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"I’ve stopped saying I ‘have Autism’ – being autistic is brilliant, not a burden"

Steven

'We are not a homogeneous group, and I recognise that a lot of autistic people, particularly the non-verbal community, may have a different lived experience. Learning difficulties and other comorbidities can add an extra complication. But for me there are plenty of positives associated with being autistic, which is why language is so important.'

More:

www.theguardian.com/.../autism-autistic-positive-neurodiversity

Parents

  • I aim for a realistic optimism.  

    I'm autistic, and it's hard and exhausting, but I wouldn't change it.  Possibly because I'm autistic and resustabt to chsnge! 

    It's given me so many negative experiences to deal with, but those experiences have made me stronger and more compassionate.  I've felt much better about myself since rejecting the influence of social constructs to be more authentically myself, though it's taken a while to work out who that is.  

    One thing I have heard when the idea of neurodiversity is discussed in the news is that it is only the verbal, "high functioning" (ugh I hate that phrase) who are promiting the idea of neurodiversity, and that "obviously it can't possibly extend to those who are non-verbal or need some support."  This is, quite frankly, b*ll*cks.  

    The people saying this have clearly never read Amy Sequenzia.  She is multiply disabled, non-verbal, and writes amazing and passionate work on accessibility by typing, which takes her much longer but is her communication method.  Honestly, Google her because it's quite the read.

    All people are important and valuable to society, no matter what their abilities.  All people deserve respect.  I've worked in day centres and care homes and seen the infantalising and dehumanising that can occur.  They don't look closely enough to see or understand how alternate communication happens.  I have stories.

    But I believe that embracing neurodiversity means embracing everyone, even the ones who require more effort to understand.  Because even though some of us have often been made to feel lesser, we're all human.

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