Autistic people are tired of the stigma and fetishization

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ASPartOfMe
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22 Sep 2024, 10:26 am

Stereotypes about autism, whether positive or negative, take their toll on people - Matthew Razsa for Salon

Quote:
Dr. Rebecca Brenner Graham is an accomplished intellectual. Currently a postdoctoral research associate at Rhode Island's Brown University, Graham formerly taught history at a Virginia high school and is writing a soon-to-be-published biography of Frances Perkins, America's first female cabinet member (as Secretary of Labor) and a notably progressive adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

"The medical establishment and society defined autism as a specific type of white boy, and from that characterization came the stereotype."

Graham is also autistic. And while her myriad achievements may make it look easy or even glamorous to be autistic, Graham has firsthand familiarity with the ugly downsides to society's prevalent assumptions about autism — assumptions that consistently disadvantage marginalized groups.

"The medical establishment and society defined autism as a specific type of white boy, and from that characterization came the stereotype," Graham said. "Consequently, people like me for whom autism has been a leading shaper of life experiences and trajectory did not have the diagnoses, accommodations and understanding for so long. With lack of understanding comes confusion and shame for differences, all because of bigots who defined autistic as male."

Graham recalled that roughly two years before she was diagnosed, a male therapist insisted she could not be autistic because she makes eye contact. Even after she was diagnosed following this delay, a male psychologist on Twitter responded to a post acknowledging her autism diagnosis by saying that she didn’t "seem autistic" to him.

"As if that’s a compliment," Graham said. "It’s depressing to me if either of these people have female neurodivergent clients, because misunderstanding the intersections of gender and neurodiversity does damage and harm. I’m proud of being autistic. It can make daily life more difficult not necessarily because of autism itself but because society is structured for neurotypicals."

Kris King, an autistic graduate of Harvard University's History of Science: Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, explained to Salon that being an autistic woman is problematic in another way — autism can be fetishized.

"Autism is fetishized in many ways, especially for autistic women," King said. "Autistic people are marginalized and often feel excluded and extraordinarily lonely," adding that they have entered professional spaces where after revealing their autism diagnosis, they are often treated to negative stereotypes about autism. "This minimizes my ability to do my job, engage productively with coworkers, and share the affirming and inclusive understanding of autism I intend to carry and that our community deserves."

Sometimes the stereotypes about autism hurt autistic people because outsiders deny their diagnosis due to their seemingly non-conforming behavior.

"My experience is the opposite: people have a stereotype of what an autistic is, and I don't match the stereotype," Graham said. "Yet, after substantial testing and therapy, autism explains my whole life."

King's research into the subject of ableism against neurodiverse people confirms Graham's observations.

"Psychologists, family members, doctors, lawyers and politicians have all-too-often defined autism, rather than autistic people," King said. "As someone who is high masking, this misinformation requires me to share sensitive medical information and complex, traumatic histories of invalidation and diagnosis to be taken seriously and or be recognized as autistic, let alone disabled."

While prejudices against autistic people are not limited to any single political perspective, experts have observed that the stigmas seem to be more intense and toxic when held by members of the political right-wing.

"Even though I do not have an autism diagnosis myself, it is clear that autism is fetishized and represented in stereotypical ways in our society and media," Ruxi Gheorghe — a PhD Candidate at Carleton's School of Social Work who has studied representations of autism among incels — told Salon. "For example, the amount of autistic characters portrayed as nerdy geniuses are insurmountable (e.g., 'Rain Man' or 'Big Bang Theory.') This is not only problematic because it suggests generalizable characteristics that 'all' autistic people present that way, but is it also problematic because many of these characters are written without input from autistic people themselves. The other stereotype I've noticed is that so many of these characters are portrayed as white, cis, hetero men. We are being shown one very exaggerated 'persona' of autism — this is clearly fetishization and this is why representation matters."

King has firsthand knowledge in right-wing experiences of what Gheorghe describes.

