To call them autistic or people with autism

[MTL]

As strange as this may sound, I'm happy with autism. It gives me a ability to think in ways that people find difficult.

This brings up an interesting point.  In the case of Dwarfism at least there seems to be quite a resistance to invitro treatments which can make a person with the 'disorder' taller.  Same goes with deafness.  In these two cases at least there is quite a sense of community amongst those affected.  

I believe there may actually be some who would feel reluctant to cut mania out of their lives.  Some people extoll the creativity and production of those affected.  While I doubt that anyone would lobby in favor of depression, there are some who feel it deepens one's humanity (something better appreciated in hindsight no doubt).

So in at least some conditions often viewed as disabilities there is reason to wonder if the person affected holds it as a disability or is to some degree proud instead.  For those who feel positively about the condition it might actually feel awkward and uncomfortable to be addressed in a manner that signifies you hold their condition to be negative.

I'm not ready to concede the debate to the PC'ers quite yet.

yes absolutely.

Being gay is not a disorder, but because of "othering"
the "Pride" movement came along
and said,
"not only are we not abnormal, and not ashamed, but we are PROUD of what we are,
and would not be anything other than what we are, for the world."

This same attitude, as you observe, occurs in people who do suffer from what the rest of the world considers a medical abnormality or ailment, such as deafness, or dwarfism;

There are those who are affected, or in agreement with those who are affected,
who refuse to acknowledge any naturally occurring human condition as a disorder;
and in fact embrace it as a blessing.

perhaps they're right; indeed;

I have already posted about how I notice that plenty of so-called "normal" people
are often more helpless than people I have met who have "disabilities";

but on the other hand, there was an episode of "House m.d."
that touched on this issue,
where Dr. House was treating a woman who suffered with dwarfism,
along with her young daughter;

The woman was militantly proud of her dwarfism,
and that her daughter appeared to be similarly affected;

but when House found a treatable cause,
and offered it to the daughter,
the mother had to reconsider just how deep her militant stance really went:

Was she truly embracing her condition as a "gift" or blessing;
and if Yes,
was she really willing to allow her daughter to live life the same way
...even knowing it might be avoidable and a treatment may exist to allow her daughter to escape the condition??

EDIT:

Likewise the issue was touched upon in one of the sequels to "X-Men"
wherein a "cure" for "mutation" had been found
and mutants were coming out of hiding,
lining up for this "cure";

but were then shamed by "proud" mutants for doing so,
and not embracing the blessing of their gifts.

One of the main characters, "Rogue" seeks the cure,
because her particular mutation
...the ability to leech the life force out of anyone by mere skin-to-skin contact...
meant, for her, a life without physical contact,
which she regarded as anything but a blessing.

So it's interesting how this thread has made us consider:

What is a "disorder" and what is merely a "condition"
how much do those conditions or disorders define us,
how should we refer to them,
and is it okay for someone to want to be "normal" and shun as a disorder
what others say they should embrace as a blessing?