MMS Not Cool

Desiring healing doesn’t make you a curebie…

I experienced a bit of an implosion in the autistic/autism social media community today. It was not fun. It happens and at times, it is hard to avoid it. There was labelling, there was tone policing, there was a bunch of things said that shouldn’t have been. People were hurt and people are triggered. This is never a good situation.

What began as a discussion about autism from a non-autistic person genuinely seeking information generated into a number of passionate threads of discussion on a couple of particular issues that are always of great importance in autistic advocacy circles. The issues at hand were the use of functioning labels and ABA therapy. To a lesser extent, the question of identity first language and person first language came into it also.

In the aftermath of this very long and drawn out discussion people were, I think, a little on edge and wary. The particular group in question was a group attempting to be a somewhat open group allowing discussion on pretty much any issue. Some prominent members of the group talk often of their own personal healing. This suddenly became an issue.

But, really it shouldn’t have. It was, unfortunately instantly labelled as being “woo” and “pseudoscience”. Assumptions were made that the people were “curebies”, that they were seeking to cure autism. Nothing could be further from the truth. These people in question are proud autistics.

Wanting personal healing does not make you a curebie. Healing takes many forms and comes through many avenues. It may come through traditional therapies, strong friendships, other relationships and spiritual journeys to name a few. This process is not a curebie process. It is a journey of healing, a journey to wholeness. A seeking to be the very best person one can be.

A healing journey is not a process of trying to eradicate the autistic within, in fact, it is more like a process of accepting and celebrating the autistic within.

Personally, as an undiagnosed autistic, I was on the receiving end of much abuse and bullying throughout childhood and into adulthood. I know from discussions with others in my tribe that I am far from the only one to have experienced this kind of life. Far from it indeed. This leads me to feel that it is, in fact, probable that much more of us should, in fact, be seeking out a personal healing journey.

It is an unfortunate reality of life as an autistic that is engaged within the autism communities that they do face cure talk often. That they often are faced with terrible ideas and abusive practices in the name of ridding the world of autism. There are groups dedicated to the eradication of autism and autistics from the face of the planet.

There are people making a fortune out of selling abusive treatments designed to cure autism. There are books available written by parents declaring they wished their kids had cancer rather than being autistic.

It is an understandable reality that we can at times adopt a siege mentality and be wary of anything that is outside a reference point of an autism acceptance model. Indeed, even things that are not outside this but are misinterpreted as being so.

It is important to remember that we autistics operate in a world where organisations, the medical professions in general and the media, in particular, have successfully painted us as undesirable, abnormal, draining and damaging on families and something so undesirable it must be eradicated. However, it is also just as important for us to acknowledge that people seek

to heal from the traumas they have endured, to find themselves, to find peace and acknowledgement of who they really are.

I appeal to my community to read before we jump to conclusions. To listen and engage with others with respect, honesty and humility. I appeal to my community to not discard or disregard the importance of personal therapies and healing journeys embarked on as they seek to discover themselves and find inner peace as autistics and humans sharing this earth with everyone else.

I appeal to my community, the journey of autistic acceptance is a long enough and hard enough journey without imploding again and again within our own bubbles. The goal is acceptance an implosion of infighting will never achieve it.

Scratching that itch…

Be very careful! You just do not know what you might unleash.

I remember the words of my mother, and just about every other maternal influence in my childhood. Don’t scratch that itch you will only make it worse. Generally, this applied after being outside without protection from mosquitoes, or enjoying the sensation of rolling around in the long grass, or rolling down a nice grass hill. The cost of such joy was often irritating itches which were incredibly annoying.

I think this advice can often apply in regard to personal relationships and interpersonal interactions. Often we scratch an itch of irritation and everything can very quickly go from manageable or tolerable to anger and seething animosity.

I see this time and again in Facebook groups and threads that are populated by people with similar interests but different experiences of them. A common example I experience is the disconnect that often occurs in groups that have a large population of autism parents and a smaller population of autistic adults. To be fair of course, this may be experienced in the reverse by parents where the numbers are stacked the other way.

