The State of Autism Today
We have come a long way when it comes to autism awareness from where we were back when The Rain Man movie came out. Most people are aware that autism is out there and many people know someone who is connected to autism in some way.
There still are many challenges. One of the biggest is treating autistic people with respect. Autistic people are often seen either as objects of pity or as annoying people others would rather avoid.
This is why many autism advocates today have moved from talking about autism awareness to autism acceptance. It is one thing to be aware that autistic people exist, it is another to be fully accepting of autistic people.
Aside from that, there are two challenges facing autistic people right now, challenges that are sometimes coming from the same people. Sadly, this includes some scholars of autism.
One of the challenges is the skepticism about the intelligence of nonverbal or minimally verbal people. There is evidence that some autistic people, who had been assumed to be of low intelligence, once they have an alternate way of communicating, demonstrate considerable intelligence.
This has been dismissed by some scholars as over reliance on “lived experience.” And yet lived experience can be some of the most convincing evidence, even if it does not fit other people’s paradigm.
The other challenge is the skepticism about autism diagnoses of those who are sometimes called “mild autistic” of “high-functioning autistic.” Those terms are not preferred within the autistic community. This also includes people who may have originally been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
These are people who communicate well, are often highly intelligent, but are quirky and may have significant social difficulties. What do they have in common with a nonverbal person who is unable to live independently?
These differences are important but that does not mean that we should question a diagnosis just because they don’t seem to “suffer” enough from their autism. My experience is that they are suffering because of the exhaustion that comes from masking.
These are the two battles that I see as the most pressing within the autistic community right now. Take time to learn more about autism and read from a wide perspective. Grow in both awareness and acceptance.
