#moderate support needs

[the-sun-system]

Hey, here’s a concept. What if we stopped saying “but autistic people CAN do all those things” (erasing high support needs) and instead started saying “not being able to do those things doesn’t impact someone’s value as a person nor does it make it okay to commit eugenics”.

[autisticghostss]

”autistic people don’t do [ extremely common higher support need , higher level autistic trait / symptom ] , that just stereotype”

you need include us too : you need include childish autistic person , you need include nonverbal autistic person , you need include autistic person who drool , you need include autistic people with intellectual disability , you need include autistic person with loud messy public meltdowns .

can not hide behind “it just stereotype” because that not true . there are many people very disabled by autism , you need remember us and include us .

[autistic-twilight]

I think people have forgotten what high support needs means. It makes me frustrated. You are not high support needs if you can live on your own and hold a full time job. I am not sorry to say this.

[berryautistic]

idk how to explain this but when higher support needs autistics complain about not having autism representation that represents them, and lower support needs autistics come in talking about "autistic-coded" characters, it kinda feels like a slap in the face.

like, i'm glad you feel represented by "autistic-coded" characters, but like... i want representation for level 2 and 3 autistics, low masking autistics, autistics who need caregivers, autistics who use aac (and not just high tech aac), multiply disabled autistics, autistics who have severe meltdowns, intellectually disabled autistics, autistics who need visible disability aids, autistics who need to be heavily accommodated or helped by others, etc etc etc.

it's okay to like autistic-coded characters, lower support needs characters, etc. i love those characters too! that kind of representation is also important! but i also think it would just be really nice and healing to see myself and my higher support needs autistic friends represented in media outside of just like, kids shows.

[stella-and-the-pinks]

possibly controversial disability community opinion: long-term caregivers should be considered somewhat part of the disability community and i'm kind of tired of excluding caregivers from discussions about ableism and systemic issues when caregivers also get the short end of the stick right alongside us every. single. time.

"some caregivers are ableist and caregiving doesn't inherently make you a good person" and "caregivers are regularly affected by ableism and systemic issues" are two things that are both true.

[asexual-amanita]

As someone with moderate support needs, I’m tired of trying to explain the difference between not being able to do something at all, and struggling to do something. I can’t live independently, and I will likely never drive a car. I cannot complete most everyday tasks without prompting. This is different than struggling to do those tasks, or the tasks being energy draining. Both of our experiences are valid and we both deserve supports, but don’t say you know exactly how I feel or have the same experience as me.

[sweetheartfemme]

friendly reminder that late diagnosed does not innately mean low support needs. plenty of us just didn’t get adequate medical care as children due to a myriad of reasons (eg. abuse/neglect, poverty, parental neglect, school system failure, lack of mental health resources, medical neglect due to misogyny or ableism, etc.) but again—late diagnosed does not innately or intrinsically equate to low support needs. many of us were seen, and hell—some of us were even identified by professionals as being “potentially autistic”, or “showing autistic traits” and yet either never diagnosed or our parents never told us.

[liminalnoa]

ok so like. ppl online fight sooo much about the “right” words to call us. like autistic person vs person w autism vs autist vs special needs or whatever. and idk maybe its just me but… i rlly don’t care that much, like you can say I'm autistic, u can say i’m an autist, u can say i have autism, u can say im special needs. it all describes me tbh.

what actually matters is how u treat me. like if u call me “autistic” but then u ignore my needs or treat me like i’m a burden, that sucks more than any word. and if u call me “special needs” but u’re respectful n kind n actually help me, that feels fine??

i think ppl forget that we’re not all the same. like some autistic ppl hate certain words n that’s totally fine! but that doesn’t mean ALL of us feel that way. sometimes ppl say “no autistic person wants to be called ___” and i’m like. actually some of us dont mind?? some of us prefer it even?? we’re not all the same.

so yeah idc what word u use for me, just don’t treat me bad. words matter, but actions matter more.

(btw this was based on another post I saw but I dont remembe who made it)