Thanks Sonny, this is a really helpful comment. You’re right of course about the accommodating nature of Autscape — I very much found that to be the case once I’d settled in a bit and got a bit more involved. It was just a curious moment in that first session which I attended to have that sudden realisation of my own presence, and identity, in that space. In future, I already know I’ll be a lot more confident about speaking up and engaging.
And yes, the more I use the NT term the more that ‘typical’ part of it snags. There’s a clear danger in considering anything as being in some way ‘typical’ in the same way there’s a problem with the word ‘normal.’ Neurodiversity works much better in this regard.
It’s all very much a learning process for me at the moment and hopefully this article (and my presentation) opens up that process a little for my own further reflections and the reflections of others. I’ve always believed in opening up a dialogue first of all and seeing where that discussion goes (which is why comments like this are so useful!). Hopefully the take-away message here for those who believe themselves to be allistic (thanks for that!) should come to a clearer realisation of their own neurology and neurology of all others.
And yes you are right in regards to my own so-called ‘typicality’. Perhaps there are strains of autism in my genetic code which manifest themselves in various subtle ways that aren’t as obvious as my sister’s. And I’m increasingly curious about how my relationship with my sister has perhaps ‘nurtured’ or somehow helped to foster an autistic POV or attitude within myself. It is an endlessly fascinating subject!