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people with autism are the only people able to say the r slur and here's why
allistics read and rt /srs
allistics read and rt /srs
tw // r slur
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the word retard was used in the mid 20th century (1960's) ( https://humanparts.medium.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-mentally-retarded-e3b9eea23018) as a replacement for idiot, moron, and stupid. it was used as a "gentler" version, as a way to describe people who had a low IQ.
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the word retard was used in the mid 20th century (1960's) ( https://humanparts.medium.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-mentally-retarded-e3b9eea23018) as a replacement for idiot, moron, and stupid. it was used as a "gentler" version, as a way to describe people who had a low IQ.
tw // r slur
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IQ was created to divide people by their intelligence, and people who had a low IQ would have an intellectual disorder.
"retard" was removed officially from all medical documents in 2010. it was advocated for change in 1992.
but why was it removed?
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IQ was created to divide people by their intelligence, and people who had a low IQ would have an intellectual disorder.
"retard" was removed officially from all medical documents in 2010. it was advocated for change in 1992.
but why was it removed?
tw // r slur
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the term "retard" became a synonym for stupid, idiot, etc. it was no longer a medical term without negative connotation. whenever someone was called "mentally retarded", it no longer meant intellectual disability, but stupid.
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the term "retard" became a synonym for stupid, idiot, etc. it was no longer a medical term without negative connotation. whenever someone was called "mentally retarded", it no longer meant intellectual disability, but stupid.
tw // r slur
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so people advocated for its change, and soon it was replaced by intellectual disability.
but how was it a slur? because of its usage against disabled people. it was used to spread negative ideas about disabilities, that disabilities made you stupid.
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so people advocated for its change, and soon it was replaced by intellectual disability.
but how was it a slur? because of its usage against disabled people. it was used to spread negative ideas about disabilities, that disabilities made you stupid.
tw // r slur
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calling someone a retard meant "you are just like people with intellectual disabilities" and since retard was used to replace moron/idiot as a real medical term... you were calling disabled people idiots. even though we aren't.
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calling someone a retard meant "you are just like people with intellectual disabilities" and since retard was used to replace moron/idiot as a real medical term... you were calling disabled people idiots. even though we aren't.
why can people with autism say it? because it targeted them.
tw // r slur
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autism diagnoses were picking up, coincidentally right as "retard" was getting popularized as a term (in 1960).( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3757918/).
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autism diagnoses were picking up, coincidentally right as "retard" was getting popularized as a term (in 1960).( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3757918/).
tw // r slur
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"diagnoses of autism rose after institutions for the ‘mentally retarded’ were closed down in the 1960s and children were integrated into new educational and social settings. Changes in diagnostic methods from the 1960s to the 1980s meant that autism
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"diagnoses of autism rose after institutions for the ‘mentally retarded’ were closed down in the 1960s and children were integrated into new educational and social settings. Changes in diagnostic methods from the 1960s to the 1980s meant that autism
tw // r slur
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came to be associated with ‘profound mental retardation and other developmental or physical disorders’ thereby increasing the number of children who were considered to display autistic traits."
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came to be associated with ‘profound mental retardation and other developmental or physical disorders’ thereby increasing the number of children who were considered to display autistic traits."
tw // r slur
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autism and being retarded were linked. "retard" became something to describe not "learning disabilities", as its original word meant, but something else.
autistic people were idiots. autistic people were retarded.
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autism and being retarded were linked. "retard" became something to describe not "learning disabilities", as its original word meant, but something else.
autistic people were idiots. autistic people were retarded.
so where did this misconception come from and why does everyone think all learning disabilities can say it?
because that's the original meaning, how it was used at first, until it became a derogatory term for autistic traits.
also, many learning disabilities share symptoms of autism. however most were medically recognized & recognized in society AFTER autism was.
also, many learning disabilities share symptoms of autism. however most were medically recognized & recognized in society AFTER autism was.
tw // r slur
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the other learning disabilities were not as associated with retard as autism was. they were mocking the symptoms of autism, not the symptoms of a learning disability.
retard was associated with autism, it wasn't just learning disabilities anymore.
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the other learning disabilities were not as associated with retard as autism was. they were mocking the symptoms of autism, not the symptoms of a learning disability.
retard was associated with autism, it wasn't just learning disabilities anymore.
tw // r slur
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retard already meant "autistic people and autistic traits" by 1980. 1980 was the next update to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", where doctors, in the US, get their definitions of intellectual disabilities.
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retard already meant "autistic people and autistic traits" by 1980. 1980 was the next update to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", where doctors, in the US, get their definitions of intellectual disabilities.
1980 was the third update to the DMS. 1968 was the second, where adhd was in there under a different term. 1952 was the first, with schizophrenia being medically recognized, and "autistic traits" being a symptom of it.
*the word retard as a slur and medical term was only popular in the us, this is why many people who were not born there are confused as to why it is a slur. this does not make it less of a slur, its history STILL makes the word a slur. this is why my evidence is US based
so what intellectual disabilities and disorders were added to the manual in 1980?
