Building bridges and not walls

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I joined WP only recently and have found this to be a place where I can feel a sense of belonging, for the first time in my life.

I don't agree with everything that is posted and I know that not everyone will agree with what I post but there is something that we CAN all agree on.

We are all living with Autism.

Some of us score higher on IQ tests than others, some are able to work others are not and of those who work some make more money than others.

Some of us are older and some of us are younger.

But the one thing that we have in common is that our intuition is impaired (to different degrees) and we struggle (to different degrees) socially.

I have read that those with Autism constitute perhaps 1% of the population, placing us (perhaps) in the bottom percentile in terms of intuition and social 'intelligence'/skills.

My primary need as someone with Austism is therefore;

To be able to improve my intuition and social skills and perhaps to enjoy some fellowship with people in a group that I finally belong in.

In that context, I don't think it is relevent (to me at least) what your IQ is, how much you earn or whether or not you work.

Everyone here has probably got something to share that will be a blessing to at least one other member of WP and I want to HEAR it and I want you to know that what you have to share is NOT diminished if you are not identical to me or anyone else at WP.

In a forum for people with Autism, let's build bridges.

Some walls are just as useful as bridges.
Haven't you ever heard the old saying, "Good fences make good neighbors"?

That is what I thought it'd be like here when I joined. Little did I know...

This place has more bullies than highschool.

I understand what you mean, Blindspot149, but it is not going to happen as long as there is that small minority present who are not being dealt with.

Great post, Blindspot. It seems no matter where you go there will be people, AS or not, who will look down there nose at you for whatever reason. So even here on WP there will be a caste system where individuals and groups will form and work, consciously, and perhaps unconsciously, to create the same kind of barriers that they came to Wrong Planet to get away from. They will deny it of course, tell you you are imagining things (Ah, if I had a dollar for every time someone told me I was imagining things I'd be a wealthy woman) if you try and bring it to their attention, but it all boils down to one thing: you don't meet up to their standards, you don't fit their criteria of someone worthy to be in their superior company.

But look on the bright side. There are so many wonderful people here on WP, from every class in society, from many and varied walks of life, from the very young to the very old, rich and poor and in between, people with little formal education and people with university degrees, people who have little to say and people who say a lot. But we all have one thing in common, whether we are diagnosed or undiagnosed - we're tired of being ostracized and marginalized, we're tired of being treated like second class citizens. Another thing that I think is important to remember, the elitists are a minority. The majority of WP members are kind, supportive, and dedicated to the idea of equality among the membership. Their main objective is breaking down the walls that divide. It's their mission, even though they may go about it quietly in their own individual style. They are the people who make Wrong Planet the cool oasis that it is. That's pretty amazing.