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Thoughts on autism? Advocacy? Neurodiversity? Neuroqueering? Feminist Disability Studies?

sommersunshine

Hi everyone! 

I would love to hear any thoughts you have on autism and any of it's related topics. This can be anything from 'why is it a disorder' to 'why is disability not often considered in intersectional feminist works'! This is my special interest, and I'd love to chat with some like-minded folks!! 

  • You have come to the right group  

    Why is it a disorder? Like others, I  believe this is simply a matter of autistic people being substantially a minority, because the diagnostic criteria are based on "pathology" comparisons which compare against neurotypical behaviour, and because the skills that autistic people demonstrate are undervalued (for whatever reason) by wider society.  Put simply autstic people are an "othered" minority.

    To my shame my knowledge and experience of intersectional feminist works is not very great.  I suspect tho' that the answer lies in gender and race being most focused upon in this area so far and hope that it is because the disability rights movement has yet to achieve its goals.  

    In respect to both questions this years BBC podcast are available of Dutch historian Rutger Bregman the 2025 Reith Lectures, called "Moral Revolution."  I am finding listening to them very stimulating and perhaps they might strike a chord with you too.

    Best Wishes


  • Thank you for starting this thread

    I’m still pretty new to understanding myself, but autism and neurodiversity connect a lot with my life story.

    My life has been very sheltered as a Jehovah’s Witness for about 20 plus years, so a lot of things about identity and the world were shut down or tightly controlled.

    That included my emotions and even parts of my sexuality, my therapist only recently suggested I might have suppressed aspects of it, and I’m just beginning to explore that and see what feels true for me.

    I’ve also started going to some LGBTQ+ groups, which has brought up a lot of mixed feelings but also a sense of finally learning who I am.

    It’s strange looking back and realising how much masking and survival shaped me, and now I’m trying to understand myself through a neurodiversity lens instead of shame or confusion.