Autism: Difference or disability?

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For me, it's a highly misunderstood gift, one which I'm not about to shun. I may not process interactions as quickly or as well as normal individuals, but I can still do it with some patience and effort. They're not able to do what I do with as much ease.

In the end, I'm glad for being who I am, and wouldn't change it for anything. The gifts are too important, and the deficits too easy to overcome to simply throw my AS to the side. Even if a cure was readily available, I would staunchly refuse it.

I think we need to see this in the context of the Social Model Of Disability. What we have is initially and primarily a difference in that we are differently-abled by virtue of having "tweaked" or "customised" brains. However, society is geared towards the neurotypical majority and our differences thus become CONTEXTUAL disabilities.

It's difference for me because "disability" is a perception, therefore, a social word and connotation.

I have to agree with the technicality some have pointed out, that a disability is a type of difference (or a social construct.)

As for the high-functioning, since no one seems to have a clue as to how a potential cure might remove our deficits without also removing our strengths, I view it as a difference. I think we are the inventors and artisans of the human race, and until someone figures out how to fix our problems without getting rid of that...then maybe we should act (and be treated like) more of a minority or subculture.

I'd still consider anyone who can't do basic care for themselves, to have a disability though, but that's just my way of understanding it.

This is an interesting think and something to think about (2 years ago I went to a Psicologist to have my daughter DXed with HFA and I said to her "I'm pretty sure an Aspe" and she said "you have a good work, a family, 2 child, if you had good and bad now you have basically only the good side so, afterall, you are gifted there is no need for a DX"). And actually it's exactly true.

A think I don't know is the following: how many AS people are unable to care for themselves reached the maturity (in proportion to NT, there are many NT without work or similar issue). I think the difference is not that much but I have no data avaiable (also many who don't have problems will not have a DX, like me).

I think that autism is both a difference and a disability. I don't know how much more than each other because my obsessive behaviour/thoughts had got me into a course that I like and I'm extremely visually intelligent (which I suspect has to do with my AS), which helps me find things/places, solve problems, do my course, etc. Autistic people are said to be very hardworking and are meant to be very reliable, which is what I am (that's not always true for all autistics, though). I'm also good at finding inconsistencies and I get into a lot of details when doing any kind of work.

I also feel that to a certain extent, I am not a slave to pop culture because I never felt pressured to be part of it and because I didn't have the social skills to be part of an environment that would peer pressure people that way. That's no to say that non-autistics aren't non-conformists/autistics aren't conformists. By the way, I don't think of myself as a non-conformist (though I'd like to be). I see myself as a people pleaser and I like rules and order.

In general, AS has been a blessing in many ways.

On the other hand, it is very distressing when something goes wrong (though I have learned to overcome a lot of this). I used to suffer from a panic disorder and I have a lot of issues with perfectionism and anger, ehich I suspect has something to do with my AS. These problems get worse with external problems, of course, such as keeping up with a deadline, for example. I have to prepare what I am going to say and think about or even reherse what mannerisms I'll use when I'm talking to someone and it can get tiring (though, I have gotten better at this).

I also have some sensory issues that used to make my panic disorder even worse (mostly smell). I still get a little sick and upset when I smell something that bothers me, but gladly, I haven't had any meltdowns in ages.

So I think it has to be half 'n' half for me. AS is okay, but it can be a b***h.

Seeing that I always had my own personal sense of differentness to the vast majority of people I came across. Also that it was never pointed out to me by my parents or other people that I was different at a time in my life before I was able to develop my own sense of self. I didn't have the chance to learn to see it as any kind of defect. I did, quite often feel isolated but to me it was never a bad thing. I used to watch people desperately try to fit in and then stay in and I used to think Thank God I am not like that, what a waste of time, effort, heart ache, and worst of all denial of self.

I have learned in recent years while I have been dealing with my own childrens ASD related issues, that there are alot of things about myself that could actually be considered disabilities. However because no one ever said "there is something wrong with you and that is why you have these difficulties" I didn't ever consider them as such. Also because I am so stubborn I unconsiously over came or adapted to all of them in the process of achieving my goals. Perhaps if someone had told me I had a disability that would have been the perfect excuse to sit back and not try anymore. Fortunately no one did. I don't think I have any "super powers" (Savant abilities) that some ASDians claim to have. If I do I don't know what they are as yet. However I am satisfied with what I have acieved in my life, so far.

I also think that some squiggles on a piece of paper, even if it is writen by a so called professional make no difference to the person I am, the potential I have or the life I live.

If I was forced to make a choice of disabled or different I suppose I would go with different but this to me is a sort of arrogance not a sadness or shame.

cheers

DIFFERENT!! ! Certainly not 'disabled', 'disordered' or 'deficient'

But there are many times that society 'dis' ables us without us even trying.

I think of it as a difference, not a disability. I don't like it when people class AS as a disability.

Difference mostly, though it's hard to be positive about it mid-meltdown!

Difference. Definitely.
I don't need the help and assistance someone with a disability may need. I just need a little patience and understanding.
And I like myself just the way I am.

Difference in some ways, disability/detrimental in other ways.

Both