Autism, From Someone Who Is On The Spectrum

Autism in Girls (December 2019)

I am not political at all but this mentions both Fox News and Donald Trump as American I am disappointed that anyone thinking it is okay to make these comments at all. I will included the article that I got this information from at the end of this. Earlier this week, Time Magazine named Greta Thunberg as their person of the year. Greta Thunberg is a climate activist, who happen to have a form of autism.

The responses from both President Trump and Michael Knowles are ridiculous including one of them called it an anger management problem and other one of them called a mental illness. Autism is neither, it is a developmental disability.

"The go-to way to dismiss what an autistic person is saying in our society is point out that we are autistic."-Julia Bascom

This also goes the other way, that people do not believe that you are actual autistic because in our society because those who are autistic must be lacking something. Female with autism fight and deal with this stigma the most of people on the spectrum.

"Autistic girls tend to face a lot of pressure not just to act like non-autistic people, but also to live up to the same gendered expectations many girls face. We always have to be smiling and compliant."-Julia Bascom

This is partly why I have been open about my autism, in the last couple of years because as a child, it was used against me in many ways. Including people thinking it was appropriate to either demeaning the fact that I had the diagnose or thinking I am using as an excuse. I always it is explain why I do things differently but not excuse.

But the problem with both the responses from Trump and Knowles is people are going to think that is what Autism is. I do not have anger management problem but I do have a problem with a president make about something, he has no clue about, especially when he think Autism is something to make a joke about it. Knowles is clueless that hiding or masking Autism can cause Autistic to have mental issues but it is not a mental illness.

Reality is Autism is developmental disability affects many aspect of someone's life. Many of us, can not explain in a way that everyone else. Check out some of my other autism post for more information on that.

For all female either on the spectrum or not I leave you with this.

"Am I am too feisty for you? Well, that is what a lifetime of oppression can do to a girl. When we, finally find our voice, watch out! And listen up!"-Cynthia Zuber