Published on 12, July, 2020
In England, under English Law (Mental Health Capacity Act, Vunerable Adults Act, Disability Discrimination Act, Equalities Act, Autism Act, etc), are adults with an ASD considered to be disabled, mentally disabled, vulnerable adults, or similar?
And if so, what are the legal rights of such ASD suffers, what are they entitled to that differ from a non-ASD person, so on and so forth, etc?
(I have Asperger Syndrome and suffer badly from depression, anxiety, paranoia, fear for the future, difficulty coping with change, etc. So I am wondering whether I am considered as having a disablity, a mental disability, and/or considered a vulnerable adult.)
If the traits can be overcome then I struggle to see how they have a condition in the first place as on that basis the concept of ASD would become a meaningless construction. It is true, we are all different and we are all affected differently, some more so than others. I am very high-functioning and I am very self-aware, articulate, and my social difficulties are not obvious. But I have struggled all my life with severe anxiety, low self esteem, social isolation and obsessions. I know other people with ASD who are very high-functioning but who struggle every day, get very tired and frustrated, and feel excluded from society.