Published on 12, July, 2020
All her life my daughter has fought the stigma that being Autistic was defined as, first a "learning disabilty" and now a "disability". It has destroyed her life, made her feel inferior and sapped her self confidence. Then to see the BBC describe autism as a "lifelong disability" made me furious. Then to find that the source of this bigotry is the definition on the NAS website makes me incandescent with rage. I too am Autistic. The NAS does not represent me or my daughter. The challenges which Autistic poeple face are not what we are but how we are misunderstood. For the NAS to insist on perpetuating these myths makes you part of the problem. I can only presume your definition of Autism was written and approved by a bunch of, perhaps well-meaning, poeple who suffer from Autism Deficiency Syndrome and who lack the flexibility of thought that Autism gives us and we, in turn, have given the world the technology which I am using to write this.
The ‘lifelong condition’ concession made by the community for Autism is one of the strongest boons they could have given us, you may consider the word ‘lifelong’ to be a curse on its face, but in the background it is a blessing because it has made it so that bureaucrats cannot take it away from us.
At the end of the day ‘different’ isn’t going to get us the support we need from the community, only ‘disability’ can help us with that, painting ourselves as superhero’s only gets us hurt in the long-run..