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Having Autism Doesn't Make Me Superhuman

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ASPartOfMe
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18 Sep 2019, 3:31 am

The Mighty

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People with autism have many capabilities. Many of us can drive a car, work and live on our own. But we still have autism. That’s never going to change for the rest of our lives.

I don’t want to be looked at like I’m superhuman just because my autism might not be severe. I don’t think anyone with autism wants to be looked at like that. Nobody in the world is Superman, let alone someone with autism. Not everyone is capable of doing everything in the world and that’s also true of someone with autism.

There will be times when we struggle. There will be times we need a break from the world. There will be times we need to slow down when we are doing too much or too much is going on. When I say “I need to slow down,” I mean it.

Things may take a toll on us more than people realize, and some things may be harder for us than for someone without autism. For example, if an unexpected life change or event happens, it may take a bigger toll because many people with autism struggle with change. We may deal with anxiety and anger, and battle depression. Bear with us.

I am definitely not superhuman when an unexpected life change happens. Will I be OK in the end? Most likely, but you have to give me time to recover.

Like anyone else, most people with autism love having family, friends and even significant others. We understand that other people have needs too when it comes to being in each other’s lives. But we have to work together to understand and support each other because no one is superhuman. Please try to understand us in all aspects, including this one.


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aquafelix
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18 Sep 2019, 4:01 am

I feel like a Superman everyday. But a Superman living in a world made of Kryptonite much of the time.



tensordyne
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18 Sep 2019, 11:51 pm

It is definitely a fair point. Intellectual and physical gifts don't have to come with AS, although they can. No assumptions. Mr. Rogers is one of the best people in the world because of one of his messages.

I accept you exactly as you are, neighbor!

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Dimples123
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07 Oct 2019, 2:21 pm

I don't get this mentality either, I take a dump in the bathroom just like everyone else.



dragonsanddemons
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07 Oct 2019, 3:49 pm

Anyone who thinks having autism makes one superhuman clearly hasn't met me. The only opinions I hear about me in that regard are that I'm lazy, not trying hard enough, or don't care - pretty much the opposite. I can see how it would get annoying, but I'd rather be seen as being extraordinary for doing everyday things because I have autism than be constantly told my best isn't good enough because people can't (or just don't want to) understand my limitations.

Granted, I am not one of the ones who can drive, work, or live on their own.


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firemonkey
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07 Oct 2019, 4:41 pm

No friends. Never worked. Need support to lead some semblance of a healthily independent life . Yes, I'm certainly superhuman. :roll:


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SharonB
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07 Oct 2019, 7:07 pm

I'm reading my yearbook comments. Most everyone was fairly certain I would do amazing things... once I "believed" in myself. Have I, will I? My superpower is/will be Authenticity.



Whale_Tuune
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07 Oct 2019, 8:15 pm

Yeah. When I'm engaging in self harm because I've ostracized my dormmates yet again, when I go days barely saying a word because there's no one to speak to, when I have students and professors whisper about me behind my back...being told to love being autistic is just bulls***.

I don't want to be told that I need a cure, either. I want to love myself. I want to be myself. But currently, I'm lonely and facing extreme difficulty because I was born into a world that did not want me. Pretty words about special abilities don't do anything.

The conversation should be about accepting us for who we are. No one should be told that they will only be accepted on the condition that they prove superhuman. Though I suspect many of us have displayed incredible fortitude and bravery to live in a world that can be so (unintentionally) cruel to us.


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B19
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07 Oct 2019, 8:30 pm

We are not superhuman.

We are frequently dehumanised though.



carlos55
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08 Oct 2019, 7:58 am

There needs to be more awareness and opportunities for autistic people.

Given the prev comments though its clear that "acceptance" works both ways. Society needs to be kinder to those with all mental health issues, but we also need to accept that given our negative symptoms its hardly suprising that society, parents, medical community will try and change us.


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Amity
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08 Oct 2019, 8:11 am

carlos55 wrote:
There needs to be more awareness and opportunities for autistic people.

