I was shocked when I heard it.

I also agree with chunky about mental illness insults still being acceptable. I always get a jolt when someone says 'schiz' as an insult or jokes about being taken away etc etc. The mentally ill are seen as fair game.
I've become more hardened to it now but found it difficult when my (very schizophrenic) brother was alive.

We're still allowed to say 'twat', though, right? ;)

I've also heard schizophrenic used in a way I don't like by those who think it's a "split personality."

Agree with Chegirl it just sounds ignorant.

gald I've changed someone's mind anyway! Dumbfounded at the social workers calling people retarded - I don't have much faith in them anyway but I thought they'd have absorbed enough PC ideology to know that's not on

Okay, an admission: I have used 'he's on the autistic spectrum' as an insult. Although I don't think of autistic people as being lesser in any way. Go figure.

But now I've read your post I've realised how awful that actually is, that I did use it in that way. I won't do it again.

So, not only are YNBU, but you taught me something tonight.

[reformed and proud of it emoticon]

YANBU - people at work refer to things/people as "retarded" and it really winds me up. Particularly since most of them are social workers, you'd think they'd know better

WOW, then it shocks me too, maybe I am far too naive to read political articles!

What are the events in 1940 you are refering to?

It would appear from today's news stories that Autisme France and other French autism organisations do not agree with you, gorionine.
http.timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2009/11/french-minister-commits-english-howle r.html

It would appear that the use of "autistic" has become routine in France to describe people who really aren't, but who display certain undesirable qualities popularly supposed to be linked to autism. I wouldn't put that on a par with the events of 1940, but I don't think it's something that reflects much credit on the French people. In any event my main concern, being English, is the lack of comment on it here.

Smallwhitecat, I do not think it was intended this way at all. I read it more in terms of thinking that Tories are concentrating only about what is good for them (or Britain in this context) instead of considering Europe as an whole with all countries pulling at the same rope. It was not meant to say that Tories are desabled or anything of the sort and not at all intended to be offensive to autistic people in the medical sense. That is the way I do understand it.

Now I cannot say that he definitely did not mean it pejorstively, but until I read this thread, the use of the word "autistic" in that context really did not jump to my mind as having any connection whatsoever with being disabled.

Using a term describing a disability pejoratively is offensive in any language. if the French aren't capable of realising this then I'm inlcined to think those who don't wish for closer union with them probably have a point (UKIP emoticon required)