What I see and experience happening often is that a parent will say something about their child that an autistic adult takes issue with, or sees as a negative representation. Autistic adult attempts to set straight the parent, generally with the best intentions of clarifying or helping the parent to understand.

Oftentimes this is taken as an aggressive and anti-parent action. It often is not. Autistics do tend to be direct and factual and are often interpreted as being unkind, antagonistic and aggressive. It is my experience that this is largely not the case. Unfortunately, the dialogue quickly descends to shouting. The scratching of the itch results in increased irritation.

It must go without saying that the vast majority of autism parents want nothing more than to do the very best for their children. To see them grow to be happy and fulfilled people. It also goes without saying that the same is true for autistic adults, they want to be that themselves and they want that for the children of all the parents they interact with.

It’s not meant to be a fight.

Unfortunately, it’s really hard to make that mutual caring message come through in this autism community. Unfortunately, there is so much baggage out there that both parents of autistic kids and autistics themselves default to defend and conquer mode.

I am fairly certain that in reality neither group within the autism community really want it to be this way.

But the baggage….

In a group of Autistic adults on Facebook yesterday a post inviting people to have a rant was made. Essentially the idea was to tell whatever it is that you need to tell to F*#$ Off just go for it.

I am sure you can imagine some of the things that were cited. There were, of course, a number of recurring themes. Those predominant themes included:

Cure talk

ABA Therapy

Being considered abnornal

Disease Talk

Vaccine Talk

Negative talk about behaviours like Stimming

Lack of Empathy

Silenced or sidelined due to being too high functioning

I wonder if all this baggage is an insurmountable obstacle. I sincerely hope that it isn’t. I really do. But I truly do wonder. It seems to be that many adult autistics are automatically in defense mode expecting some of these issues to be raised in order to silence or discount the point you are making.

What can be done to help all within the autism communities to be better at listening to each other before moving to disagree,

discount, counter or change the mind of the other?

As autistics we often experience the feeling of being other or outsiders, surely we must seek to not do exactly that to those we want to advocate with and for.

Yet, today I read a post from a prominent autistic advocate that discounted her points of view and arguments on the basis of, basically, not trying hard enough to be “normal”, which in reality was code for to not be autistic. You can read the post here.

If we scratch that itch it may be more irritated. But perhaps in the case of advocacy scratch it we must. Perhaps we just need to scratch it with some more care and consideration.

Wise Words

Say No To MMS

Around the world there are people who prey on people’s hopes. They prey on them with nothing less than poison. There is a product known variously as CD and MMS. It is nothing short of bleach. These people claim it will cure anything. They claim they can cure autism with it.

Children around the world are having this horrible solution given to them to drink and in enemas up their rear passage. This

shit is not ok.

Autism is not a disease it is a neurological difference. It can’t now, never could be, or never will be something that needs to be cured. Autistic people are in need of acceptance and support not abuse with poison.

Moving … from calls of PC to a growing understanding of ableism and privilege

TW: Discussion of Ableism and use of ableist language

I roared with laughter. Loudly. My stomach ached. Yes whether it was the Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life or Fawlty Towers. I laughed uproariously and with great fervour. I did so with no second thought to it being ableist or politically incorrect. That thought never crossed my mind. And it was wrong that it didn’t.

As a young boy, the most common non-sweary insult used between boys at my school was the terrible word “Mong” we called it to each other with impunity. And yes we knew what it was short for. We knew it was short for the ableist slur Mongoloid. But, we didn’t give it a second thought. We even knew that that word Mongoloid was a term for human persons with Downs Syndrome. Indeed, I as a young teenager whilst throwing this word around happily hopped onto a bus on a weekly basis to go and assist at the local “Special Education School” with children who were predominantly Downs Syndrome students. And it was wrong that I did this.

I am sure that many of us as we reflect on life can identify many things we have done that we are less than proud of. Things that make us cringe about how we used language to not cement an attitude of otherness to a group or demographic of people.