"I have experienced just as much misinformation, ableism and hatred from people who vote any number of parties," King said. "It is important to note, however, that the ableism is magnified and made more dangerous, particularly in right-wing spaces, when I am perceived as queer and trans, and I have read similar accounts by those who have marginalized visible identities along lines of race, religion, disability and more."

There is, of course, an antidote to all this autism misinformation: education.

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"Colleges and universities are doing a disservice to those interested in the helping profession by not including more education regarding [autism spectrum disorders], especially in the adult population," Caroline Cumings, a licensed clinical social worker in California who also has autism, told Salon. "It is essential not to stereotype individuals with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] or fetishize ASD. Dr. Stephen Shore could not have been more accurate when he said: 'When you meet one person with autism, you've met one person with autism.'"

Graham offered detailed advice on how people can better interact with autistic people in their lives.

"My least favorite reactions to my autism are first, denial — though that hasn’t happened since my medical diagnosis. Second, 'everyone’s a little autistic' which is dismissive and incorrect. And third, hush-toned use of the outdated phrase 'on the spectrum,' as if I’m ashamed of being autistic (I’m not) or as a placeholder for 'high and low functioning,' which loads of top-notch research has debunked," Graham said.

She added, "I don’t think my autism has been fetishized, likely because I’m high masking in many situations, which is of course a privilege but also bad because masking is exhausting and harmful to health and understanding. The closest I’ve experienced to fetishization has probably been the 'superpower' myth. The superpower myth is damaging because it overlooks the humanity of neurodivergent individuals. We are not mutant X-Men somehow endowed with special powers. Like everyone, we deserve empathy, humanity and understanding."



I like the article pointing out the harm of positive stereotypes.

I find the notion the right wing prejudice against us is worse questionable. Right wing prejudice against autistics who are not straight and not gender binary is worse because right wing prejudice against those demographics in general is worse.

Right wing prejudice tends to be more obvious. Progressive prejudices can be more subtle or couched in social justice terminology. This can mean those using stereotypes might falsely think they are fighting stereotypes and it makes it harder for us who tend to be literal to pick up on it. The stereotypes of us as white and male is harmful to Autistics in those demographics because in “woke” spaces that emphasize group power dynamics whites and males top the hierarchy of oppressors, autistics if we are recognize as an oppressed group at all we we are far from the top of the oppressed group hierarchy.

The above is not at all an outright rejection of the theory of the article that right wing stereotypes of us as worse, it is why I do not take it as a given.

Still overall a good article.


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22 Sep 2024, 6:27 pm

Perhaps it is changing now somewhat, though through my life time, the majority of neurotypical adults were ardent conformists. Perhaps it can be said that very right wing conservatives are the most conformist, and the most reactive group in a negative way to those they perceive as non-conformists. Maybe that could partly explain why right wing people stigmatise autistic people more. (Of course there will always be some exceptions who don't).

I've worked with autistic scientists at uni in the far past, and they were very definitely deliberately hampered in their work and othered/stigmatised by the heads of department who were (then) almost invariably notably conservative conformists. Autism was almost completely unknown in my country at that time, so I don't think that was consciously driving the manipulation, prejudice and covert bullying that went on.

There's more enlightenment now and it easier for autistic scientists to progress, though I suspect many have to work twice as hard and still face more unnecessary scrutiny and that nasty kind of incessant nitpicking that can happen downwards in those hierarchies..



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23 Sep 2024, 6:49 am

Many in the community want to present autism as one thing with a one size fits all way of dealing with it.

The same people get angry when NT’s do the same but in ways not too their liking or doesn’t represent them.

Doesn’t really make much sense or at least slightly hypocritical.


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30 Sep 2024, 5:56 am

I get sick of-

People thinking I'm a serial killer or the next workplace shooter ( I've never owned nor shot a gun in my life nor do I ever want to)

People thinking I am "dumb" or " slow"

People thinking I'm creepy (although that happens rarely thankfully)

That I'm making excuses or whining

Over it.


