SEE THE LABEL IF YOU WOULD SEE THE PERSON
This is an interesting - and contentious - issue. I know all about the problems of negative stereotyping that come with labelling. One of the very first presentations I gave as an undergraduate came in my sociology class, where I held forth for ten minutes or so on Nell Keddie's labelling theory. So before I go any further, it is worth making it clear that I am well aware of how labelling individuals in negative ways is debilitating and, of course, reject it. But the issue is much more complex and multi-layered with respect to autism. A substantial part of the problem here is the impairment model of autism, which defines autistic people in terms of a lack or a deficiency. A label applied in light of this definition cannot but have negative connotations. The situation changes once we adopt another model, seeing the unique, but socially undervalued, unappreciated, and neglected, talents of autistic people. Once we approach the question armed with this different definition, we come to see that the label is not a negative to be discarded, but something which is essential if we are to see autistic people as they are and autism as it is. Something that requires not sympathy and pity from others, but a preparedness on their part to accommodate the unique abilities of autistic people. If autism is defined in terms of traits which are 'over and above the norm,' as it was explained to me in assessment, then autistic people need the cooperation of those who won't flee in face of abundance.
For my part, the label and definition brought self-knowledge and self-awareness, which have been crucial in negotiating the trials and tribulations of life.
