what supports are "low support needs" anyway:
i think a lot of, particularly lower support needs autistic people, really don't understand what "low support needs" means. it doesn't mean "lower support needs than the general population" it doesn't mean "equal needs to the general population" it doesn't mean "support needs that are fine if they don't get met."
it means support needs that are a lower intensity than the support needs than some other disabled people need. high intensity support needs might be custom positioning equipment, tube feeds, custom AAC devices, 24/7 care, etc.
but "low intensity" support needs can still be vitally important. like consider some low intensity support needs i (a diagnosed level one autistic person) have at various points needed for my autism
a legal advocate to sit with you if you're involved with a criminal case, and explain your rights/answer your questions in plain language
job training that focusses on social skills and professional behavior and attire in the workplace
a safety plan for self injurious behavior that you can implement yourself, but someone else helps you make
an NT person to review your rental lease with you and make sure you understand all aspects of it
someone to tell me when i'm doing things unsafely. direct instructions on things that "everyone knows" like kitchen safety, hygiene, when to go to a doctor vs take a tylenol and calm down, etc
these are all things that have MAJOR FUCKING CONSEQUENCES if you don't have them. if you misunderstand your lease, you could wind up homeless with an eviction on your record. if you don't know about being safe when cops are called on you, that gets autistic people killed. wearing inappropriate clothing will get you fired at a lot of workplaces. i lived 23 years of my life not knowing how to properly use a public restroom and had to be explicitly taught to lock the door, because getting walked in on wasn't enough for me to make the connection.
low intensity support needs are still important. when someone says you have "low support needs" that doesn't mean you're not disabled. that doesn't mean your needs are "low importance." it means they aren't a 24/7 thing. they aren't a "needs supervision all the time" kind of support needs
low intensity ≠ low importance
I see now how this post comes off as really didactic and like I’m reading from some official booklet or something but this is just examples. Like. Talking about what kinds of support needs are still important even if they aren’t “high support needs”
it’s just examples. Not an exhaustive list
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