Is it OK to be autistic and not embrace autistic culture?

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To use a similar example...

If I modify the environment (turn the lights down) or modify myself (wear shades) I stop being overwhelmed at the brightness and I am more able. I can chat for longer or spend more time in that location.

Autistic traits are not always disabling and in a nutshell this is why acceptance is so important. Once people accept autistic people more and stop getting so upset about 'how we act' and start being proactive to modify the environment the disability is much reduce.

A few months ago I was with friends on holiday in a restaurant. The lights were dimmed and started fo flicker in a way which was causing my speech to lock up. I was struggling.

My friends ask the restaurant if they could adjust the light slightly so it didn't Flickr. They did and within a short while I'd made a recovery and was able to continue my meal. They just changed the lighting a bit so it stopped flickering.

An autistic child may have started getting very upset at the lighting etc, I am lucky that my friends have a very good understanding of what I find difficult and will advocate for my needs to be respected.

A similar thing happened in my work environment with a load bleeper. My lined managed listened and did some investigating. Turns out the bleeper was extremely loud (beyond legal limits even) and once it was reduced everyone was happier. Because I was more sensitive I was able to improve the environment for everyone.

Hope that helps provide more examples etc. Sorry it's a bit off topics.

My experience with most NT people who I've told about my autism is that they're mostly really helpful and understanding, not out to discriminate at all. I've come across the odd person here and there who seems to have a really negative attitude, but my feeling is that you get that kind of thing everywhere.

With the eye contact thing though, to me it feels like being stabbed in the eyes to look at someone elses eyes. I can understand why regardless of autism we must pay our bills, why we must not hurt people, why we must obey the law, be decent people and do the right thing as far as we can, but the eye contact thing isn't necessary as far as I can see, it's just a common way of relating and there are other ways. I don't see why myself and others like me who experience it as painful need to learn to do it. I see it as a bit like shaking hands when greeting somone. In the west this is common, but there are other ways of greeting people, like bowing which are also OK. Deciding not to force yourself to do something which hurts isn't being a victim -I think it's a reasonable choice which hurts no-one.



I really like this comparison. It really makes me smile to think that I'm running Linux when most people are running Windows. Love it! Thanks.

"There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who know binary and those who don't! "

You somehow managed to make something that didn't make sense at all to me sound reasonable.

Now, that's quite an accomplishment, since I'm known among friends for not being easily persuaded... by anything or anyone

All I can say is... good job!



Not only are Autistic traits not always disabling... that even can be enabling in their proper context!

I associate my Autism both with my greatest weaknesses ánd with my greatest strengths.

I associate my Autism both with eg. my social clumsiness or my struggle to switch focus ánd with eg. my creative free spirit or my logic-oriented thinking.

To eliminate Autistic traits from this world, would not only imply the elimination of disability but also the elimination of talent.

Sure, not everyone with Autism has one or more special talents, but much the same way not everyone with Autism experiences it as a disability either. IMO, Autism is too complex a concept to label it as either a disability or a gift... and I do believe that spreading that notion is the key to making Autism less marginalized... much more so than trying to alter subtle language differences that are lost on many people...



I certainly don't mind... I can ramble on quite a bit myself, and it's always interesting to learn about the multitude of ways other people experiencing Autism... which is so wonderfully diverse.



Most people just want to help, but often in a patronizing way. Because they see Autism as a disorder, they often think of Autistic people as intellectually challenged, emotionally immature or otherwise less developed than themselves.

They also tend to focus on getting us to adapt to their standards, instead of trying to adapt their standards to us. What makes things worse, is that forcing us to accept Neurotypical standards inevitably puts us in a disadvantaged position, which in their eyes only confirms the validity of their patronizing attitude towards us.

In my experience, the more people tried to "help" me to adapt to certain Neurotypical standards, the less self-confident I became and the less independent I became... which is the very opposite of what I'm looking for when I'm looking for help.



Try looking just below the eyes... or some other place near the eyes that doesn't feel as discomforting as looking people straight in the eyes.

If the spot you're looking at is close enough to the eyes, they won't notice the difference. This means that to them it would have the same impact as if you'd look them straight in the eyes, yet you would feel far more comfortable.



You're welcome.

My laptop uses dual boot Linux Ubuntu + Windows 7. I wonder what thát says about me



Don't get me started with IT jokes

Laughing out loud!