I confess I have in the past been one to claim and label things as just being Politically correct. I have even in recent times, within the last 12 months written posts about it, I am ashamed to say. My thinking has moved on, and I have developed a greater understanding of the reality of ableism and privilege.

I am indebted and thankful for the postings of others in helping me grow along the way. There have been many, not least of which have been Amy Mikah Brown Âû, Autistic Hoya, and Cas at Un-Boxed Brain. I have not always been a good student in this regard. At times, I have needed to be dragged kicking and screaming and told in less than pleasant words that language and words I have used in fact ableist and not okay.

I writhed and resisted and called out unacceptable excuses like political correctness. I was wrong, I was immature, I was resistant to respectful language and I was advocating for a lack of dignity. I am ashamed. Today I saw this:

https://www.facebook.com/bespectrummed/posts/1684563905153037

It stopped me in my tracks. It stopped me because it could have been me saying these things not too long ago. Again I felt somewhat ashamed. I thought to myself. Political Correct, what does that even mean. The term is bandied around so easily and without thought. It is mostly used as an excuse or justification when one is called out.

Occasionally I see the parliament on television, it makes me think there is very little about politics that can really be called correct. So what does this term politically correct actually mean. To this term, I now call bullshit.

I try now to not use ableist language. I try now to check my privilege and try not to trip over it. I fail at times, I probably always will. Especially in terms of ableist language. There are so many words in our everyday language patterns that are ableist. They don’t seem ableist at first, but that’s because we have forgotten how those words were used in the past to control and oppress groups of people. Like the word I used above beginning with M. But there are so many. Even the seemingly Innocuous word “Stupid”. Un-boxed Brain explains eloquently:

But, stupid is a commonplace word and I see it and hear it all the time everywhere. When I see it or hear it, and I know the person who has used it, I will point out that it is an ableist slur. Sometimes, people go “Oh, ok, I never knew that” and then they stop using the word.

Other times, it’s more interesting: They get defensive, they claim that there are so many offensive words that they don’t know about, so how can they be expected to be aware of all these things. They’ll say things like “If only there was a list of these words that I could refer to”. Well, there are. There are multiple lists. A simple google search using the words “list of ableist terms” will provide dozens of these lists. Here is one compiled by Autistic Hoya. — Source http://un-boxedbrain.com.au/2015/09/the-other-s-word/

That “S” word is one that is really hard to not use. I try. I know I will improve in time. As Cas, at Un-boxed brain points out there are so many of these words and this is no reason to bail out on the task. Because the task is key. It is critical in the quest to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and respect. When we are informed that a word we used is ableist it is not politically correct to stop using it and seek a different word to convey our thoughts. No, what it is is showing respect for people that have been on the receiving end of control

and oppression by those wielding power and privilege.

I highly recommend you read this post by Autistic Hoya. I can almost guarantee it will make you uncomfortable and enlighten you on the language you have used or indeed do use, on a regular basis. I am far from perfect. I know I have a long way to go in my learning and maturation. I know I will make mistakes, I and I know I still have issues that are yet to be dealt with. I am after all a white cismale heterosexual male, an autistic one yes, but still one. I operate instinctually from a place of privilege and I must remember to check that privilege regularly.

No Mr Cleese, respectfully, political correctness is not killing comedy, but, ableism and privilege do continue to oppress and control far too many disenfranchised and disabled people!

I would here like to publicly apologise without reservation to any and all people I have hurt, or offended by way of my own ingrained ableism, by my own failure to see, acknowledge or check my privilege. I am deeply sorry for the hurt and pain I have no doubt caused you.

If you’ve made it this far, I thank you for sticking with it. Celebrate diversity and Destroy Ableism! Thanks.

Autism’s winning in my house today…. Ain’t that grand!!!

