Published on 12, July, 2020
I was diagnosed autistic not so long ago in my early 40s, the psychiatrist who diagnosed me said I mask phenomenally well that it goes almost undetected.
My family say I should wear a badge that lets others know I am autistic because I can come across rude when shopping or in other social situations where people are new to me. I wore a lapel badge that said I’m autistic to trial it a few weeks and it did make a huge difference when i was shopping, I realised sales assistants willing to help more, more smiley.
The flip side of it is, do I really want people to know I’m autistic ? It feels like a label and does that mean I am giving people an opportunity on passing judgement without knowing me??
Thoughts please? X
I wear the sunflower lanyard in airports because it is recognised at airports and it allows staff members to be aware of my reactions when they need to stop me,and staff are trained in how to make the experience easier for me. I do not wear it anywhere else because it has no purpose for me or others outside of this setting. I have no need to shout about my autism nor feel proud of being autistic. Neither do I want to allow others to manipulate my vulnerability as some will surely do. Each to their own. Others may choose to wear badges. I prefer to be proud of who I am as a person and my autism is not all that I am. People accept me for who I am, not because of my autism,and that is how I am. You may choose to be different and use visual identifiers if you wish .Do what makes you happy