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Yee. “Everyone is a bit autistic” and “autism is an infinite spectrum” really piss me off. Like, I have real symptoms. Trichotillomania and auditory meltdowns and hyperfocus are real things I deal with, people.
In the end, if you don’t share (some or more) symptoms, you don’t share a diagnosis— medical or mental. Autism needs to be understood so autistic people can get support and tools. If that means we need more-specific words than just “autism”, then that’s just how it is.
I think getting rid of the Aspergers label was a big mistake on that part. Yeah he was a nazi eugenicist, blah blah blah, but having a label that both differentiates “people who seem like weird fuckups but are otherwise kind of normal?” from “people who have significant disabilities preventing a normal life” and is widely known was a useful shorthand to have.
Plus “aspie” is a much cuter term than “autist” that hasn’t to my knowledge been used as a slur.
“people who seem like weird fuckups but are otherwise kind of normal?” from “people who have significant disabilities preventing a normal life”
A pretty big issue with this is that the environment has a pretty large capacity to throw you into one category or the other. I’ve been both at the “bright person who exceels in their field and anyone would expect them to have a great future” and “needs someone to look after them on a daily basis or will end up homeless” camps and the difference to get into one or the other was how much abuse and discrimination I was putting up with. It may very well be the case that a significant portion of the people who get labeled as “non-verbal, requires high support” early on in life just had a shit development because their environmental needs weren’t being met.
That is a concern, but it’s still true that you operating at your best will look very different to someone whose autism comes with intellectual delays/impairments and mobility impairments. And the diagnosis is still graded in “levels”, all that has changed is now you have to explain “level one is what they used to call aspergers”.
I’m replying to your comment to find it again later. It really struck a chord with me as it described perfectly where I’m at right now.
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On the other hand, moving to ‘levels’ offers the regular opportunity for a dad joke: “I’m autism level 1, hoping to level up to 2 any day now”
Way too relatable. I’m very hesitant to tell people about my ASD exactly because even if they do believe at me, they always start acting different afterwards. Not even necessarily infantalisation, just different.
I’m just lucky to be high-funtioning enough that I can pass off my social ineptitude as a result of being highly introverted (which is half true), and my tics aren’t very noticible to those who don’t know me very well.
“You don’t seem autistic to me”
Never sure if people are trying to offer a compliment / comfort or accusing me of lying when they say this. Like, yes, I don’t seem autistic, because when I don’t mask my autism people call me weird. Of course I try to fit in.
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For educational purposes what is a more expected/desired response from a nuerotypical person?
“Oh cool! Are there any particular triggers we should know about, like loud noise?”
Autism and its effects can differ greatly from person to person, such that the ‘rules’ for dealing with one person might not apply to another.
In the context of revealing your autism, many will not do so simply out of hand because of insert response from OP’s post. Usually the only reasons many high functioning autists will even reveal it to someone they do not trust is because they either have to (eg: there is the potential for the presence of a meltdown trigger, reasonable accommodation requests at work) or they’re relating to someone with their own disabilities.
“oh, okay.” is generally a good bet, then if the person wants to they can expand on any special needs they have.
Like if someone’s physically disabled you’d be rude to make a big deal out of it, you just acknowledge that it is what it is and try to accommodate for it.
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I make autism sexy*
* terms and conditions apply
Reads username
Huuuuuh.
It’s a British accent.
Do the terms and conditions apply /j
Void where prohibited.
Something something your void.
That’s what happens when you put so much effort into masking
Frankly being hot seems to be a predictor for autism, i presume because e.g. routine workouts is a significant part of attractiveness and ooh did you say routine?
So autistic people love routines more than neurotypicals? I’ve been called autistic a few times, but I also have no routines, and my life’s a mess, maybe routines would fix everything?
Well, there are also people who are autistic and have ADHD which is super fun because one part of your brain craves routines and the other one can’t stick to them. Don’t ask how I know.
It’s not guaranteed, autistic people just generally tend to like order and routine more.
I have “light” autism and i tend to do things the same way every time, e.g. when eating i cut everything into bite sizes and eat in a specific order, otherwise it just feels wrong.
I personally find exercise fucking amazing, by getting exhausted i can both get stronger and more attractive, AND i get to eat more! holy shit yes please.
I have “light” autism
Diet Autism™
Really gotta be careful with that stuff, so easy to just do more of it because you feel you can get away with it and then it ends up just being the same thing in the end…
I dunno about that. Most ND people are usually pretty chubby.
You need another pair where they don’t give a shit, because guess what?
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I’d just say “hi autistic I’m EuroNutellaMan/dad/Obamacare/some other variation”.
What does that make me?
Dad. Now did you ever get those cigarettes?
No Jimmy, I don’t smoke
This is the most relatable meme of all time
“You don’t seem autistic” That’s because I’ve spent my entire goddamn life trying to act and sound like you, because having no meaningful differences is a requirement to being treated with respect in this culture!
Sometimes people say that without being accusing, like they’re just processing the information and learning what it means that autism is a spectrum. But even then, it’s so hard not to be irrationally pissed when I hear that.
Yes
