Social model of ASD

The social model of disability is preferable to the medical model, because it does not assume that certain people cannot do things. It aims for such things as enabling autistic children to have educational opportunities and learning support, and for autistic adults to have appropriate adjustments if they work, to help enable autistic people reach their potential.

It would be interesting to hear what opportunities you have missed due to being autistic. I'm an older person too - I didn't discover I was on the spectrum until I was in my fifties - and I didn't learn much at all at school, because the way of teaching was not tailored to my needs. I've learned more from online and distance learning as an adult. I have asked for and been granted adjustments to my working environment in my current job, which has helped me.

However, the social model of disability does not take away all struggles. Just as a wheelchair user can be enabled to be more independent by things like ramps in public places and specially designed bathrooms, but there are still some things they will not be able to do, so autistic people may achieve more through a social model of disability in education and work, but can still struggle with other issues.

I believe that the ASD community you mention is trying to foster a positive self image for autistic people. That's a good thing, but it's not a "super power". Yes, we can be very good at some things, like hyper focus and attention to detail, or have creative skills, but non autistic people have other things that they are good at. It's not a competition about which type of person is best. Everyone has things they are good at and things they struggle with.

I personally do not see my autism as a condition or a disability - just a difference - but I'm very aware that for other autistic people it can be disabling. It's probably tempting for society to see us as a group who all have the same needs and issues, because for most "conditions" that is the case, but our needs can differ - we're all unique.

Pixiefox said:

t for other autistic people it can be disabling.

Yeah, it is. Too bad that it conflicts with the narrative of "autism is unique and magical".

Pixiefox said:

It would be interesting to hear what opportunities you have missed due to being autistic

Social opportunities, job opportunities, relationships, promotions at work, the chance of being heard and respected in social gatherings, many others.

In hindsight, we were lucky that we were not diagnosed. Back then, in the '80, ASD was treated as a form of childhood schizophrenia. A psychiatrist of the eighties would have pumped up full of old-style antipsychotics. We would probably be dead or in a psych ward by now.

Yeah, I have sometimes thought that it might have been a good thing that I didn't know when I was young. I was a child of the 60s, so who knows what they would have done to me. But when I was young if you were seen as 'normal ',  you were told  'don't complain, get on with it, things could be worse, you could be a starving African', etc.etc.

Because I have high emotional empathy I've never belittled or undervalued anyone else's struggles or problems, but I tend to ignore my own  So it's useful to hear from others about their challenges and remind myself that I've had a lot to cope with.

I certainly identify 'not being heard and respected' and that's not just in social gatherings, it's happened in most of the jobs I've had. Because I've got used to it and don't know how to change it, I don't think about it being a 'challenge ' but if you cannot get management to listen to your ideas, how are you supposed to progress in a career? Like I've said before, autism has so many nuances, and I'm still learning all the time.

I wonder if communication style is perhaps the thing there. If I go into full on acting mode at work when presenting something, making that painful eye contact, hand gestures and tone changes, I feel I get a far different reception.

Back in normal mode I don't make eye contact, usually too busy picking at my fingers or fiddling with something to move my hands much in time with what I'm trying to articulate and use a monotone voice. Genuinely had people (badly)  hiding their yawns while I'm in meetings. 

If I put the same content across via emails, PowerPoint or other documents, which are read by the other person, I get the positive response.

Conclusion is that when we communicate face to face without a lot of masking or around people who are more understanding of us, we don't fair as well. 

There's also the chance that people instinctively notice there's a difference in us and it makes them feel uneasy and threatened?

Hi Cat, good point, I think some instances of my not being taken seriously have been a form of innate sexism, however I've also had women treat me a similar way, and my male partner has experienced it from other men - if you're male and dont do anything about it, you're a 'walkover' but if you react it might make them more respectful face to face, but you'll be judged as 'aggressive '. Neurotypical social /workplace structures have hierarchies that we don't usually fit into.

I'm still working at the moment, and have been lucky in my current job, as the women I work with are absolutely lovely and I feel completely accepted by them. Most of the management are men, but they do try to support mental health and they did arrange for me to move to a quieter office when I requested adjustments for my sensory issues.

I've wondered the same things as Pixie, I think for me I just thought most of those things like not being taken seriously, not being respected etc were because of my gender, not autism, thats the lens I've always seen it through. I've not worked sinse being diagnosed so I don't know how an employer knowing I'm autistic would make any difference, maybe it would be less, but it could be a double whammy of autism and sexism.

I'm still not sure of what you mean by social and work opportunities though?

I've wondered the same things as Pixie, I think for me I just thought most of those things like not being taken seriously, not being respected etc were because of my gender, not autism, thats the lens I've always seen it through. I've not worked sinse being diagnosed so I don't know how an employer knowing I'm autistic would make any difference, maybe it would be less, but it could be a double whammy of autism and sexism.

I'm still not sure of what you mean by social and work opportunities though?

I wonder if communication style is perhaps the thing there. If I go into full on acting mode at work when presenting something, making that painful eye contact, hand gestures and tone changes, I feel I get a far different reception.

Back in normal mode I don't make eye contact, usually too busy picking at my fingers or fiddling with something to move my hands much in time with what I'm trying to articulate and use a monotone voice. Genuinely had people (badly)  hiding their yawns while I'm in meetings. 

If I put the same content across via emails, PowerPoint or other documents, which are read by the other person, I get the positive response.

Conclusion is that when we communicate face to face without a lot of masking or around people who are more understanding of us, we don't fair as well. 

There's also the chance that people instinctively notice there's a difference in us and it makes them feel uneasy and threatened?

Hi Cat, good point, I think some instances of my not being taken seriously have been a form of innate sexism, however I've also had women treat me a similar way, and my male partner has experienced it from other men - if you're male and dont do anything about it, you're a 'walkover' but if you react it might make them more respectful face to face, but you'll be judged as 'aggressive '. Neurotypical social /workplace structures have hierarchies that we don't usually fit into.

I'm still working at the moment, and have been lucky in my current job, as the women I work with are absolutely lovely and I feel completely accepted by them. Most of the management are men, but they do try to support mental health and they did arrange for me to move to a quieter office when I requested adjustments for my sensory issues.