A couple of posts in a forum in a thread in a social media group got me passionately thinking about two things. The first the idea of autism winning and the second about being normal. The two obvious questions for me are, what do you mean autism is winning is it a race or a fight or something? The second, whilst a cliché, is still very relevant: What is normal meant to be anyway. My good friend and fellow writer Emma has written about it here.

It is my belief that the two threads in question were posted by parents who care deeply and love their children profoundly. Unfortunately,

this love and care make the issues raised no less damaging and debilitating for the autistic children involved.

The first thread simply said autism is winning in my house today. I didn’t follow this thread as it made me quite angry. I can’t speak to what was said in the thread or how it proceeded. What I can say is that I have often seen in this particular group a motif and theme of a battle against autism. Unfortunately, this is a perpetuation of negativity and lack of acceptance of autism and neurodiversity generally.

A massive question that must be asked here of people who run with this line of argument or thought is what do you think this says to your autistic child? What statement is it making to them and about them about what you think of them?

I wonder if this is due to a fundamental lack of insight by the non-autistic parent about their autistic child. I don’t mean this as an accusation but as a question. It seems to me that one can be armed with tomes and reams of information about a thing but fundamentally fail to understand it. I am not convinced one must be autistic to understand and accept it. I know too many non-autistic people who do, like my wife, Andrea, who is completely accepting of neurodiversity and others such as representatives of the AutismCRC and the chair of its Board Judy Brewer and the research academy team members Olivia, Sylvia and Wenn. Wenn being the only actually autistic team member.

It seems almost as if one needs to be autistic to truly understand though the damage the repetitive and relentless narrative of the battle against autism and the fight to have a “normal” child can be.

I implore you stop for a moment and imagine if the predominant message you as a child hear or see in word and deed is that your fundamental way of being is experienced as something that must be defeated. Take a moment and think about that, please. If you are able to manage to imagine what that may feel like try to add to that how it might feel to add-on top of those feelings an experience of constantly being asked to be normal, to be more like other kids, to be like your brother or sister. In effect to not be you.

I grew up as an undiagnosed autistic. I had my fair share of difficulties with school and bullying and finding my way. One thing I did not experience was the battle or fight against autism. I experienced it as more a fight or battle against who I was. I think and believe this is a similar thing. So often I was compared to my sister and declared wanting. So often I was yelled at, screamed at, hit and so forth. I was blamed for creating the situation that resulted in the adults in my life exacting brutal punishment on me.

Don’t think I didn’t try to be normal. Don’t think I didn’t try to be what I wasn’t. I did. I tried with all that I had. I joined the social groups and activities like team sports and Scouts and other activities. Church based and Secular based activities. I tried to fit into the cookie cutter model that was held up as the ideal. I failed.

I failed because it was not the ideal for me. It was me trying to be something that I was not. The result that I was always the outsider, on the edge of the group, the fall guy when there were problems. Does that mean there were no fun times and good parts of this? Certainly not, in fact, there were many, but, those good times would have been possible without the overall time being a hellish experience of knowing deep down that I was different, that I didn’t fit in, and that what I was was fundamentally wrong in the eyes and beliefs of those around me.

And that there is the rub, I believe. That there is the most damaging part. The narrative of so-called normal, the narrative of battling or fighting to defeat autism tells autistics that they are believed to be fundamentally wrong. Not just different, but wrong. I promise you we

already know we are different. What we need to hear and see is that those around us accept that we are different That those around us can embrace, celebrate and love us not despite that difference but with that difference.

Yes, autism is winning in my house today, and that there in itself is a bloody good thing! I hope it continues. I hope it is the case every day, because when autism is winning in my house it means me, my autistic children and my allistic wife and child are all loved, celebrated and accepted together and individually for exactly who and what they are.

Autism is winning in my house today and ain’t that grand!!

Media please think before you proclaim…

The world we live in now is saturated with media, we have magazines, newspapers, television news, television current affairs, internet news. It’s everywhere. The news cycle is so short that news agencies are forever looking for that next big story, that next quirky story that captures the attention, the next feel good fluff piece that will bring them viewers, likers, readers. In essence, they want eyes to see and ears to hear whatever it is they are serving us up.

