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Is autism an excuse for bad behaviour?

Autistic Not Alien

What do you think about this?

I think using autism as an excuse for bad behaviour is itself very naughty. When famous people do this, it harms autistic people because it implies that autism is a bad thing. Autistic people have enough difficulty gaining acceptance and understanding in this world – the ‘autism made me do it’ excuse makes advocacy and survival even harder. I've just posted a video about this [content removed by Moderator due to breaches of the online community rules and guidelines].

Parents

  • This makes me sad. There are people trying to use ND conditions in general as an excuse for bad behaviors (example swearing and Tourette’s vocal tics). I have a strong moral compas and try my best to do the right thing and to not hurt anyone. Well, if a mother of a little child gets offended because I cover my ears because her child’s scream feels like electric shock, then sorry, not sorry. But I’m not complaining or shouting at her or her child, I totally understand that children scream, including mine. I think that nowadays there are lots of people who only look for an opportunity to get offended probably to get some attention. The line is in my opinion not clear, when something is actually offensive and when it’s someone exaggerating. It’s all subjective. But I’m absolutely against using conditions as an excuse for bad behaviors. 

  • in reply to Alien0n3arth

    I agree AH, although I don't get why people get offended about swearing. I know what you mean about the screams of small children, there's one over the hedge, she practically puts me in a spontaneous low earth orbit, when she screaches and she does it about every 30 mins, it's why I don't use my garden as much as I'd like.

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  • in reply to Alien0n3arth

    I agree AH, although I don't get why people get offended about swearing. I know what you mean about the screams of small children, there's one over the hedge, she practically puts me in a spontaneous low earth orbit, when she screaches and she does it about every 30 mins, it's why I don't use my garden as much as I'd like.

Children
  • in reply to TheCatWoman

    Low startle reflex does feature heavily in my life as well. Even a sudden question at the 'wrong' volume can make me jump out of my skin, so beeped horns, kids screaming at close quarters, a shout from one person to another, they seem to jolt me badly in a way that most seem to be immune to. It's weird sometimes to notice the contrastive calm in people around me as my adrenaline spikes and heart starts pounding due to some out of the blue noise. I try to suppress the (mostly) irrational anger it brings forth, but once in a while I'll swear reflexively more out of alarm than aggression or anything similar.