- adhd and add
- generalized anxiety disorder
- tourette's
- ocd
- anorexia
- antisocial personality disorder
- bpd
- ptsd
- chronic depression
- adhd and add
- generalized anxiety disorder
- tourette's
- ocd
- anorexia
- antisocial personality disorder
- bpd
- ptsd
- chronic depression
1. https://tpb.psy.ohio-state.edu/5681/notes/dsm/01.htm
2. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/abnormalpsychology/chapter/history-of-the-dsm/
3. https://www.theravive.com/therapedia/tourette%E2%80%99s-disorder-dsm--5-307.23-(f95.2)#:~:text=This%20led%20in%20turn%20to,American%20Psychiatric%20Association%2C%201980).
sources for what was added to the DMS ^^^
2. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/abnormalpsychology/chapter/history-of-the-dsm/
3. https://www.theravive.com/therapedia/tourette%E2%80%99s-disorder-dsm--5-307.23-(f95.2)#:~:text=This%20led%20in%20turn%20to,American%20Psychiatric%20Association%2C%201980).
sources for what was added to the DMS ^^^
the manual also added a way to diagnose each one (and therefore separated the disorders).
in 1980, autism was ALSO added into the manual. but why does that make autism different?
in 1980, autism was ALSO added into the manual. but why does that make autism different?
autism and schizophrenia were classified as the same thing. the manual was released in 1952 and they were grouped together, with autistic traits being a symptom of schizophrenia
once they were divided it was pretty clear that people mocked the autistic traits with the r slur,
once they were divided it was pretty clear that people mocked the autistic traits with the r slur,
so can people with schizophrenia reclaim it - no, because they aren't the same. schizophrenia had autistic traits as a symptom, but it didn't target people with schizophrenia. it targeted autistic people which is why autistic people are the only ones who can reclaim it.
but adhd was added to the manual under a different term in 1968! - autism had been under that document as well for longer, in the very first publication in 1952. even if adhd was in that manual, the symptoms of adhd were never the target. it was the symptoms of autism.
tw // r slur
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so that brings us to today, with neurodivergency becoming a popular term, retard being out of medical journals, and people reclaiming a slur they cannot say. retard is for people with autism. the word is associated with autistic people.
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so that brings us to today, with neurodivergency becoming a popular term, retard being out of medical journals, and people reclaiming a slur they cannot say. retard is for people with autism. the word is associated with autistic people.
you may be medically recognized as a learning disability, and claim that's why you can say it. but you're wrong. the r slur mocks and always has mocked autistic people. you CANNOT say the r slur.
by claiming that it is for all learning disabilities, you erase our history, our struggles, and our fight to reclaim it. allistics can not, will not, and have NEVER been oppressed by the r slur. so why do we have to fight so hard to get people to stop saying it?
it is not for you. it was never aimed towards you. it was aimed to behaviors that were "like autistic people". so stop saying it if you aren't autistic!
allistics cannot and will not be able to say the r slur. it does not matter if you are neurodivergent or not. you cannot say it.
tw // r slur
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the reason there is so much history of neurodivergency being recognized is because although these EXISTED, they were not affected by the word "retard". even though they pre-date when retard was removed from all medical journals (2010), that does NOT
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the reason there is so much history of neurodivergency being recognized is because although these EXISTED, they were not affected by the word "retard". even though they pre-date when retard was removed from all medical journals (2010), that does NOT
make them able to say the word.
the only claims i've seen that all ND people can say the r slur is because they've been called that... but that's not how reclaiming slurs works. you aren't autistic! you can't say it! the slur never targeted you.
saying that you can say it because "well ADHD and autism share symptoms" they do but that's not why you can't!!! adhd and autism are TWO separate things. you cannot reclaim it because... autism is different from adhd.
also misinformation about autism:
ASD (autism spectrum disorder) only includes asperger's and autism. it does not include ADHD.
autism is still neurodivergent.
autism can be a learning disorder.
autism is a spectrum.
ASD (autism spectrum disorder) only includes asperger's and autism. it does not include ADHD.
autism is still neurodivergent.
autism can be a learning disorder.
autism is a spectrum.
if you will continue to say the r slur despite me going through a ton of sources to explain why, then you're a really shitty person.
either way, send this thread to someone who keeps saying it. don't spread "if you say it you're ableist!" without context as to why
either way, send this thread to someone who keeps saying it. don't spread "if you say it you're ableist!" without context as to why
i've given you all the evidence, so share it instead of just making claims because that doesn't help the issue at all. /srs
sincerely, someone with autism.
sincerely, someone with autism.
i'm also aware that there are some cases (people w/ down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and physical disabilities) where they can (because in some cases the slur targeted them) but i don't have sources and didn't want to add something unsourced
if you have any source/info to add that's credible pls send it to me and i'll put that in the thread