The grander the claim they can make the more likely they will get good viewer numbers or reader numbers or whatever the metric they are using to measure with may be. Headlines are key in getting drawing people in regardless of how actually relates to the content of the story being presented.

Among all the serious world news of the moment, so-called medical breakthroughs are one of the favorites to run. A key theme that is returned to often is a new miracle or life-changing treatment or cure for a condition. In recent days, there has been mention of a new cancer

regime that genuinely looks promising and this can only be a good thing if it works out to be an effective treatment.

On the other hand are the constant claims of wonder treatments that change everything for developmental conditions. Throughout my life, I can recall this happening over and again with different conditions. In the last couple of decades, these have been focused on Attention Deficit Disorders and Autism.

As regular readers would know I am a pretty out and proud autistic. Anyone viewing my public posts would be able to ascertain this pretty quickly. At times friends and people I trust, draw my attention to articles about autism. In the last week, I have had two friends direct me to two different news items. One about Donald Trippett who was one of the group of children Leo Kanner investigated in his original Infantile Autism work.

The second was one of the latest and greatest so-called wonder treatments. This was a story promoted in the Australian National News media. It has all the markings to garner the ratings. A nice family, a story of school failure, doting parents prepared to do anything and an apparently amazing response by the child.

But what is not present of course is actual credible information. No actual research. No actual science. No interview with actually credible academics. No way to verify the results. The claims made are anecdotal. You can view the story below:

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsAustralia/posts/1212610555415802

The problem here is the reality. The reality is that these stories tug at the heartstrings of families seeking out a cure for something that is firstly not curable and secondly does not need to be cured. A quick look at the comments on the story above and you see lots of people tagging their friends to see the story, probably for genuinely caring reasons, however, it is a perpetuation of a cureist ableist culture that sees disability and difference as if it is a subhuman existence.

Several months ago we saw a similar sensationalist story on a different network. In this case, it was a music therapy program. There is no question whatsoever that the music teacher running the program was making a significant difference for the autistic students she taught. It was not a cure, and I don’t believe the teacher felt that it was meant to be or ever could be. Unfortunately, the program was story was promoted as if it was. A clip played with the teacher saying “and there is no sign of the autism”. When viewing the program itself, it was laughable as a young autistic boy stimmed his way to the piano as this statement was proclaimed.

Another case of the media proclaiming something as a miraculous or amazing or groundbreaking treatment. Essentially the media playing loose with the truth.

Unfortunately, this behavior by the media is not benign. It hurts people. People are puffed up with false hope only to be disappointed yet again. Every time a so-called cure or treatment like this is proclaimed people are hurt and hopes are dashed.

There is no question that parenting autistic children is a challenge. Especially to non-autistic parents. But, parenting every child is a challenge. It’s a different challenge, yes, and in many cases without question a more difficult challenge, a challenge that is always going to

be hard to know because every autistic person is different. The manifestation of autistic traits for every autistic is different from every other autistic.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the media would think about some of these things before they made these grand proclamations of wonder treatments and amazing therapies. Even if all they could manage to think was to take account that all autistics are different and just because a therapy is positive for this situation does not mean it can be replicated in any broad sense.

And wouldn’t it be wonderful if they did some research before going to air or to print or published online these proclamations. Imagine if they bothered to contact some credible sources of information. If they bothered to consult with research institutes and, shock horror, actual autistic adults, they may find that these anecdotal cases just don’t ring true.

Come on Media please lift your game. How about some feel good stories promoting the neurodiversity paradigm. An expose of the wonderful work of Autistic advocacy organisations like ASAN and autistic advocates working for acceptance.

There are no miracle cures, treatments or therapies. Autism is a neurological difference. Autistics are in need of acceptance not cures, accommodations not treatments. Autistics are here, always have been, we are here to live life alongside everyone else and not to be the receivers of sympathy or the source of inspiration or the fodder and fuel for feel good stories.

