Alright, I was curious what exactly it said, so I looked it up. The list’s over here, and I wanted to respond to it.
[I am a child.] It goes on to talk about how autism is only part of the child, not all of who they are. While this is true in the sense that autistic people aren’t all the same, autism affects every aspect of us very deeply. Every thought and feeling we have is affected by the autism, because there’s no way to separate it from us. That’s not a bad thing. It just is what it is.
[My senses are out of sync.] I think what it’s trying to get at is sensory overload, but it doesn’t do a very good job of describing it. If I had the brainpower right now I’d rewrite it, but I really don’t, so suffice to say that not every person with autism is affected in every one of their senses. Using myself as an example, I’m prone to sensory overload if there’s too much affecting my sense of hearing or touch. My sense of taste isn’t affected in nearly the same way. Some people with autism are just the opposite, and others don’t fit this model at all. Everyone is different.
[Distinguish between won’t (I choose not to) and can’t (I am not able to).] This sentence itself is very important, but the explanation that follows is overly generalized. Again, everyone is different.
[I’m a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally.] It insists that, “Idioms, puns, nuances, inferences, metaphors, allusions, and sarcasm are lost on [someone with autism].” Once more, overgeneralization. Also, this can often be learned, it just might take longer than it would for a non-autistic person.
[Listen to all the ways I’m trying to communicate.] No argument here. Echolalia, typing, signing, gesturing, etc, are all methods of communication. Saying that speech is the only way to communicate is ridiculous and inaccurate.
[Picture this! I’m visually oriented.] I think most autistics are this way (I hesitate to say all because I don’t know all autistic people). It’s silly to say that lack of visual cues will automatically result in “constant frustration,” though. Just because someone learns better with visual cues doesn’t mean that’s the only way they can learn.
[Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do.] This seems pretty accurate to me - and like it should be true for any person, not just autistic kids.
[Help me with social interactions.] The explanation is (surprise, surprise) overly generalized. Yes, the advice is good - but don’t assume an autistic person has no idea how to read any nonverbal cues. They may know some and not others. This can be learned.
[Identify what triggers my meltdowns.] Yes, absolutely. This seems solid to me.
[Love me unconditionally.] To that statement alone - yes. However, the explanation isn’t correct. Children who grow up in homes where they are not supported can lead successful lives. Of course it’s better to have supportive parents, but that’s not the only deciding factor. Also, the idea that autistic people “don’t lie, cheat at games, or pass judgment on other people” is very inaccurate. There’s no reason an autistic person wouldn’t be able to do these things.
If anyone else with autism thinks I’m wrong on a point, please feel free to correct me.