Given the prev comments though its clear that "acceptance" works both ways. Society needs to be kinder to those with all mental health issues, but we also need to accept that given our negative symptoms its hardly suprising that society, parents, medical community will try and change us.

The negative symptoms as you call them wouldn't be as disabling if the world was more accepting. To have to deal with people trying to change the way we were born on top of the unaccommodating environment is the issue.
:idea:
'Adaption to the environment isnt happening naturally, let's assist them to adapt'. Genius.



Edna3362
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08 Oct 2019, 8:30 am

I don't agree well with the superpower part.
Not at this lifetime, and as far as I've observed with how people and the society at large handles it. That even includes the majority of autistic individuals themselves.


What I can agree with autism as humanity's future, one way or another...
Be it the best future of hopes and dreams, gone-wrong utopia turned dystopia, human race ascension or the apocalyptic kinds of human extinction...

Unless society learns the lesson the difference between 'normal' from 'human', there's the superhuman and the inhuman stereotypes... :lol:
Doesn't matter. Autism will always accompany humanity and autism is in future as much as it is in the past.


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carlos55
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08 Oct 2019, 10:27 am

amity wrote:
The negative symptoms as you call them wouldn't be as disabling if the world was more accepting.


The word "accepting" is ambiguous, please explain outside of job opportunities and kindness from others, specifically what you mean? How would it help you live independently and function fully?


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Amity
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08 Oct 2019, 2:17 pm

Amity wrote:
carlos55 wrote:
There needs to be more awareness and opportunities for autistic people.

Given the prev comments though its clear that "acceptance" works both ways. Society needs to be kinder to those with all mental health issues, but we also need to accept that given our negative symptoms its hardly suprising that society, parents, medical community will try and change us.

The negative symptoms as you call them wouldn't be as disabling if the world was more accepting. To have to deal with people trying to change the way we were born on top of the unaccommodating environment is the issue.
:idea:
'Adaption to the environment isnt happening naturally, let's assist them to adapt'. Genius.

carlos55 wrote:
amity wrote:
The negative symptoms as you call them wouldn't be as disabling if the world was more accepting.


The word "accepting" is ambiguous, please explain outside of job opportunities and kindness from others, specifically what you mean? How would it help you live independently and function fully?


To get back to the topic, of not being superhuman and to respond to your question... I used the word accepting as a response to your usage of it in the quoted text. What is your definition? Does it stretch beyond kindness and job opportunities?

Mine is all encompassing, the ideal is to be equal, not othered and dehumanised, but en route to that utopia; to achieve the same accepted level of accomodations that those with a visible disability have unquestionably for the areas where they are truly not a superhuman.

That in the areas where we struggle we are helped in the way we need help and not in the way that others decide we need help.
ASD has so many nuances, the limited or one size fits all is good for budgets and simplistic understandings, but has a doubling down negative impact on people with a spectrum of variations within the expression of diagnostic criteria.
The environment creates barriers due to lack of acceptance, this status quo of lack of acceptance feeds the approaches of curing the observable diagnostic criteria, this creates more barriers caused by lack of nuanced approaches. A doubling down of something that does the opposite of helping in the first place.



carlos55
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09 Oct 2019, 9:45 am

Amity wrote:
To get back to the topic, of not being superhuman and to respond to your question... I used the word accepting as a response to your usage of it in the quoted text. What is your definition? Does it stretch beyond kindness and job opportunities?


Basically "acceptance" means different things to different people. To me it means many of the laws protecting disabled people (i know not perfect) + non discrimination & same opportunities and treatment. To others it means no longer regarding something as a concern or problem to be treated or cured, which i believe is a mistake with any disability.

But without going over the pros v neg of ND again. Im curious as to what specific acceptance / accomodations many autistic advocates would like to see outside of NT kindness and job opportunities?

Where the rubber meets the road what specific tangable things do advocates want, in the history of WP did anyone make a list?


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kraftiekortie
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09 Oct 2019, 9:56 am

We are not superhuman; and we are not subhuman.

I am sure MANY lists have been compiled here that would meet your requirements. Some of them probably should have been made "stickies."