Round we go again…

That time of year is here again. Well here in Australia anyway. That time of year where the kids think to themselves, round we go again. It’s time to go back to school. Different states here go back at slightly different times. The state where I reside returns this week. Some of today some tomorrow and some perhaps next week.

Our kids have had their summer holidays, their long drawn out Christmas break. Lazy days of doing whatever takes their fancy are done again for the year. The programmed fun of indoor play centres, visiting the beach or the swimming pool or travelling here there and everywhere are done too. It’s back to the day-to-day routine of early mornings, packed school lunches, bells and timetables, homework and playgrounds.

Round we go again.

Many parents are breathing a sigh of relief I am sure. But, spare a thought please, for autistic kids. It’s more than just going back. It is in fact a going back to something completely different. Sure the playground will look the same the buildings will look the same too. For some they may even happen to be returning to the same classroom. But just about everything is different.

Sure school is school and much about life in the classroom is similar. Whether it be times tables or literacy groups there is some level of sameness across year levels and across classrooms. However, it’s the little things that can make a massive difference. Especially to an autistic child where detecting those differences in communication can be that much more difficult. That extra step added to a process that is different with that new teacher. The difference in the way the group work works. That minor difference in the teacher’s implementation of a process or rule. These can be massive things for autistic kids to deal with.

There is a lot that is positive and supportive in the routine of a classroom for autistic kids. That in itself is often a good thing. It is a new routine. It is not the same routine as it was last year. Within that routine, there is always flexibility and change as is the reality of the functioning of a school. Within the safety and support of that routine is the requirement of socialisation, communication, and coping with sensory input.

All of this makes the return to school for autistic children at the beginning of a new year a significant challenge. Personally, I was reminded of this when my daughter moved from her Prep or Kindergarten year (depending what state you come from), into the first grade. She had managed her first year really well and seemed positive about the new year. However when it came to the point of starting that first day, she was very taken aback and quite stressed at the reality of the new classroom, the new group of children, the new teacher. As parents, we had not thought about it much at all expecting her to take it in her stride as she had the beginning school process. But it was quite a difficult transition for her.

Round we go again.

Another issue that is pertinent is the sensory environment. There is always the issue of noisy fluorescent lighting and low-level constant sound of computers and heating and cooling which have to again be assimilated into the experience of the children. But what is often not thought about is the impact of all the displays that are hung around the room. The complexity of the light bouncing around, the distraction of all that visual input that some autistic children are unable to filter out. All of these things are often like an assault on the autistic child’s ability to function how they are expected to within the school environment.

For any teachers who are reading, I ask you please to consider the displays you set up, the way you arrange your table groups and seating

arrangements and possibility of quiet space in your classroom. Please bear in mind that behaviour is communication and that unwanted behaviour from the autistic child is most likely a response to the stimulus they are dealing with. Ask that question of what is this child telling me through this behaviour.

To my fellow parents or autistic children, I remind you that a day at school is incredibly exhausting. It is exhausting for all kids, especially so for autistic kids. The extra effort of dealing with all the social interaction, communication and sensory input. Don’t be surprised if meltdowns seem easily triggered. Give your child space and freedom to unwind or reboot, how they need to. If they need to re-energise in their rooms on their own, then so be it. If they need that extra screen time with YouTube then so be it.

Round we go again.

It’s a key time to provide support and safety for these kids to set them up for the best year they can have. To set them on course to achieve their dreams and know that they are accepted for who they are and encouraged to believe and dream of greatness.

A bit autistic…

Just no. There is no such thing as a bit autistic. One either is or is not autistic. It’s not like a packet of lollies where you can have just a little bit. It’s not like your BMI where you can be a little bit over. It’s not like a blood alcohol limit where you can be just a little bit under or just a little bit over that limit. No it’s a neurological thing, either you have that neurology or you don’t.

In talking with people at times statements like:

I think I am a bit autisitc…

I sometimes act autistic…

I think I might be a bit on the spectrum…

Everyone is somewhere on the spectrum…

… are uttered. I think at some level this is to be somehow empathetic and make you feel better.

