Hey NAS we are different not disabled

You don’t need to apologise, your experience of being autistic is perfectly valid!

I'm sorry, but I experience my autism as a disability in many ways. I'm glad for you if you don't, but your experience is not the experience of all autistics.

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..

I know, very funny. If you found that funny, you may like this discussion:

https://community.autism.org.uk/f/miscellaneous-and-chat/33518/what-if

I think of autism as a selective disability, in some ways I'm normal (I can travel, shop, walk normally), in others I'm outstanding ( I have a first class honours degree in mathematics), socially I am disabled ( I cannot make small talk, understand sarcasm or go to parties, I have had panic attacks in crowded places).

Autism Deficiency Syndrome - love that. (Makes mental note).

I agree with you, I am not ‘disabled’ by being autistic, I merely think differently and it is amazing! 

That’s why I think it is better and much more relatable to invest in autistic led charities!

I have great respect for the social model of disability which is what you appear to be representing here, in that it is others lack of understanding that causes the disability, but in many cases it does not apply.

For me one of the things my autism causes is an extreme lack of introception. I do not recognise my hunger, thirst, temperature differences, needing the toilet, etc until it is causing extreme physical symptoms, and this has led to many health problems. This is disabling regardless of the social model in which I exist, and whether I am around people or not.

Your daughter may be fortunate enough that she is primarily struggling with others misunderstanding, and I am glad for her. But it does not mean that autism is not disabling for many regardless of the people they find themselves around, and removing that label removes the entitlement for support that we so deeply need.

One of the accusations that was levelled at me as a child was that "you don't TRY!!"". (Although I've come from that thread this fits here better I feel)

Although I believed it at the time (why would he be literally screaming it in my face if it were not true?) I reacted in my usual way by trying harder to fix the issue...

That I was unable no matter how hard I tried to "make the grade" feels as much of a disability socially as having legs that do not work would be physically.

I can achieve very little when left completely to my own devices, I have found to my great disappointment, YET when a bit of external structure is added either at a personal level or even as part of a team I can be very useful indeed, yet my natural way of being is to seek isolation.

How much of the conflicts and paradoxes that seem endemic to my life is due to the Autism and how much is "poor character" I do not know but I am sure it's one or the other. 

I cannot claim to be "reliable" having had an extended period of having myself as my own employee... That seems like a disability of some sort, and it does not seem to be entirely voluntary as it works against my own interests some times. 

I've also found the Diagnosis itself although somewhat mentally "illuminating" tends to make me now see hard limitations that I did not see before, and that is "disabling" in a very fundamental sense I am finding. I am a lot more disinclined to attempt anything to an extent I've never experienced before, and if I could afford it I'd be seeking professional help with understanding, rather than struggling for insight unaided. (except by the few people I can semi rely on in the world)

Thank you. 

It's good to see you've been released from the NAS spammers jail 

I'm in a state of post meltdown exhaustion today and wasn't really expecting to be able to post anything much at all. I certainly wouldn't be able to communicate any of that verbally. 

I always find your contributions so well thought out, erudite, insightful and helpful.

You tend to forumulate into concise text the nebulous thoughts in my head and then add some extra.

Thank you.

Being classed as disabled gives an autistic person important and fundamental rights under disability discrimination laws, such as the Equality Act 2010. They are essential in order for us to be able to function in a world that is not designed for us. For example reasonable adjustments which are necessary in order to be able to function in the workplace.

A definition of disability (from Wikipedia):

"Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society."

The challenges that autistic people face mean that we certainly find some things more difficult and can be discriminated against at every stage in life. It is lifelong. So many people wrongly believe that autism is something that only affects children. I even had a GP say that once 

I'm all for the social model of autism, as opposed to the pathological one, but I'm not convinced that different is any less stigmatizing than disabled. Until the social model gains enough traction we need that protection against discrimination.

I hope that in the future being neurodivergent will become a specific protected characteristic under discrimination laws. Maybe that's the kind of thing NAS could be campaigning for. In the meantime we have to make the best of what exists now.