knock knock, it’s autism spectrum
i have felt an urge to speak out about my asd diagnosis, and today is the day. it continues to shock me how few opportunities there are for people to learn and speak openly about the autism spectrum. let’s normalize being curious. how much do you actually know about the autism spectrum? open yourself up to new ideas. make room in your life to learn more about others. let’s talk.
asd: autism spectrum disorder
asd is not a social disorder. it isn’t connected to any single cause. it is a neurodevelopmental disorder. asd does not have a “look,” or a set list of symptoms. if you consider two people with an asd diagnosis, there is a very high likelihood that they present that same diagnosis in two completely different ways. the efforts to understand the autism spectrum are ongoing, and therefore the definitions of autism continuously change (see: year 2013).
a diagnosis for asd DOES CONSIDER a person’s:
degree of language/social difficulties
degree of intellectual/physical impairment
known medical conditions, exposure to environmental factors
associated mental/behavioral/neurological disorders
it is not a measure of their worth.
a diagnosis for asd DOES NOT IMPLY a person is:
being socially dysfunctional in any obvious way
a significantly high or low intelligence level
major physical or emotional limitations
neglect, abuse, poverty, inferiority
it does not change who they are.
receiving an asd diagnosis CAN HELP COMFORT a person who is:
struggling to understand social cues and implications
generally clumsy and unaware of physical space
having isolated interests/rigid plans/ritualistic behavior
exhibiting adverse reactions to change
it is essential to understand a person’s process as their own.
imagine you’re walking on the road in a small alley. you’re on the left side because you are helping a friend look for their key. someone is walking towards you, and they are walking on their right side. the closer you get, the more overwhelmed you become. and after working every scenario in your head, you give in and you cross the road, only to realize they never looked up once.
this is the only way i can think to explain the burden of masking. neurotypical minds seek conformity. neurodivergent minds seek consistency. this makes it incredibly easy for a neurodivergent person to lose whatever feelings of autonomy are left. being in a position of self-perpetuation - where your ability to do task creates an outcome that controls the ability to do task - is masking.
the very act of masking uses just as much energy as it receives. there is no carefree moment. you are anticipating bumping into someone, you gauge how close you can get, and you step out of the way before contact. there is no acknowledgement of your efforts. after all, if you were “normal” then you wouldn’t be in the way at all. there is a feeling of indebtedness. no one looks up.
consider this: 60 years ago, state asylums were regularly performing lobotomies on the “criminally insane,” usually without anesthesia and almost always without consent. that is fucking terrifying. but you know what is even more terrifying? the fact that this practice stopped only when it was replaced with more convenient options, and is still technically legal.
it’s not that america rushed to protect its disenfranchised the from becoming maimed, but rather the federal government rushed to protect its medicaid returns from becoming one-time surgical treatments. although most people would agree that we are far removed from that tragic relationship with psychosurgery. however, for perspective, i want to point out that the first evidence of neurosurgery goes all the way back to the stone age.
it took 5,000 years to create not just the science itself, but to create the culture that watched its metamorphosis and anticipated the result. if i spent an hour putting up christmas decorations, how reasonable is it to then expect them to be taken down in 44 seconds, just because i am embarrassed to still have them up? we’re closer to falling backwards into systemic ableism than we are to securing our position away from it. 60 years is not even 1.5%.
one of my friends is a mother to a child with autism. they had their first flight together and her child absolutely lost it security. she was hoping that any of the parents around her would stop and help. completely alone, people shuffled by her, and one even made a comment about her parenting approach. what she wanted to say was that the approach was advised by their developmental specialist. but then she realized that she felt more than alone, but suddenly unsafe and targeted, and she didn’t want to feel victimized further.
asd is unique in that its cultural expectations aren’t aligned with its pathological expectations anymore. there are fewer and fewer limitations when it comes to inclusion and education. as a neurodiverse person, it is my responsibility to have compassion and patience. as a neurotypical person, there needs to be an increased expectations for self-education. people with asd are at your workplace, people with asd are in your family and amongst your friends, people with asd are undeniably going to be in your same airport.
three steps of beginning your shift of neurodivergence:
1. acknowledging the value of human diversity - culture, race, gender, etc.
2. understanding that neurodiversity is a natural component of human diversity. there is no “right” or “wrong” component of human diversity. it is all biological.
3. encouraging an inclusive dynamic, rejecting the expectations of “normal” and instead focusing on each individual’s potential, their gifts and their needs.
those with asd are invaluable torch-holders for a new generation of social reform. the spectrum belongs in peer programs, on hospital floors, shaping public education, cultivating business startups. this existence is not defined by how much help i need to see something as it has already been seen. it is defined by what is seen after combining perspectives. the reason our eyes see dimension is because the right side and the left side make up for what the other one doesn’t have. imagine how much an entire spectrum can offer.
if you are interested in learning more ways to create support and conversation in your community, please locate your local mental health first aid facilitator*. they are offering classes online at discounted rates due to the pandemic, and it will do nothing if not educate. it does earn ce credits and you receive a certification upon completion.
thank you for coming to my ted talk!
*not sponsored, just nerdy
