What does it mean to be neurodiversity affirmative?

sunspot said:

intense sense of compassion for other people with problems, and I'm keen to meet others having oddities about them

That’s great! Such qualities are certainly very useful in our autistic community.

I've been through so much, I feel like it's cultivated a really intense sense of compassion for other people with problems, and I'm keen to meet others having oddities about them. To me, where some trait might have confused me before, now I'm curious to ask what it's like and to just sit and talk and find common ground.It would have helped me tremendously if anyone had ever explained to me what was so offensive about me, but all I got was insults and cruelty.

Yes I completely understand what you mean.

sunspot said:

I feel like my problem is that people sense that you accomplish the same things a different way, and they can't stand that.

Quite often people just can’t understand or accept differences including the fact that there are different ways of doing things. This is one of the main reasons why the Neurodiversity Paradigm and Movement is so so important!

I think it can be, when you consider that there are people who are unable to do common tasks. I feel like my problem is that people sense that you accomplish the same things a different way, and they can't stand that. They think you're bizarre, and they will have nothing to do with you, even though you can perform all of the same overall activities.

You raise a very good point! Thanks for sharing!

Hi neurokin!

You may find this article interesting:

https://autismunderstood.co.uk/what-actually-is-autism/is-autism-a-disability/

I am definitely in the group of autistics who do not identify as disabled.

You are welcome! I hope the book is ideal for you as the whole purpose of it is about managing intersecting autistic and chronic illness needs.

The author of the book is autistic/ADHD and also has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome as well as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, so all the content and suggestions are based on lived experience.

Here is a link to the book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Tangled-Autism-Chronic-Illness/dp/1839975245/ref=asc_df_1839975245?nodl=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=658844159684&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3750999649158961930&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007193&hvtargid=pla-2193608646849&psc=1&mcid=ff2123bfd43a35cb858ea8f0f60c7c0d&th=1&psc=1&dplnkId=479897d2-6b7c-4f88-a09b-3e1c07f84552

Ausomely Autistic said:

Have you read the book All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness? It's brilliant!

I haven't- thanks for the recommendation, it sounds like it'd be ideal for me!

Thanks for your perspective and the clarification.

Autonomistic said:

The society we are given certainly makes a lot of things very difficult for us autists, as demonstrated on these forums alone! I believe that many autists are at a huge disadvantage. You only have to look at the statistics on rates of employment to see that. Being treated as a misfit and othered can be a daily experience for many autistic people throughout their lives. The sensory environment alone can be very disabling. Sadly autistic people tend to suffer much poorer mental health as a result of many of these factors.

I completely understand what you mean, our current society is not very autistic friendly. In terms of employment rates, obviously they only reflect members of our autistic community who are formally identified (diagnosed) as opposed to so many of us who are self identified, so they may not be that accurate. However, I still appreciate that employment rates for our community are low.

I can kind of agree with this, so long as socialism and other forms of leftism is not Co opted by globalism - all of these things have to be in balance and in moderation in order to work effectively 

It means to be satisfied with the way that people are made and to not necessarily see it as a disability or defect, doesn't it? I feel like I can do absolutely everything, except connect with people in person. But who is the one doing the rejecting in those cases?

In a perfect 'Autopia' where society would be set up to accommodate the needs of all autistic people and more understanding then maybe we wouldn't be disabled.

'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 society we are given certainly makes a lot of things very difficult for us autists, as demonstrated on these forums alone! I believe that many autists are at a huge disadvantage. You only have to look at the statistics on rates of employment to see that. Being treated as a misfit and othered can be a daily experience for many autistic people throughout their lives. The sensory environment alone can be very disabling. Sadly autistic people tend to suffer much poorer mental health as a result of many of these factors.

I agree with Debbie that we need the protections and allowances that being classed as disabled affords. This topic has been debated on here a few times before and I have made my own personal view clear then.

Ausomely Autistic said:

I don’t think it is helpful to automatically assume that our autistic community identifies this way

In terms of what the article says then it does state that "It is an Autistic person’s right to choose if they identify as disabled." There is no automatic assumption made. 

Although I see your points, homosexuality was here and is still in other countries illegal.

Women have been raped for being gay and people killed, both by authorities and members of the public.

People were outed and their lives destroyed up until very recent times.

It's a very different kettle of fish, in my experience.

Yes I agree but as your points show the LGBT community has experienced (and sometimes still continues to experience) significant harm and discrimination.

This is not to say that our autistic community experiences such significant consequences however, we are still a minority group fighting against injustice and being unnecessarily pathologised.

IrishInManchesterUK said:

I see so many parallels to the LGBT community and the struggles against a world that refuses to understand, refuses to listen and refuses to take us seriously

Ausomely Autistic said:

There are so many commonalities between our autistic community and other minority groups including the LGBT community. For example, in terms of rights movements and also historically (and currently) pathologising our autistic way of being.

Although I see your points, homosexuality was here and is still in other countries illegal.

Women have been raped for being gay and people killed, both by authorities and members of the public.

People were outed and their lives destroyed in this country up until very recent times.

It's a very different kettle of fish, in my experience.

IrishInManchesterUK said:

It’s an interesting discussion and from my limited experiences since my diagnosis, I see so many parallels to the LGBT community and the struggles against a world that refuses to understand, refuses to listen and refuses to take us seriously because we are deemed to be coming from the standpoint or prism of our “dysfunction” or disability and so automatically dismisses anything that we have to say as “nonsense and foolishness” 

Absolutely so do I! There are so many commonalities between our autistic community and other minority groups including the LGBT community. For example, in terms of rights movements and also historically (and currently) pathologising our autistic way of being.

In the book I recently read called ‘We’re All Neurodiverse ‘ there is lots of brilliant discussion about this overlap.

Thanks so much for pointing this out!

It’s an interesting discussion and from my limited experiences since my diagnosis, I see so many parallels to the LGBT community and the struggles against a world that refuses to understand, refuses to listen and refuses to take us seriously because we are deemed to be coming from the standpoint or prism of our “dysfunction” or disability and so automatically dismisses anything that we have to say as “nonsense and foolishness” 

Thank you for that link.

I particularly liked this paragraph and I think it's important here, as the subject comes up from time to time in threads:

'All humans have intrinsic value regardless of how much it costs to care for them, or how much money they can make through their ‘productivity’. Many disabled (including Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent) people will need ongoing support from others throughout their lives and may never have a paid job, but this does not mean that they do not live a rich, valuable and meaningful life. There are, for example, democratic socialist countries in which the care economy is healthy and well-funded and disabled people are supported to be integral members of their communities without being seen as burdens.

Seeing the value in disability and a disabled life requires ongoing reflection and unpacking of ableism for us all (whether disabled or not). Totton (2015) highlights that so-called ‘normalcy’ is temporary.'

Thank you for sharing your experience! Many members of our autistic community prefer the social model.

It's interesting to learn about the complexities of other conditions and chronic pain and how this intersects.

Have you read the book All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness? It's brilliant!

I consider myself disabled under the medical model of disability for other conditions, but under the social model for my autism- I will always experience chronic pain regardless of the accommodations made for me, but I would be far less disadvantaged as an autistic person if the world was a more understanding (and quieter!) place. There are specific aspects that would always be disabling, e.g. I often don't realise I'm thirsty, but most things wouldn't be.

I think it's up to the individual to decide whether being autistic makes them disabled; there's no one answer to that question that applies to us all because our needs and experiences are so varied. I see both pros and cons to being autistic myself, but someone whose autistic traits are very different to my own might disagree.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I am not trying to undermine you. I was just asking a question to gain a different perspective.