BBC: Is calling someone "autistic" becoming a slur?

From the BBC News magazine:

A French politician has used the term "autism" to criticise the Tory Party's policy on Europe. Misunderstood or not, his choice of words highlights how the word is used in a negative way. How did that happen?

It is not the first time a politician has caused a furore by using the word autism. Three years ago the shadow chancellor, George Osborne, appeared to suggest Prime Minister Gordon Brown could be "faintly autistic".

Now, France's Minister for Europe, Pierre Lellouche, has accused David Cameron of "castrating" Britain's position in Europe, adding that his approach was "pathetic". He has since said his use of the word "pathetique" has been misunderstood and can mean sad or unfortunate in French.

But it was his use of the word "autism" which caused most offence. He says he did not realise the word "autism" could been seen as offensive in English and has retracted his remark.

Whatever way he meant it, "autistic" is often used as an insult and it's insensitive to use a term that describes a disability or a condition in this way, says the National Autistic Society.

"I thought we'd got over that from the 1970s when people used to use the term 'spastic' in the playground," says Benet Middleton from the society. "To have senior politicians doing that is thereby signalling that it's ok and that is deeply worrying."

For many the complex nature of autism makes the pejorative use of the term even more misguided and unhelpful. Alexis Miller was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a form of autism, 14 years ago.

"I want him to apologise and take it back. I think it's wrong. Even if someone is autistic, it should not be used in an insulting way because he is basically calling us pathetic autistics. I'm not pathetic, I'm a person."

More than half a million people in the UK have the condition which affects the way they communicate and relate to those around them. People with the condition often have difficulties with everyday social interaction.

Relatively unheard of or even recognised years ago, autism is now firmly in the public domain, partly due to films like Rain Man in 1988. And, some lexicographers argue its slang usage is down to it becoming a "vogue" term.

It has become part of people's vocabulary following the same route slang often does. It is very often originated by teenagers at street or playground level.

"There aren't many constraints on youngsters, especially when they're talking to each other," says Tony Thorne, Language and Innovation Consultant at King's College London.

"What they say is meant to be traded among themselves and therefore anything goes. They use a lot of racist, sexist and ageist language."

He explains it could also have originated from media slang which comes mainly from the United States and is a mixture of showbiz and therapy terms.

But what accounts for the use of the term by people in power, those, who it is deemed, should know better?

"The minister hasn't picked it up from street slang, he's picked it up from the media and the current vogue-ish language for the purpose of rhetoric, for effect. You could say for cheap effect, both on behalf of George Osbourne and this French minister," says Mr Thorne.

Lexicographers argue it is a powerful tool used to dramatise the idea of impaired communications, to taunt those deemed not able to articulate or understand a range of ideas.

"People have very limited knowledge or awareness of autism and they think it's something to do with the way people communicate and so they use that sometimes as a way to insult people if they think they're communicating in a way that's different," says Mr Middleton.

And, once slang enters the public's vocabulary it is difficult to eradicate. Some argue that it is only when whole societies undergo a process of sensitisation - what some might call political correctness - that certain terms are outlawed.

Much of the power of slang derives, undoubtedly, from its novelty. Experts say most terms have a shelf life of around three or four years. It eventually seeps into everyday language and then the people at the cutting edge, the inventors, abandon it and move on to something else.

"People think that slang kind of disappears. It doesn't completely go away, it relapses into the slang underworld," says Mr Thorne.