Why the term "superpower" does not sit well with me

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I can't tell others how to describe their autism I can only describe why I do not like the term "superpower" when applied to autism.

It implies we are not human and superior to NT's.

Fantasy figures have superpowers, not humans.

You keep on telling people they are special too often and they start to feel entitled. When entitled people don't get what they expect they end up hurting others or their own self-esteem crashes.

I understand the term is meant to counter the terrible self-esteem problems in our community but IMHO it is overcompensation.

Guess I'm a fantasy figure because I consider it a super power

It's because it's for kids.

Teenagers more so.
Of course at this developmental age, they'd end up in supremacists interpretations as a coping mechanism.

And it appeals adults with complexes; conditional acceptance, whatever's that's missing due to their lack of social fulfillment in real life.
Of course they'd spent time convincing themselves and to an extent others.


Only a true few exemptions whose autism IS a superpower.
But whether that's true to a case of one's real life or not, they still go through processing the sentiments.


When I was 14, I'd jump at such band. Burnouts and being burdened by mental health issues do so.

But when I was 16, I start not to care.
Because my main focus is whatever I want in this physical reality, hard as it is.


It's not for adults.
It's not for those who had grown up because they see reality.
It's not for the mentally ill because it'll put them into a spiral.


Autistic adults who either in the process of making peace or is currently disillusioned to be precise are on going to go past this.


It's for parents looking at their autistic kids.
It's for teachers looking at autistic students.
It's for ignorant people looking at autistic in general.

They don't go through any of these processes, differently sure, but any parallel paths are rare.



I believe at large it's a way to counter lesser than human dehumanization that the past medical endeavors and historical beliefs cling themselves onto.

If it never happened, the process of making
a bridge may be built elsewhere, actually.
But it became dehumanization in the opposite side of the spectrum.

It's a pendulum.

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I don't know that I have any of those qualities myself, but heightened ability to focus, strong skills in engineering, math, and coding, and savant abilities all can be considered to be like a superpower. Also the ability to be direct and clear-minded and not easily swayed.

But I also understand your objection to it. I have ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and there's nothing about it that could be considered a superpower, except maybe the ability to do nothing for long stretches without getting frustrated or bored. Actually, I read a young person writing once that she sat next to someone on a long plane trip and that person did not watch or listen to anything or read, and she thought that was a superpower. That's me on a trip.

It’s just a euphemism based on the old version of autism where people were expected to be severely disabled, instead a minority may excel at a single ability like maths or memory.

It’s become a part of popular culture now where NT expect autistic people to have a superpower.

This puts pressure on autistic people and cynically NT soon lose interest when they realise there is no superpower just disability.

Why it's not a 'superpower' for me. In random order

Have a carer
Never had paid employment
Difficulty making friends IRL
Need quite a lot of support to maintain independent living,
Significant academic underachieving

It's a burden to me. The meltdowns, people thinking I'm a weirdo, therefore they hate me, lack of friends, not being able to deal with certain situations, and how now in middle age, life just tires me out in general.

I see why people that take it literally think the "superpower"-talk is wrong. But when someone successful like Greta Thunberg refers to autism as her superpower I think what she's actually says is: I did it my way. It's the autistic way. You can't succeed in doing it this way unless your are autistic. If you're a NT you will have to try to do it in a way that plays to your NT strenghts and instead maybe use "superpowers" like being charismatic, creating likeability and using different social skills.

Sounds like a "spin" phrase designed to make insecure people feel better about themselves.

I never did see my autism as a superpower. I see it as a different way of being.

I’m not so sure that special interests are solely an autistic thing. With that being said, even if folks don’t have special interests to the same degree that an autistic might, many have topics they’re fascinated/passionate about.

I don’t view autism as a superpower. It has led or contributed to a lot of unhappiness in my life. Still, it’s not something that I would change at this point because it’s a part of who I am.

same for the terms "special interest", "Autistic joy", "autism is a gift" all condescending. "thats great for an autistic person" (pats you on the head at least metaphorically" condescending and patronizing BS)
Thanks for speaking out.

I'm really at a complete loss as to what these "superpowers" are.

Loneliness?
Depression?
Anxiety?
Being a slow learner?

Doesn't sound like much of a superpower to me.