Is everyone on the spectrum "disabled"?

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it may refer to limitations on participation in social life imposed on people by the constraints of an ableist society (the social model)

"or the term may serve to name a social identity claimed by people with disabilities in order to mark their shared goals and politics."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability
Sorry about the number of my consecutive posts above, CloudCrap wouldn't let me do it any other way.

As for a definition of being on the (autistic) spectrum, I think I prefer a wider definition than the "diagnosed" one you referred to, because diagnosticians have been known to withhold the diagnosis when the client isn't actually suffering from the condition, which to my mind is like saying somebody doesn't have a broken leg as long as they happen to own a pair of crutches.

Disability can also mean it limits what you can do. Think of the spoon theory. Yes you can do anything but there are limits for how much you can do. Disability can also mean one has to worker harder than most to do it. But yet it boggles my mind how some things out there are not considered a disability such as below average intelligence (borderline ret*d) because those people have to work harder than everyone else.

But yet I don't really consider wearing glasses as a disability or using hearing aides to hear normal unless you took those away and forbid them from using them or if they couldn't afford those things.

I find this whole topic troubling because of lack of context.

In the world of theory and "games" (which, for purposes of this discussion, I define as consensual social activities governed by written rules, like math, science, law, tennis, Monopoly, football), I am extremely able. However, in the worlds where either consent, written rules, or both are absent, I suck because I often proceed from different assumptions than "neurotypicals."

My recent diagnosis has illuminated the fact of these different assumptions, and so permits me more successfully to pursue life activities where consent and written rules are absent.

But I still don't understand why the literal, rule-and-consent-respecting mindset is considered the disability, as opposed to the mindset that views rules and consent as mere suggestions.

I can only speak for myself, but for me I feel disabled because of how my body responds to things and those responses are directly from my Autism. Like how my body responds to stimuli, I am actually, literally impaired because of that. The social aspect is difficult and I can have difficulty with it, but the disabling part of the social aspect for me is how my body physically responds to the physical presence of people. That actually becomes disabling for me. I am also impaired because I have very strong issues with executive function and things like dyslexia as well. And my emotional retardation can cause me to be impaired at times as well. So it is a combination of things for me that affect me every single day.

Thanks, skibum and B19 for your praise. I got one past the aforementioned goalie at last. CloudCrap is angry with me now and flatly refuses to let me include the quotes that would make plain what I'm thanking you for, at least not without the capcha thing that probably wouldn't let me through anyway. Luckily you're very likely bright enough not to need my customary attempt at hyper-clarity.