AUTISM AWARENESS RANT!!!

I have to get this out because it is niggling at me and if it continues I might drive myself mad. 


You might have seen all the publications in the UK press about a certain person who is the most hated woman in Britain at this moment in time but I have to answer to her tweet about the Labour Party leader staring during the Election Debates on TV!! 

She commented that he looked like he was on the spectrum - meaning the Autistic Spectrum and that he was freaking her out. 

For those people who are ignorant to Autism this might be funny but to someone who lives with Autism who is already under valued and isolated from Society in general this is something that is hurtful, discriminating and humiliating! 


So here goes: 

1) Autistic People stare because they are trying to deal with too much sensory and social information and cannot process it all at once. 

Yes we stare and we don't mean to!!! It's a natural coping mechanism to deal with environments that we feel threatened by. So therefore we find something to look at and focus on it and you might just be in the bloody way! If you actually ask us why we are staring at you and I explain that I am Autistic or show you a card provided to me to explain my difficulties if I find it to stressful, I hope I am met with understanding and compassion rather than be discriminated against. 
If you don't like it THEN MOVE!!!! 

2) How can you comment on something you have never experienced and make it out to be a joke?

Unless you have come in contact with someone who has autism or even had a conversation with them about the way they live on a daily basis then what blooming right do you have to then comment on it? 
Simple Answer : YOU DON'T !!!!! 

How about you educate yourself on Autism and read things like a blog with an autistic person expressing their fears, thought processes as well as  sharing how we cope with these situations to help others such as themselves. 

3) Autistic people are Intelligent, Loving and Creative people who need to be valued and not discriminated against! 

Underneath the diagnosis there is a real person that feels emotions, has thoughts, knows how to love and also might have a higher IQ than you! 
We have fought for the right to be treated equally, have the same education as 'Normal Thinking' People (Thats what we call people who aren't Autistic). We are complex and have many talents that range from incredible logical and intellectual skills, Creativity such as Music, Art , Writing and a beautiful imagination. We see the world in a different way and sometimes will pick out the beauty in it when you see there is nothing! 
Under the circumstances I think it is about time we stand up for ourselves and make a stand just like everyone else - but we don't have the confidence to do it. 

4) We are also part of the 1 in 4 people who have mental illness. 

If it wasn't enough we have to deal with the fact our brains developed differently to yours and having to live in a world that is not catered to us from birth.  We also have to deal with social, acute and severe Anxiety Disorder, Depression, sometimes Bipolar Disorder and other mental illnesses. 

We also suffer with Physical Illness that are related to stress such as IBS, Painful Skin Problems such as Blistering and Burning Skin, Vomiting or feeling sick, Shaking caused by anxiety that can be debilitating and can stop us from doing simple tasks, Self Harm which presents are pulling our hair out due to extreme distress, Punching walls due to frustration and on the more serious side cutting due to bullying and depression. 

5) Autism can be a positive rather than a negative! 

When I see myself as having Autism, I don't see it as a disability neither do I see it as a label. I am a person who is funny, loving, happy , a little bit too strange but who gives a S**T? To me my autism is apart of who I am, it's my personality, it's my creativity, my control , my self awareness and is a positive that can relate itself to the NT World. 

When an autistic person applies for a job some of our natural skill sets come into play, theses are:  
  •  Efficient 
  • Hard Working
  • Punctual 
  • Observant 
I can't even begin to list them all but the most important thing to me and hopefully to my readers is that they understand that they are amazing human beings and they should be proud of who they are. 

And finally: 

I AM PROUD TO BE AUTISTIC! I can't imagine myself be any other way. It's apart of me and I wouldn't change it for the world. I hope that other autistic people out there are just as proud of themselves as I am of them. 

We might not fit in, but to be honest to us your world isn't as much fun as ours! 

So before you judge or discriminate or try to humiliate.... 


STOP!!!! 


Thanks 

An Aspergers Girl xxx



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