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30 Sep 2024, 6:20 pm

I remember a portrayal from Grey's Anatomy that made me laugh because of how bad it was. Some of you might remember Dr. Virginia Dixon (portrayed by Mary McDonnell.) I didn't like how they portrayed her as someone who had no empathy whatsoever and clueless about the feelings of others, especially when they are experiencing grief. The scene with the teenage sisters who were admitted due to an auto accident was quite laughable to me. Dr. Dixon was asked to leave the room after she kept repeating that her sister was brain-dead due to injuries from her accident over and over again. Do you really think someone with no empathy would make it as an ER surgeon?

https://greysanatomy.fandom.com/wiki/Virginia_Dixon


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01 Oct 2024, 12:37 am

Well, maybe I'm lucky enough to be able to read people looking at such lens.

Whether their reaction is negative or positive, I can make do and use these perceptions against them.


This is why anyone suggesting me any media related to autism portrayals will meet a very awkward vibe. :lol:
Since I'm the one confronting their perception of autism, not them confronting about how I feel about my autism.

On top of that, I relate to no autism media representation. Or any archetype of characters.

Thus I don't need to demand any positive or negative portrayals as a source of affirmation or stigma.

... While I understand it's crucial for a cultural change of perspective... That this is a major component of advocacy work...

:twisted: It's just in my life so far, it's just them who cared too much.
And I can use that to make them all predictable.

Had I've been, well, 15 years young or something, I'd care.
I'd crave for an autism representation that "I" am not some evil person, useless, or prove the common negative perceptions wrong.
Or if I went to another path, wanting sympathy because I struggle.

Except no autism representation or any human representation resonates with me, ever. :twisted:
I outgrew wanting to be with anyone who seem to be 'just like me', I outgrew the need to be understood.

My introspection is too deep, prideful enough to want to stand out of the mold...
And I use perceptions of others than their perception is against me.

Thus I can personally weaponize many misunderstandings, after like years of practice of dealing with a lot of types of misunderstandings.

:lol: Maybe I don't actually have the other fundamental human need for anyone 'getting me'; was convinced for the longest time that's an expectation.
And that such phenomenon is just a bonus -- just like enjoying socialization as an asocial.


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01 Oct 2024, 4:28 am

I think that more activism including direct challenge to the pathologizing norm is needed. Collectively and on an individual basis.

We need to strive to set the agenda for discussion instead of following the PNT agenda and allowing them to define and control us.

In my part of the UK we formed our own community organisation which is politically active. We use social media and local radio/TV to improve peoples understanding of AU identity as well as challenging oppression and discriminatory practices. We are allied to other communities and organisations such as Trans and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. When we are asked to contribute to service planning or review by local public services we will not engage if they refuse to accept the paradigm of neurodivergence or use non neuro affirming language.

One thing I learned from being a member of the LGBTQ+ community for nearly 50 years is that you have to get off you behind either as an individual or collectively and do something to make things better. If you wait for people outside of your community to make it better for you then it will never happen.

My plea to all of my neurokin is to find a way to take action, even in small ways. Try and find a way to connect to others like yourself to take the Autism agenda forward. 'We are stronger together'.


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10 Oct 2024, 6:27 pm

That is good work, well done.
I'm not sure I have the organisational, advocacy, or people skills to be much help in this space, but keeping an eye out for ways to make a difference.

I agree that both negative and so-called 'positive' stereotypes of autism can be bad.
It's like, when someone with autism does something great, people think it's because of their brain gives them special talents and then expect the same from others with autism, which just sets up unrealistic expectations. And it negates all the years of hard work the autistic person put into their achievements.

It's like, people think that Einstein just came uo with the theory of relativity simply because he had a genius IQ. So Stephen Wiltshore must have been born knowing how to draw cityscapes. And Daniel Tammet was born knowing the number pi to thousands of decimal places?

I mean, I prefer the positive stereotypes to the negative, but they're still not treating autistics like the part of humanity that we all are, rather than a circus show.