Is the term "aspie" derogatory?

Question

Until today I had never heard of the shortened term "aspie" to refer to someone with Asperger syndrome. While the term strikes me as derogatory and belittling, I'm not a native speaker and obviously have no experience with its usage.

An online search seems to provide no conclusive evidence that it's an offensive term. I've found a few statements from parents of children with the syndrome or mental health workers who claim to use the term. Some say that it can be offensive depending on tone and usage. Yet others say that it shouldn't ever be used.

Is the term "aspie" innately derogatory?

Is there a good chance that some people might take offence at its usage and should I therefore avoid using it?

Answer 1

To directly answer the question: the word is not inherently derogatory (meaning it does not, in and of itself, carry any negative connotations).

Here is the rationale:

1. Those with with Asperger's use it extensively of themselves (see this answer.) This applies to everyday speech, blogs, communities, public organizations, etc.

2. It was never meant to be derogatory (it was first used in print by a doctor who has Asperger herself, her blog is aspie.com). So it's different from the reappropriation of the N-word by the African American community and the N-word reasoning doesn't apply.

3. It is frequently (and neutrally) used in (popular) medical research articles, especially in its adjectival form ("Aspie mind", "aspie brain", etc), instead of the unwieldy "the mind of a person who has Asperger syndrome" or some such. This is simple convenience, not belittlement.

4. Not surprisingly, no dictionary marks "aspie" as "derogatory" or "rude". Typically it's marked "informal". Urban Dictionary often marks it "affectionate".

That said, if a specific person doesn't want to be called "aspie" (for whatever reason), don't call them that. It's a matter of honoring their wish.

I don't like the diminutive version of my name (and often ask people not to use it), but it does not follow that the diminutive version of my name is somehow derogatory. The simple fact is it's merely diminutive or informal.

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Some sources and further reading:

People identifying with Asperger syndrome may refer to themselves in casual conversation as aspies (a term first used in print by Liane Holliday Willey in 1999).

(Wikipedia)

Aspie (also aspie) n. informal a person with Asperger's syndrome

(Oxford American Dictionary)

1. An aspie is one who has Asperger's Syndrome... Aspie is an affectionate term, and is not meant as a put down.

2. This term is an affectionate nickname for those with Asperger's syndrome. It was the idea of parents/relatives of aspies.

(Both snippets taken from Urban Dictionary definitions.)

In addition, consider the definition and examples from Oxford Dictionaries:

aspie: A person with Asperger’s syndrome

Examples:

Cognitive Behavioral therapy is most effective with Aspies because it appeals to their logical nature.

The difference between Asperger's syndrome and the social disorders mentioned above is in the way that Aspies communicate with others.

These examples are obviously not pejorative terms. Judging by their style, they appear to come from some medical research papers, which wouldn't use derogatory terms.

Here is another example from a Kathy J. Marshack, Ph.D., who is a psychiatrist (apparently dealing with the issue on a regular basis):

Families of those with Asperger’s want to know why their Aspies act the way they do.... Aspies have a huge disconnect between thinking and feeling... No matter how much we explain or teach or train the Aspie mind, certain neurological circuits don’t work as they do in the NT brain.

Two observations:

(A) It would be inconceivable for a person of the medical profession to routinely use a pejorative term in a publication about patients.

(B) In the context of the article, she repeatedly uses "aspie" as a neutral, informal term (and also as a convenient adjective), not as a derogatory term in any way, shape, or form. (My guess is, the adjectival form is here to stay, as the alternative is often unwieldy.)

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NOTE: The answer is provided based on my research and experience. To err is human, so if you have evidence to the contrary (dictionary definitions, derogatory usage, etc.), please let me know.

Answer 2

As someone with Asperger's, I'm going to take a contrary view to A.P.'s answer.

Wikipedia mentions that Aspie is used amongst sufferers:

People identifying with Asperger syndrome may refer to themselves in casual conversation as aspies (a term first used in print by Liane Holliday Willey in 1999).

Wikipedia

Oxford Dictionaries has a number of examples as well; however none of their examples includes any context, particularly on whether they refer to self-description.

Whether a term is derogatory or not depends a great deal on context. As with any nickname or slang term which highlights a physical feature, it is usually Not OK to use it of others: cf. "Carrot-top", "Fatso", "Four-eyes" and the like — along with other more polarising epithets. Each of these might be used affectionately if one knows the person concerned well enough, particularly if they use the term themselves to self-describe. However to call someone who wears glasses "Four-eyes" without knowing whether they use the term themselves is quite likely to be derogatory.

Thus it's likely to be fine to use the term of someone who self-describes as Aspie, but it is less likely to be acceptable when used by non-sufferers of those whom they do not know will not object.

[As you might guess from this answer, I object.]

