Recently a group of parents has made a claim that Autistic Adults sharing the better parts of the Autistic Experience online has made it more difficult for parents to peruse services for their children because people don’t automatically see Autism as a bad thing anymore.

Being Autistic is not all sunshine and rainbows. In fact, it sucks sometimes, especially because of society systems & the world being stacked against us. Let’s talk about why some of us share the good parts of being Autistic:

1. Historically, most of the conversation about Autistic People has only been about our weaknesses and completely ignored our strengths. Some of us are seeking balance to the narrative. We are more than our weaknesses. We are a combination of our strengths & weaknesses.

2. Some of us genuinely love being Autistic, despite the hard parts, and want to share that with the world. 3. We need (& still lack) representation and role models for our NeuroDivergent young people. Being open/guiding future generations.

4. People don’t expect NeuroTypical‘s to share all of their weaknesses online. Most people only share the good parts of their life on social media. Why do you expect Autistic People to owe you all of the personal information that nonAutistics would likely not share either?

5. Being Autistic in the modern world IS a disability. Nobody is claiming it isn’t. However, blaming Autistic People for not fitting into NT society is cruel. It’s time to fix the systems & accommodate Autistic People. Autistic People are not broken. The world is broken.

In addition, even if the person does not feel that being Autistic in itself is a disability, many Autistic People are also likely to have co-occurring conditions, in addition to being Autistic, that can and often are disabling.

There are a varied of health conditions and divergencies that can co-occur in Autistic people, from mental health issues (from trying to navigate world not designed with our needs in mind), to physical motor control issues, and even neurological conditions.

These conditions (EDS, POTS, apraxia, epilepsy, insomnia, migraines, sensory overload, IBS and other digestive issues, anxiety, depression – many of which I, personally experience) are things that are very disruptive to our qualities of life and I know I would love help with finding solutions to these issues.

Asking for the world to change instead of asking Autistic and NeuroDivergent People to change doesn’t ignore the struggles of Autistic people, it begs NeuroTypical Society to flex itself to let us into their world, creating a world that is more inclusive for everyone.

It also asks for the medical system to overhaul how current prominent “therapies” can cause PTSD and are widely recommended despite this fact. We also ask the current system to change how it handles Autistic & NeuroDivergent health and mental health.

The current system is broken. Some parts of it cannot be saved.

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With gratitude,

– Lyric 🎶