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Feb13
Why I’ve Changed the Name of My Blog
12 CommentsI’m tired of the Asperger’s label.
I’m tired of people using it to distance themselves from other autistic people.
I’m tired of the folks who imply that having Asperger’s makes being autistic okay, but that being autistic is somehow not okay.
I’m tired of being put into some sort of nonsensical order in which Aspies rate higher than other autistics.
I’m tired of division.
I’m tired of hierarchy.
Bev’s latest post says it all for me. And by changing the name of her blog, she’s inspired me to do the same.
At some point, I hope to change my domain name as well. I haven’t figured out the mechanics of using a new domain name and making sure you all can find me there, but when I do, I’ll make the change.
UPDATE: If you’ve found the new URL, you’ll see that I’ve changed my domain name. I’ve specified the proper settings to redirect people automatically from aspergerjourneys.com, but it may take up to 72 hours for the settings to take effect. Argh. Meanwhile, I’ll need to go through and repost all my photos again, since they’re attached to my old domain name.
Note that I also have a new email address: rachel@journeyswithautism.com.
© 2010 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg
12 Responses to “Why I’ve Changed the Name of My Blog”
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John Dale Lyons February 14th, 2010 at 11:22 am
New name, same great taste. And now, zero transfats!
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Jennifer February 15th, 2010 at 3:29 am
Rachel, I agree with you too, concerning all people on the autistic spectrum.
Similarly, I felt resistant to letting my child see a psychiatrist because I felt that asperger-like characteristics are not “psychiatric problems.” But in this society, it’s the only way I can get her situation understood enough that people can take her needs and capabilities into account.
It’s an area which I wish I knew more about, but instinctively I feel that you’re 100% correct. I’ve read ‘Thinkingin Pictures” by Temple Grandin. One of the things in the book which was very clear to me, is that T Grandin considers herself to fit the classical “autism” picture, just as much as she does the Aspie one. -
i’m all for asperger’s syndrome being used as a descriptor, but agree that there’s a bunch of unwanted baggage that comes along with it.
i’ve been using both autism and asperger’s when speaking to friends and family about ‘what’s wrong with ben’
, so that they get used to the fact that AS is autism. some have reacted to my use of autism to describe myself. after all, i am able to have conversations, make eye contact, and sometimes, sort of, function okay in their world! how could i possibly have autism?!
i remind them that people are different, people with autism are different, and cope and socialize in different ways. i tell them that my coping skills look great, but using them over the course of thirty years has caused me a great deal of stress and burnout.
i can no longer hold down the crappy jobs i had throughout my twenties and early thirties, i have as few friends as i did when i was under ten, i am often confused and outraged sometimes by the behaviour of the average person. i am unbelievably sensitive to sound and smell, and i’m so used to this, that i don’t always realize i’m overwhelmed until i burn out. does this sound like ‘mild’ autism to you? i mean, i have no real idea what life is like for someone with a different kind of autism, or who expresses themselves differently than me, or who cannot or chooses not to cope with the shit i choose to deal with.
i envy rachel that she is comfortable wearing her hearing blockers when out of the house, opting out of socializing with the average person to save her brain and her sanity. she inspires me to someday learn to take of myself the same way.ben
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Hi Rachel,
Glad to have finally found your blog again. I missed it.
It’s a brave step changing your blog name (and there’s obviously a lot of technical repercussions to the change as well). I think you’ve proven your point very well.
I’m not planning to change my blog’s identity but I will eventually post on the subject. I’m still trying to let my thoughts mature on the issue.
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Hi Gavin,
I’m glad you found me. I sent out emails to everyone who has ever emailed me, but I didn’t see your email posted on your blog. I just now realized that I could have looked at one of your earlier comments to find it. In fact, I just now realized that I can contact other readers by doing the same!
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definitely glad to see your new blog and new posts.
i’ve always felt ambivalent about the AS label. on the one hand, there’s the diagnostic criteria. on the other hand, there’s the more “aspie”, cultural identity. and none of them ever seemed to quite fit. my primary issues relate to body language: i lack it, can’t percieve it in others.
one day i was reading about fonts…about typeface…on wikipedia. i found this sentence describing the most commonly used font “helvetica”:
“The aim of the new design was to create a neutral typeface that had great clarity, had no intrinsic meaning in its form, and could be used on a wide variety of signage”
i loved it. neutral typeface. no intrinsic meaning in it’s form. for me, there was no ambivanlance about that.
even since then, that’s the label and diagnosis i’ve preferred.
helvetica.
a typeface for some. a way of life for others.
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M, it’s always good to find a diagnosis that works.
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Ben wrote:
“i remind them that people are different, people with autism are different, and cope and socialize in different ways. i tell them that my coping skills look great, but using them over the course of thirty years has caused me a great deal of stress and burnout.
i can no longer hold down the crappy jobs i had throughout my twenties and early thirties, i have as few friends as i did when i was under ten, i am often confused and outraged sometimes by the behaviour of the average person. i am unbelievably sensitive to sound and smell, and i’m so used to this, that i don’t always realize i’m overwhelmed until i burn out.”This describes my experience and what it is like for some people on the spectrum after many years. (I recall the many times this has been mentioned by Rachel as well.) This is why I am actually coping worse now than when I was younger. This concept of burnout from overuse of coping skills causing a reduced ability to function is one I am still trying to get my mother and sister to understand. I may have to give up.
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bravo! i am autistic and i am not ashamed of it. i am also honoured to be grouped into the large family of autism, and do not feel at all insulted to be associated with the other end of the spectrum, they have struggles that we would never know and i honour and admire those whose roads are far more difficult to walk than mine. thanks for changing the name of ur blog. i shall make changes to mine too in terminology tho i will keep the tags.
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oops, I wrote my “yayy you’re back!” post elsewhere, then I see everyone said it here. But then I always said I was a misfit!
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You misfit, you
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I wear the label with pride
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"The Uncharted Path is an autism autobiography unlike any I’ve ever read.....I’d recommend The Uncharted Path to anyone on the spectrum, to anyone who has friends or relatives on the spectrum, and to anyone who cares for people on the spectrum. Her book is written straight from the heart.” —Gavin Bollard, author of Life with Asperger’s
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