To Be or Not to Be Autistic
Not everyone is fortunate enough yet to know for sure if they are autistic. Mental health professionals are not prioritizing the creation of the consistent and comprehensive data that we need to understand our dynamic and evolving autistic lives. Not everyone has access to qualified professionals for assessment or can afford it. So, right now, the question of who is “actually autistic” is a hot topic and a relevant concern for the autism community.
Some strongly believe there are those who fake being autistic to get attention or be manipulative for greater social status. Meanwhile, others are trying to learn from known autistic people to compare experiences while they arrange an affordable assessment with a qualified mental health professional who they hope will take their case seriously. One simple fact often gets lost in these prickly debates.
A proper diagnosis only confirms that a person is autistic for medical records. Lacking a medical diagnosis technically does not mean that we are not, in fact, autistic. To say otherwise is a fallacy that ignores the existence of basic biology. Just because I cannot hear a tree falling in the woods does not mean it makes no sound if I am not there to hear it. This may seem like a cheat for me to say, but the logic I use is sound and is based on the long-term established study of human biology.
Studies are increasingly showing that autism is neurodevelopmental during the prenatal period of pregnancy. So, some geneticists are seeking to validate whether autism originates at this early stage. This raises another very relevant concern I have observed in the autism community. There is a fear that some professionals are seeking to cure us.
Let me be blunt. Again (yes, I am still autistic). We do not need to be cured. This is a valid concern because some people view the past human history of Nazi genocide as a realistic future possibility for modern geneticists. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. So, I agree because I have studied and found many times when human history has repeated itself after one civilization was ignorant of the history of our past.
Many autistic people on Twitter are also wary of cure rhetoric from organizations like Autism Speaks, Inc. In their history, they have consistently publicized information in the context of curing autism or using similar expressions. Genetic research can help pinpoint the genesis of autism in human biology. But this focus often misses the mark of proactively addressing us as living, breathing human beings with feelings.
Consider the remarkable story of Hunter Adams, otherwise known as “Patch” Adams. Again, society needs a stark reminder that autistic people are being stripped of their humanity and identified as a set of labels. We are still being defined as high-functioning or disabled. We are still viewed as lazy or faking autism. Am I faking it? Nope. Some states stipulate eligibility requirements that exclude us.
For example, I know for a fact that one agency declined aid to an autistic adult on the basis of their being too functional with an IQ that was too high. This is what causes our lack of accommodations. As an example, consider the words of someone with a similarly stigmatized view of autistic people: ‘They have become a grievance society, bitterly complaining when ASD research does not reflect their super high functioning lives. Selfish.’
Patch was right. We are more than a number to be treated or, in some cases, neglected, such as in the UK. Some SEND parents know what I am talking about. And I see their tireless devotion to their kids and find myself in awe. We are human beings who legitimately require efficient accommodations so that we can achieve our fullest potential in life.
Otherwise, Dr. Temple Grandin is right, too. We will lose a vital source of innovation if the neglect continues.
#LetThatThinkIn
Welcome to the next Autism Experience.
Why Self-Diagnosis Must Be Discussed.
