#autism

Prejudice is one reason decades of research got autism so wrong. Researchers measured autistic people against neurotypical expectations and called every difference a deficit. They tested empathy by measuring in-group preference and missed commitment to universal fairness. They measured creativity by counting the number of ideas and missed originality. They saw moral consistency and called it rigidity. They saw deep engagement and called it rigidity. They saw sensory richness and called it disorder.

It is very hard work, running a body this way. It is only automatic in that I am trained to run a series of programs given the right input, but regardless of practice it never takes less of my brain to move and sound like a human being. This is at the core of autistic burnout. It is the end result of constant hypervigilance, which of course neurotypicals can experience as well. But it is not usual for them to experience this particular kind of hypervigilance, about these things, in this way.

Autistic people’s identities were derived differently, not an amalgam of social intersections, but of the intersections of their values, interests, and experiences.

Autistic people’s identities were derived differently, not an amalgam of social intersections, but of the intersections of their values, interests, and experiences.

"In one video, I heard her say “Contrary to scientific belief, autism is not genetic and I truly believe it is a genetic vulnerability.” You know why science never says it “truly believes” anything? Because it’s fucking science. Which isn’t to say that science is infallible, just that I respect that science won’t say that a vaccine is good for you because it “believes” in it."

"Ashley has developped "special" abilities since her accident which has damage some important parts of her brain."