4 ms·

I think generally we have turned a corner on Autism where it's moved from being viewed as a disease one treats to just how someone is. I think of it in terms of

I think generally we have turned a corner on Autism where it's moved from being viewed as a disease one treats to just how someone is. I think of it in terms of alignment, we used to try to "align" someone with autism with the way society works but now rather than trying to align the person, we instead align society to the way the person is.

jprete 3y ago
I think it's a terrible approach. I'm on the spectrum myself and my own autistic tendencies clearly hurt me and others around me. I also get intensely frustrated and sometimes hurt by actions that look very much like they came from the autistic traits of others.
- CooCooCaCha 3y ago
  I’m also on the spectrum and I’ve been hard on myself in the past. But I’ve realized that a lot of the stuff I saw as negative was really just me comparing myself to “normal” people and interacting with a world built for normies. There are a lot of people that get me and like having me around. But I’m never going to be understood by neurotypical people.
bittercynic 3y ago
First-hand experience. I suspect I have ASD. With the help of some very kind friends and coworkers, I've learned to to a passable imitation of normal in many circumstances. For example, the clerk at the supermarket probably doesn't know, unless they try to share friendly banter with me. Having emotional reactions that are way outside "normal", and generally having a below average ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others causes major inconveniences. Being socially odd leads to accidentally hurting people's feelings, and being perceived as erratic and unpredictable. Sometimes I can pick up on social cues relatively normally, and other times I'm way out in left field, so I must be choosing to behave this way, right? I wouldn't necessarily want to just be normal and average in every way, but it would sure be convenient to have normal, average, social capabilities.
- MrMember 3y ago
  I would give anything to just be normal. My inability to navigate social situations has had an enormous negative impact on my life going back all the way to grade school.

jprete 3y ago

I think it's a terrible approach. I'm on the spectrum myself and my own autistic tendencies clearly hurt me and others around me. I also get intensely frustrated and sometimes hurt by actions that look very much like they came from the autistic traits of others.

CooCooCaCha 3y ago
I’m also on the spectrum and I’ve been hard on myself in the past. But I’ve realized that a lot of the stuff I saw as negative was really just me comparing myself to “normal” people and interacting with a world built for normies. There are a lot of people that get me and like having me around. But I’m never going to be understood by neurotypical people.

bittercynic 3y ago

First-hand experience. I suspect I have ASD. With the help of some very kind friends and coworkers, I've learned to to a passable imitation of normal in many circumstances. For example, the clerk at the supermarket probably doesn't know, unless they try to share friendly banter with me. Having emotional reactions that are way outside "normal", and generally having a below average ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others causes major inconveniences. Being socially odd leads to accidentally hurting people's feelings, and being perceived as erratic and unpredictable. Sometimes I can pick up on social cues relatively normally, and other times I'm way out in left field, so I must be choosing to behave this way, right? I wouldn't necessarily want to just be normal and average in every way, but it would sure be convenient to have normal, average, social capabilities.

MrMember 3y ago
I would give anything to just be normal. My inability to navigate social situations has had an enormous negative impact on my life going back all the way to grade school.