Answer 3

I have Asperger/am aspie myself and I participate quite a bit in asperger-themed chatrooms on IRC. On many of them, people use the word aspie extensively. I do not recall anyone objecting to the usage of this word.

Are there people who dislike the word? Certainly, yes.

Is it a slur? No. If there is a community that is disliked by many Asperger/Autistic people, it would be the people from Autism Speaks and others who consider Asperger/Autism as something to be ”cured”. Those people (sometimes referred to as curebies) do appear to use the word Aspie, but as far as I've heard this has not led to Asperger/Autistic people to dislike the word Aspie when used by non-Aspies.

A different word for Aspergers that is considered insulting by many would be assburgers.

Answer 4

The issue with the euphemism treadmill is that the thing referred to is itself either denigrated (racial epithets, "retarded", "fat", etc.), or taboo (terms related to sex, genitals, or bodily waste). (Homosexuals got hit from both sides of that.)

"Reclaiming" such a term requires fighting back against the prejudice or taboo involved. The "homosexual community" managed to more or less pull that off, but I've still heard "homosexual" pronounced in tones that made it an epithet for the occasion. Similarly, American blacks are working on battling the prejudices against them. But among themselves they sometimes use the n-word as an insult too... basically referring to those black folks who live down to the worst stereotypes, rather than living up to their communities' pride.

"Aspie" could have gone the epithet route, except for a historical accident: The period when Asperger's syndrome and later the autistic spectrum became popularized... just happened to match the rise of "geek culture". Suddenly computer programmers and other geeks started showing up as millionaires and billionares (not to mention CEOs), fancy technology became a status symbol, and in general, "nerds" became "cool". And as it happens, the "nerd/geek" stereotype more or less is the Aspie stereotype....

Answer 5

When I (high-functioning autistic) first encountered the word Aspie on an online forum in the late 1990s, I thought it was a silly word, and there was no way in hell I'd call myself an Aspie. The term grew on me a little since then, but my reaction is still more or less the same: it's an informal, silly term. If a medical professional were to use this term (as in A.P.'s answer above), I would think that they are trying (maybe a little too hard?) to be relatable. If someone not on the spectrum, and not associated with the autism/autistic communities, were to use the term Aspie, I would be taken aback a little, but not at all offended. Again, intent matters, but I consider "Aspie" to be too soft of a term to really be offensive, even if the user was trying to offend.

Are there people who take offense to being called Aspies and find it derogatory? Absolutely, but I've run across comparatively few of them in my three decades in the autism community. Are there people on the autism spectrum who don't feel the label is appropriate because they technically don't have Asperger's per se? Yes, and arguably I am one of them, although I don't really take offense to being called an Aspie. You might offend a few people here or there, but the word Aspie is not generally accepted to be offensive.

In short, as long as you mean no offense, it's okay to use the word Aspie, assuming the context is informal, casual, and comfortable.

Answer 6

I must disagree with all the comments about Person First Language.

Although this seems to be the trend for most other disability communities, the phrase "Person With Autism" is generally frowned upon in the autistic community. We tend to call ourselves Autistic, and not People With Autism. Naturally, there are people on both sides of this issue in the autistic community, as there are for pretty much any issue, but the prevailing opinion is that Autistic is fine and People With Autism is more offensive.

The opponents of Person First Language here do, in fact, view autism as their identity, not just a condition they have. Also see comparisons within the Deaf community.

Because the Autistic community rejects Person First Language, I will recommend against it in this case, because they should have the right to be called what they want to be called.

Answer 7

I would say it's the same as with other (possibly) derogatory words, it depend on who is using it and in what context. It also depends on intent, if you say, "you #¤%¤ing <possibly derogatory word>" then that word is probably used with an intention of being derogatory.

For example the "n-word" is (by some) used in colloquial conversation between African-Americans, but would be considered derogatory used by a white person.

And when in doubt, don't use possibly derogatory words, better safe than sorry.

Answer 8

The term “Aspie” was first introduced by Liane Holliday Willey in 1999 in her book ‘Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome’ She also wrote one of the first autobiographies by a women with Aspergers and therefore please embrace the term as it was meant, which is in a positive light.

Answer 9

While I agree with the majority of answers that the term is often not intentionally malicious and that many use it to self-identify, there is a strong shift away from using nouns with meanings of the form person with [disability or medical condition], especially for conditions that have historically been subject to ridicule or exclusion, usually on the grounds that it frames the condition as the center of the person's identity rather than just an aspect. I was thinking about making a list of examples that are clearly considered offensive nowadays, but that would probably be gratuitous.

Answer 10

Whether intentionally derogatory or not, referring to person by that person's disease is somewhat dehumanizing, and generally frowned upon by people in the position of working with those that have disabilities.

I encourage you to use "People First Language" -- http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/explore/people-first-language