7 Ways in Which Society Oppresses Autistic People

Autistic people are a biological minority. Let me tell you, we don’t have it easy. We* are 9 times more likely to die by suicide (*data about autistic people without learning disabilities) than the general population — 13 times more likely in the case autistic females. I am not aware of any data accounting for ethnicity and class, but it’s not hard to guess that things are even harder for those who are dealing with racism and generational poverty. At least 80% of us are unemployed (in the UK), we have poorer health than the majority, and generally speaking, things are tough.

The “clinical” description of autistic people focuses on our “social deficits” and other characteristics of the autistic mind as judged from a neurotypical standard. However, there is an ongoing debate within the community as to how much of our difficulties are due to actual impairments, and how much to the ways in which we are oppressed by society.

But how, exactly, are we oppressed?

1. The “Normal” v. “Weird” dichotomy is inherently oppressive for us. Being labelled as “weird” from a very young age is one of the biggest barriers that society creates in the lives of autistic people. Research shows that NTs judge autistic people unfavourably within seconds. We are perceived as less capable, less trustworthy, less attractive, less approachable, less-everything, before we even get a chance to speak. “These patterns are remarkably robust, occur within seconds, do not change with increased exposure, and persist across both child and adult age groups. However, these biases disappear when impressions are based on conversational content lacking audio-visual cues, suggesting that style, not substance, drives negative impressions of ASD.” In other words, it’s not what we say, it’s how we say it. It’s our face, our voice, our gestures, our phrasing, our expression — our very mode of existence. The moment we are judged as “weird”, we are already out of chances. We are also judged for our interests, our life paths, our choices, our stimming, our needs…because we are “not normal”.
2. Exclusion. Have you ever found out that your friends have a separate chat where they joke around and organize meetups without you? Have you ever been picked last? Have you ever spoken, only for everyone around you to act like you have not said anything at all? Do people forget your name all the time? Do people disappear and stop replying to you? Have you ever been in a room full of engaged people, without any single person showing interest in you? Have you ever been homeless, watching the rest of the world going to work while no one seems to notice you? Have you ever felt like you don’t have a right to participate, so all you can do is watch? Autistic people experience a lot of exclusion. Exclusion is a subtle form of discrimination, because it’s not about what happens, it’s about what doesn’t.
3. Social Neglect and Lack of Services. Autistic people may need support in many areas, to be able to be independent in life, especially in a capitalist society that is designed for neurotypicals. Financial support, housing, support to build our lives around our specific needs, career coaching, neurodivergent mentoring, help with everyday chores, physical therapy, medical support… Very little of what the autistic community needs in order to live is actually present in our society. When we need support, we ask, we search for it, we look all around us, and we mostly find nothing. I call this lack of life-saving support “Social Neglect”. Most autistic people are simply dropped into a society that works through institutions built against their very neurology, and expected to perform beyond their capabilities. A bit like dropping a monkey into the ocean and expect them to be a fish. It is also important to note that adequate support means support that is designed for us to grow and thrive as people, in equality to NTs, rather than for us to become esthetically “functional” according to a normative standard. Too many services for autistic people are still “othering” us with quite the condescendence, rather than treating us as equals, and that needs to change.
4. Inflexible Job Market. There is quite a lot of talk about “diversity and inclusion” these days, but what does that really mean for autistic people? The truth is, that most autistic people physically cannot work the 40-hours week. The rat race consumes us to extents that able-bodied, neurotypical people cannot even imagine. We simply need higher wages and for the 30-hour week to become the norm. As autistic people, we can and want to work. But we need flexibility so that our energy doesn’t get hijacked into forcing ourselves to suppress our neurology to perform normality. Many of us find it excruciating to get locked into work 8 hours a day, but we may be happy to do the same work in 4 or 5 hours, thanks to hyperfocus. Many of us have a delayed circadian rhythm, so we may need to start later and finish later — or other kinds of flexibility with time. We may need to work on projects quietly, to be trusted in our capabilities to do the work on our own and ask for help if needed, rather than getting constant feedback like NTs. Our matter-of-fact communication style may not speak corporate, but we can be excellent at spotting inefficiencies and fixing problems. Last but not least, our “professional” attire can look a bit different due to sensory issues. As autistic people, we thrive when we can do our own thing, whereas forcing us to pretend to be someone that we are not can lead to disaster. The job market needs to adapt to our strengths.
5. Lack of representation and systemic invisibility. As autistic people, we subconsciously know that this world “belongs” to NTs. Everything from media, movies, the history taught in schools, psychological theories, medicine, religion, etc. reflects the NT experience, not the autistic one, with very few exceptions. Growing up, we have no autistic role models, no examples of “alternative” lifestyles that can suit our nature, no “mirror” in which to look ourselves, apart from the distorted one that NT society holds for us. When we seek therapy, we encounter models of human psychology that do not reflect our psychology. Biology classes in school do not teach you about the variety of the human brain. When we watch animation as children (well, to be fair, also as adults) and TV series or movies, we find that the characters we relate to are often stereotyped, negative, the butt of the joke, or marginal to the story. As autistic people, we experience constant and all-pervasive cultural erasure. Things are starting to change now, with some more accurate representation emerging, but there is still a lot to do. Humans need narratives to develop identity, and autistic people are no exception.
6. Lack of accessible spaces. Now, let’s be honest. Do we really need the lighting in supermarkets to flash our eyes like an interrogation room lamp? Do shops need to have blasting techno music at all times? Does my doctor’s office need to have fluorescent lighting? Do pubs need to put on blasting music that you can barely speak over? Can parties have a bit of a lower volume if that allows for autistic people to be there? Why are there no sensory break rooms in our schools, offices and public spaces? Frankly, the sensory design of our common spaces is a disgrace. While sensory sensitivities are unique to the individual, sensitivity to light and noise levels is common for autistic people. We need quietness and sensory accessibility. Some supermarkets now offer “quiet” hours, but our existence can’t be limited to 2 hours a Tuesday morning.
7. Intersectionality of oppression. When talking about things like systemic oppression, it is important to acknowledge that we don’t all experience it in the same way. Racial and gender stereotypes for example, can overlap with autistic discrimination in particular ways. Black, racialized, Muslim autistic people can be labelled as aggressive, psychiatrized, attacked by the police, and discriminated against much more frequently than their white counterparts, when their normal autistic behaviour is read through the lens of racial stereotypes. Autistic females are likely to experience abuse, and they’re expected to display more expressiveness than their male counterparts, therefore being “less allowed” to be their natural autistic self. Autistic people from any minority may find themselves between a rock and a hard place when they face exclusion both within and outside their communities. Autistic people who grew up poor may not have the financial possibility to have the support they need. And so on.

Autism is complex and not all of our difficulties come from social oppression. But we need to have more space to exist as our authentic selves in society.

As an autistic person, how have you experienced oppression (or not)? Leave a comment if you like!