The term 'autistic culture' makes me cringe beyond belief.

There IS no 'autistic culture', or if there is, it's not something I would want to be part of anyway.

I think most groups have a culture. It is just the accumulated perceptions of the group both in and outside the group. It occurs whether you want it or not.

As far as embracing it or not, I see that as a personal choice. But, even if you don't identify with it yourself, others may still identify you with it. If you don't want that to happen it may, will probably, require hiding the fact you are autistic.

i agree,i think autism is a culture but this doesnt mandate hostility toward n.t's or radical politics

Thank you for bringing up something I'd been thinking but just didn't quite have the words for. I'm 40 and was just recently diagnosed, and have been going on a lot of sites and blogs to learn more about autism, especially about autistic women.

But more and more, I'd been noticing that it seemed almost like you'd have to sign up for an entirely new lifestyle and mindset to be accepted. I was beginning to feel like if I didn't immediately sign on and start bashing NTs, agree with everyone's autistic headcanons, and call ABA therapists slavemasters, I would never find a place in the autistic community.

I really appreciate this site because there are so many different people and views here, and people can talk about differing opinions without it degenerating into poo-flinging in .5 seconds.

Autistic Culture is real but is in its toddler stage and therefore apperantly unreconizable by most.
http://www.autism-help.org/autism-politics-culture-community.htm
Autistic Art

From what I see at the the very moment the culture is starting to get positive mainstream media coverage a strong backlash against what is believed to be the elitism of proponents of the fledgling 'culture" specifically the nuerodiversity movement that has dominated the culture have developed amoung autistics. Thus the future of Autistic culture is in doubt. Either the culture finds a way to listen to and include its critics or it dies right here, right now and wounderful opportunity goes to waste and we go back to square one.

are you saying the neurodiversity movement is bad

But to answer your question, it's fine. Most Aspies aren't big on hugs anyway.

Not at all. I am much more ND then autism is mostly just bad. I am of the view that difficulties of autistics are a combinination of Autism and bieng a minority in society with a lot of it bieng a minority with it varying by individual. Critics are often of the view that Neurodiversity is either HFA or self disgnosed not real autistics who do not understand and do not represent anybody but mild autistics. Critics of ND view the difficulties of autistics as mostly the result of Autism caused impairments. What seems to really get in the craw of critics is the description of Autism as a difference not a disability. While plenty of posters view Autism as at least partly a difference the author of Neurotribes and ASAN the leading ND advocates of the moment view autism as a disability.

I would say ND has been guilty of not following thier main idea of listining to Autistics. An example would be something I have done in the past thinking the curabee autistics or autistics that hate themselves are that way because of internalized ableism. That is thinking I know better then the person experiencing it whiich is similar to NT's thinking my difficulties could be resolved if I just go to more social events. On the other hand many of the critics need to stop stereotyping ND propenents.

Short answer: yes, it is OK. The aspie police won't be knocking on your door. You have the freedom to embrace whatever the hell you want.

Long answer: You remind me of myself, actually. I have very mild aspergers (that used to be a lot worse) and, while I'm awkward and social rules doesn't come naturally, I can get myself out of bad social situations and don't have social anxiety. I also don't have any sensory issues. So yes, I am living proof that "mild" asperger's exists, and so are you. So anyway, I share some of the same views as you: I hardly ever talk about aspergers, don't see it as a big deal, and am not that offended at the notion of a cure (although I disagree with it.) I think that autistic culture can be a little irrational sometimes, even if I generally agree with what they say. For example, there is nothing offensive about ABA, and the idea of a Ritalin-style pill but for aspergers or a cure for intellectual disabilities (both of which I support and are not "curing autism") should not be seen as controversial. There is nothing good about stimming I personally think that we live in a neurotypical world where people have their irrational ticks and don't like to be embarrassed (just like we do sometimes) and thus we should work on not stimming in public.

The point that I'm trying to make is that autism doesn't define who you are and it's okay for your point of view to diverge from what other aspies think.

who are you refereing to when you say we have a lot in common.

You can do whatever you feel is appropriate, it's your own choice how you approach and interpret and live with the condition, I've been processing and exploring the strange structure of what being diagnosed means to me for a good few months now and revisiting and dissecting the shapes and hues of the path that led me here so have yet to ponder how I feel about the whole forest and how I will move into it all.

I am saying that I have a lot in common with the asker, as we both have relatively mild aspergers.