Autism is not your enemy

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Daniel L. Reinholz is a professor of mathematics and statistics at San Diego State University and the author of “Equity Learning Communities.”
Los Angeles Times

^That's well said and with a lot of valid points.

Autism may not be my enemy, but the idiots who believe it's caused by vaccines and Tylenol or the non-stick coating on frying pans (seriously!) or whatever definitely are.

They think autistic people are all exactly the same. They'll say things like, "My neighbor's 7 year old son has autism and you're nothing like him" Well, maybe the fact that we're not all 7 year old boys have something to do with that!

Thanks to the media they think we're all creepy and gross and dangerous, and we bring nothing but misery to everyone around us. The feeling is mutual.

Autism is my enemy. Autism ruined my life.

I hate when people think that by listing down all the successful people with autism it is supposed to make you feel better about it, because it doesn't work on me. I'd rather be an NT any day, I don't care how brilliant autism is supposed to be, we aren't all blessed with that intellectual hyperfocus superpower. Some of us prefer gossiping with coworkers rather than sitting alone inventing a time machine.

True. Autism is not my enemy.

Diagnosis overshadowing is my enemy.
Cyclical socioeconomic status and being born in the wrong time and place definitely is my enemy.


Instead of actually helping me, people around me just favors blaming autism and tell me give up looking for solutions and "accept" because it's the "autism".

And my complaints and attempts to look for solutions meant I'm in denial of being autistic or not including autism in the equation enough or god forbid, 'attempting to cure my autism'.


Oh???
So the classroom next door is being noisy because I'm autistic? Not because no one told me earplugs exists?
I was born a woman with hormonal issues because I'm autistic? Not because my body is stupid sensitive that sleep issues isn't a part of the equation or tell me the right diets for myself?
I have an unmanageable chronic rhintis because I'm autistic? Not because it's form my mother's side and that the right medications hadn't been found for me yet?
I'm stuck at fight mode and been violent for most of my life because I'm autistic??? Not because of some stupid unprocessed emotions from ignorant childhood self?
So everyone's negative opinions and arseholery exists because I'm autistic??? Not because they're just as flawed and limited humans who are, quote on quote "DoInG tHeIr BeSt"????

Stupid. Foolish. Ignorant.



Successful autistics do not inspire me either.
No story ever does because I see humans as individual humans, not sets of traits and labels or their circumstances and situations.

I could care less if one of them is someone who need 24/7 hour care or is an out of grid solo survivor, homeless to riches or vice versa, bombs or founds an entire civilizations, wins noble prize, cures cancer, colonize Mars, or being in top wanted list, most famous whatever, has a mic and privilege to protest with a worldwide audience.

I don't care. I don't care if they're god or the devil itself is autistic.

I'm not them, will never be like them. I don't need them as an example that "it's possible for someone like me".
Or some platitudes about being humbled by someone else's existence.

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Autism allowed me to save enough money to retire early, before I turned 60.

It's not you, it's just how some people write articles saying "don't be ashamed of having autism, look what Einstein accomplished". Einstein was a genius, autistic or not.

However, if Stephen Foster had been autistic...hmm...
In his biography he was described as aloof, savant and hyperfocused (in music), and shy and sensitive. Doesn't necessarily mean autism though, and I'm not going to armchair diagnose a person I've never met. But you never know. According to autism sites, only autistic people can come up with such extraordinary art by themselves, and he did just that, so you never know, but I'm still not going to base that as evidence.

My biggest enemy has never been autism or schizophrenia . It's always been those that could and should've provided help and support, but instead preferred to treat me as a troublesome nuisance with a huge character defect.

My biggest enemy has been Emetophobia. It's more disabling than autism is (for me). And my Emetophobia cannot really be cured with therapy. The only thing that will cure it is to get my stomach taken out or disable the neurotransmitters in my brain that activate the gag reflex, something like that. Talking to someone about how vomiting works and how it's "not that bad" isn't going to make it go away. Like I say, it's not just a phobia, it's a disease, or disorder, if that's a better word.

Autism is not my enemy. It's the people who believe things about Tylenol and vaccines who are the enemy.

Autism isn't my enemy, neither are idiots.

Both are, at most, obstacles that sometimes require me to work harder.

So Autism , inspite of my level at the time, went completely unrecognize ,, because I was just weird growing up to others outside opinion . And was not like my non verbal Sister .. So I could not be Autistic.. " NOT" . And so realized so many of my issues as I aged, with varying degrees of severity .from very close to life ending to . To heart sick and disabling . And expecting life to be very different from what I was propagandized into believing . As much time passed
at the other end. All those mis experiences..gave me some unexpected educations about most of my life Especially as Finally bothered to get Dxed as Autistic . But seems to me after all this am pretty sure, it might have been as Asperger's dx instead . Still do not get if, am smart or not but did realize my ability to correlate patterns seemed very good . And brain seems to like to store revolent information. So after been through, what I have a survived . And more important experiential high or Low points, seemed to have stayed in my head. The references and experienced have left me to deal with some serious PTSD. That have been more now am able now to attach cause and effects. And have some control over. ( But dodging triggers is skill all itself .)
Overall am glad, I had not offed myself long ago. Now, am pretty adaptable to most situations . And can have pride inmyself for not giving up.And realize that my experiences seem valuable to some folk. When am in a frame of mind to share. Can watch and analyze people , with a much better degree. of accuracy in person .From the person on the street to the prosecuetor in the courtroom .Had I known better younger, Autism might have been a enemy, not realizing the capabilities of a brain with decreased Neural Pruning.But just reacting to circumstances, instead of digesting them.
Now , Its go with what you know, inspite of anyone else. As long as you do whats right, and "try" to avoid stepping on toes. If possible . just my humble Opinion.