What do you wish NTs knew about us?

Great discussion!

There are some points I wish to make on this topic:

1. I wish the majority of non autistics (by the way, there are some brilliant allies of our community) could see beauty in the diversity of brains in our population (just like they see beauty in the natural world).
2. Being autistic is very much an internal experience.
3. Being autistic is a neurotype and identity. Don’t automatically assume that we identify as disabled (I certainly don’t and I know many other autistics who feel the same way)
4. You can be autistic and proud (hence Autistic Pride)!
5. The importance of intrinsic motivation (particularly within the education system) and interest based learning.

Much of this has parallels with the LGBT community and even within the gay community where being gay and a traditional Catholic becomes an issue - or being part of the Irish truth and patriot movement, living abroad as part of the Irish diaspora, being a traditional Catholic and being LGBT (or being gay and not being LGBT) - yet all of these things are not mutually exclusive to each other, according to any standards 

IrishInManchesterUK said:

Much of this has parallels with the LGBT community

Absolutely! I completely agree! We face prejudice in a similar way to the LGBTQIA+ community too.

Absolutely! There is obviously lots of overlap between both communities too!

As someone who is both, I have noticed similarities too. 

Deleted User said:

I think we're much less visible so we're not overtly discriminated against as a group in the way LGBTQIA+ people are.

To some extent yes, however if we were not that visible then why would so many members of our community have experienced bullying and other traumatic experiences? I don’t expect you to answer this, it is just a thought!

For example, many people who could be autistic are described as outcasts etc so people know we are different, they are just not accepting of differences.

Deleted User said:

We face individual microaggressions because of how we present rather than who we are, if that makes sense.

Absolutely! It’s the every day invalidation and gaslighting we experience that has a cumulative effect on our community.

Deleted User said:

If there was more of an autistic or neurodivergent community things could be so much better for us.

Ditto! Community is so important for wellbeing!

Deleted User said:

I think we're much less visible so we're not overtly discriminated against as a group in the way LGBTQIA+ people are.

To some extent yes, however if we were not that visible then why would so many members of our community have experienced bullying and other traumatic experiences? I don’t expect you to answer this, it is just a thought!

For example, many people who could be autistic are described as outcasts etc so people know we are different, they are just not accepting of differences.

Deleted User said:

We face individual microaggressions because of how we present rather than who we are, if that makes sense.

Absolutely! It’s the every day invalidation and gaslighting we experience that has a cumulative effect on our community.

Deleted User said:

If there was more of an autistic or neurodivergent community things could be so much better for us.

Ditto! Community is so important for wellbeing!