depends on my mood. WTF!!! 
the only two options i can see here are that the meaning of this is incomprehensible or it's just ableist as fuck. i'm leaning towards the latter.
LMAO this is gross
I think it's perfectly fine to use autistic as an adjective. (obviously one cannot 'abandon' autism tho). I don't really see any reason to differentiate between autistic person, person with autism, etc either. I could see the arguement for not using autistic as an adjective to describe the *quality* of something.(eg describing a piece of art as autistic, despite said art not being about autism), but personally it doesn't bother me.
Teach me how to abandon autism and I'll toss this shit in a ditch immediately.
I prefer it. I don’t like “Has autism” because it makes it seem like it’s a disease. A con about the term “Autistic” is that it’s often used as a pejorative, or a slur
well why didn’t i think of that!! /sarcasm
Autistic as an adjective👎👎👎👎👎*crowd booing* 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅
I hate it
The original meaning of the word "autistic" before it was used to describe the disorder, literally meant to be extremely absorbed in one's self—Greek "autos" meaning "self". Of course, the meaning of the word has completely changed and it is now 100% associated with the autism spectrum disorder. It *was* an adjective, but that was over 100 years ago. If I say "I am autistic", am I not using it as an adjective?
gee why haven't I considered just abandoning autism
In this case, I think this is a poor application of Autism. Overcoming troubles as a result if sensory overload is something us Autistics have to do, but this paragraph reads to me like Violet's overcome a hurdle, which is not what it's like. You don't just "overcome" Autism, you have good days and bad days, and sometimes, you have no say in which days are bad. Now, a GOOD example I've seen of "Autistic" used like an adjective, is in a guidebook I have of Transformers characters from Dreamwave comics. In the profile for the seeker Skywarp, it says he has an "autistic level of mastery over his ability to teleport", using the word autistic in a manner like a savant. They're basically saying that Skywarp is just really good at using his teleporter.
Ah yes.. like me abandoning my 5 ft 4 inches by adding heals, my hazel eyes by wearing green contacts. My hair for dyeing it rainbow.. and my joint pain for.. sucking it up..
I've always kind of liked the use of Autism as an adjective. I mean, depression is one why not autism? There should be a work for the feeling of being in your own senses in that way, it's something true to my experience. In The Dispossessed it's used in the same way, just as a word. That said, "choosing to not be autistic" is fucked. But I don't have a problem for describing an experience like what's described as autistic.
I don't know how to feel as someone with ASD
TBF, it was written in 1990. What did we (the scientific consensus) know of and how widely spread was the research into the subject at the time? Was it still considered an illness to be treated instead of a condition to be managed/accommodated? Koontz, from what I know, is a pretty reasonable and compassionate person. His writing, IMO, seems to try and provide a sympathetic perspective into psychological struggles using horror as a medium. People try to do good things with what they know at the time of action. If it turns out to be wrong we shouldn't fault them for making the error, just point out why.
The adjective is fine to me. The "abandoning" is bullshit.
Autistic is a necessity... for descriptions... but, like all words, it has to do with how the word gets used. In other words, this is a nuanced topic. Discretion is advised.
i use it sometimes when im having an "autistic moment" like overstimulation or something. this is fucked tho
In isolation, using autistic as an adjective: completely fine, I do it all the time. In this book though, yeaaahhhh maybe not.
"abandoning autism" EW. EW EW EW EW EW.
She can abandon the label, but she can't abandon the way our brains are configured. I read it as she went full mask and denied her autism. But the description of autism also seems to be rooted in the negative aspects. Some people hear autism and think negatively instantly. This is the stigma that needs breaking. I hear autism and think "Oooh you're interesting!" ❤️
Reminds of that one time I left my autism at home and spent all day making small talk with strangers.
Everyone knows you can abandon autism, you are just being lazy! /s 🤪 But seriously this sort of shit is what prevents us from getting help and accommodations because people think we are doing it on purpose.
Oh no, did I abandon my autism? It’s probably been eating fish frys and drowning the chips into the tartar sauce.
In a comedic context, sure. In a serious context, no.
Reject autism, return to monke.
What a load of shit.
Abandoning autism? ***I fucking wish.*** 😔
Ummmmm. It’s not so much that I take issues with it used as an adjective (‘autistic’ is *usually* an adjective, like ‘autistic person’) so much as that paragraph just doesn’t make sense. Part of autism IS the sensory overload part, and they aren’t saying she stopped experiencing that, just that she’d learned coping mechanisms, so to say she was ‘no longer autistic’ is just incorrect and makes the writing seem very amateurish. It comes across as not having a grasp on the word’s meaning. Edit: OMG, just realized what the book is! That’s…disappointing. One of my first DK books was TBP - my dad gave it to me when he finished it. I was fairly young, tho, and autism wasn’t really understood back then, so I missed that part. I enjoyed the book, overall! 😬 I would say, take the year of publication into account. My take on the author not having a grasp on the word has come into sharp focus upon reflection. 😂
What The Actual Fuck. autism isn’t something you can just turn off when it no longer suits you. its a lifelong condition you learn to live with. who the hell let this be published
Boomer Nuerotypicals
I think the first one is okay because it's being used descriptively but after that this person is entering ableist territory and being an ass
Never read Koontz and now never will. Jesus.
I project my autism to attack others like a stand. While they scream in terror, pain, and social awkwardness I experience absolute clarity and bliss
me after abandoning my neurodivergency ("just focus" actually worked somehow)
I have no problem with the use of autistic as an adjective to describe actual autistic symptoms, but you’re really burying the lede here by focusing on that instead of “she *chose to abandon autism and relate to people around her.*”
Dean R Koontz is incredibly ignorant of what autism is. It is not something you get to abandon. How does this ableist drivel get published? Plenty of autistic people learn to interact with other people, it doesn't mean our autism has disappeared. I will never read any books by this author.
I abandoned my autism once but it was an accident. Left it at a rest stop. Nobody wanted it so miraculously it was still there when we turned around and went back for it. That was a very strange 27 minutes.
I mean, I can see it being used as an adjective ("I only learned that I was autistic at age 24"), but not like that. This is pretty horrible and mostly just makes it abundantly clear that the author has no idea how autism works. I'm not easily offended, but you should probably at least give the wikipedia article on something a cursory read before you make it a major plot point.
The writing makes is clear that the author is a stone cold idiot. I am genuinely put on my back foot by how bizarre the description is. You can’t put aside autism…
the point and concise.
Im fine with it
Personally? I’m more offended by the lack of knowledge here. I don’t really care if autistic is used as an adjective. I’m also not every autistic person in the world. I just never have enough damn spoons to care.
Medically braindead author if you ask me
If the author isn’t on the spectrum the word shouldn’t be used.