Do you think high functioning autistics/Aspies have ....

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It's a society obsessed with being "offended."

Those of us who are high functioning have no privileges because we often have to work much harder to get things like a stable job as on the outside, we pass as NT.

Privilege just doesn't involve classes of people. And in this case the class of people is NTs. You are able to pass as one or you are not able to pass as one and those that do may get treated differently, as in privilege.

There was this Aspie fighting with someone on Tumblr because apparently she wasn't supposed to speak for low functioning people because of her privilege. This is where my question came from. I wasn't really stating my opinion on this. Just wanted to ask around.



Exactly!


By the way if anyone is wondering why I'm asking this:
http://neurowonderful.tumblr.com/post/106953276216/as-a-high-functioning-medically-accepted-term
http://neurowonderful.tumblr.com/post/139741109656/im-just-saying-autistics-experience-their
http://neurowonderful.tumblr.com/post/137988646316/7-everyday-ways-neurotypical-people-are-privileged

Her name is neurowonderful. I'm sure you've heard of her. Kinda got me thinking.

Last edited by FreakyZettairyouiki on 27 Mar 2017, 9:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It's not a "privilege" to be treated with respect.

It is a basic human right.

I thought the question was whether "HF" persons have 'privilege' vs. "LF". Overall, it's an easy "yes" for me.

In response to Shahunsha's example:

Maybe she's just a genius and not autistic at all. I've been doing a lot of research on overdiagnosis as well. Gifted people naturally feel out of touch with a majority of the population because they can't relate to a majority of people. I'm sure someone who's Harvard-bound has very little "impairments." She'll be living a charmed life instead of living in the trenches with the rest of us, whose potential was genuinely limited because of impairments.

The second example is me. I also have depression as well. I know I'm not just a gifted person because 1) that means the psychologist that labeled me was wrong? and 2) I guess when my mom said I limped as a child, smiled at the sky when I was by myself as kid, talked to myself, was uncoordinated, or hyperlexic was just a coincidence?

She's autistic, she may not have it all easy but it certainly seems that way now. She said she couldn't speak till later and the way she sometimes talks does occasionally indicate it.

You sound like you have been through quite a few struggles yourself. Must have taken allot to get where you are now.

I think it is somewhat hard to be like the person I just mentioned. She had tutors and quite literally struggled to put a sentence together. hyperlexic may be a good word for her, she read allot of national geographic books and knew just tones.

I'm playing Devil's Advocate here, but isn't it difficult to identify so much with someone with such limited information about them? For example, nothing was mentioned about your characteristics of depression, hyperlexia, lack of motor coordination and self-talk in the example given.

I think it's constructive to be curious of people's diagnostic labels. While I doubt a majority of people are trying to hide behind a label, there are those out there who would simply use a label to gain some sort of abstract social advantage or recognition. Some who are more socially attuned may use a label to infiltrate and feel part of specialized social group.

I openly investigate and question whatever labels are applied to myself as well. The DSM diagnostic labels directly serve to profit the Psychiatric and pharmaceutical industries. I don't want to run the risk of living a self-fulfilling prophecy. Confirmation bias is real.

My intent isn't to minimize yours or anybody's pain, but to apply critical thinking. Autism usually isn't some "gift" or gateway to a better future. It's more less something to be overcome in order to live a more functional life.

It isn't particularly a gift...but it is a life long condition. One wont get very far if they put everything else on hold until they 'overcome' their autism.

True, life happens regardless. It's more or less an experiment where you learn by trial-and-error over time. I've been "overcoming" for a very long time now, but life has been okay in the past few years Even the rough times had plenty of good moments.

I don't know, sometimes people make a career out of their autism.

You've got me there

Are you asking if those with HFASD have "privilege", or if those who "pass" do? Those are very different questions.

Amongst people without disabilities : no, HFA people are STILL disabled regardless on how "normal" they look.

Amongst other people who have disabilities: yeah we do. We can speak and adapt a lot better than other. But actually now that i think Of it disabilites come in all shapes and sizes, like Dislexia is conidered a disability and deafness.

I beleive we have privledge in the autism comunity because we can speak and preform at least a little better than our non verbal counterparts even though we are still disabled. But amogst people outside the autism community we are not privledged.