But here’s the thing. I don’t feel bad about being autistic, about being on the spectrum. I feel quite good about it in fact, it is who I am, it is how I am wired and is intricately part of how I approach life.

Unfortunately I think the whole idea of the spectrum is a contributor to these kind of comments. I am inclined to think that perhaps the general populace equate the autistic spectrum with the human spectrum. The result being that because of this false equating that a little eccentricity or minor difference is seen to be somewhere on the autistic spectrum rather than on the normal human spectrum.

The autistic spectrum is not a spectrum of all people but a spectrum of autistic people. No everyone is not on the spectrum at all. One of the issues I believe is terms used such as ‘the severe end of the spectrum’ or ‘the mild end of the spectrum’. It conjures an understanding of the autistic spectrum as a finite measurable line.

I believe this to be a false understanding. A better understanding to me is the autistic spectrum as a concept, a concept of infinite possibilities of how an autistic may manifest their neurology in terms of functioning, behaviours, intelligence etc. I suggest that this makes sense and is an alternative explanation of ‘if you’ve met one autistic, then, you’ve met one autistic.’

Really, though, where does the idea of claiming autistic status come from? I don’t know exactly, in fact, I don’t think I have a really good idea at all. I wonder though, if, it is tied up with equating manifesting behaviours as evidence for autism rather than an understanding of autism as a neurotype.

The overwhelming experience I have had is that when people say this it is in reference to where a behaviour is interpreted to be a

negative or undesirable thing, or a divergence from an accepted normal.

Autism is not behaviour. Autism is not functioning levels. Autism is not disorder. It is a neurological way of being. It is different from so-called normal but it is not explained merely by behaviour, functioning or sensory issues.

It is my view that those things are in fact a neurological response to the impact of the world in which an autistic lives by the unique neurological make up or wiring of that autistic. WIth this in mind, it is irrelevant to speak of functioning levels to describe how an individual autistic’s neurological wiring manifests in their daily lives.

There is no question that diagnoses of autism have been on the rise. This is not a result of environment, it is not because of diet or vaccines or pathogens or worms or any other such rubbish. It is due to a better understanding of what autism is both in the community and in professional circles. The internet is awash with descriptions of autistic behaviour, the media is filled with all kinds of stories both positive and negative of autistic behaviour.

The negative narrative of disorder and disease focuses mainly on the difficulties for families and friends to cope with behaviour exhibited by autistic children and the so-called deficits they have in relation to allistic children. With so much easily consumable information out there it is probably no wonder that so many people believe they can make statements similar to those mentioned at the beginning of this post. As I if have stated though, autism is not behaviour and it is not functioning levels either.

There are many adult autistics who are self-diagnosed. In fact, I believe many adults who are formally diagnosed began that journey with a self-diagnosis. A self-diagnosis is not a case of saying something like oh I think I am a little bit autistic. No not at all. It is a process and journey. A journey that is prompted by massive questions about oneself, questions from loved ones. It involves learning about what autism is, how that relates to oneself. It involves huge amounts of considering one’s self, what makes one the way they are, completion of diagnostic self-tests, often multiple iterations of them. It is the culmination of a journey of discovering why it is one has felt their entire life that they don’t fit in the world, that they don’t “get” the world. This culmination is often met by a new-found sense of freedom, joy and relief. A relief that understands that one is not a misfit in society after all. Just different.

Yes. Different Not Less.

A self-diagnosis like described should not be considered of lesser value than a formal diagnosis. There are many barriers to formal diagnosis for adults. Not least of which is financial and access. Practitioners able to formally diagnose adults are few and far between and more often than not are very expensive.

No you’re not a little bit autistic at all. You are autistic. Or. You are not autistic. It’s just that simple. When autistics talk about a spectrum they are talking about a spectrum of autistic and not a spectrum of all humanity. There is no little bit on that spectrum, there is only on it or not on it.