Published on 12, July, 2020
There is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to autistic people. I think the real reason why we are so misunderstood is because the public at large (not all, but many) are not listening to what we say when we talk about our condition and how it affects us. Often we get told we're using it as an excuse. Or that we're simply overemphasising a characteristic that many people experience ('Everyone feels anxiety', 'Everyone gets depressed now and then', etc.) This is why so many of us begin to view things through the prism of 'them and us.'
'Autism' is a term that is often used with a negative connotation. For this reason, people like to use autism as an insult, which would make sense if autism was actually a bad thing and therefore worthy of insulting. Additionally, autistic people often face stigma, or the kind of discrimination that is often leveled against disabled people. The additional problem they have, of course, is that the 'disability' is invisible. They look normal enough. They have all of their limbs, which all seem to be functioning. They do the job, and maintain a household, and go shopping, and drive a car. So why are they making such a fuss? Why are they demanding such special attention? Why should we turn down the lights, or the noise volume, or the number of team-building exercises, just to suit their peccadilloes?
Think of autistic people as square pegs trying to fit into round holes. Or cats trying to be dogs. Or bikes trying to be boats. Or Apple operating systems trying to work in the same way as Windows. Instead of trying to change the autistic people into round pegs, or dogs, or boats, or Windows.... why not try changing the whole nature of the dialogue?
There is a reason why autistic people can be seen as odd, or reclusive, or anti-social, or retarded, or any other negative term you wish to use. It is because they know about the bad things people do to each other. Many of them have had to put up with these bad things.
So, maybe it's time to drop the term 'autistic'.
Maybe we could look for another term that we could use as a way of attempting an engagement and a dialogue with those who do not share our condition.
Any suggestions?
I'm not surprised people aren't listening to what people say about autism, because from what I can see, most of what people say is based on the struggles of autistic people, and who wants to hear about that? Most people have got enough problems of their own so why would they want to hear about somebody else's? And why would you want people to know?
I love the term autism as it's a quick and simple way for not only me to understand myself but for others to at least begin to accept that how I live and what I do and say etc, might be because that's the way I am and not because I'm being weird or mean or whatever, on purpose.