Greetings Earthlings! 🙂
Leading on from my previous post about if autism makes you a bad person, this week I’d like to talk about something that can be damaging for the autistic community- romanticizing the condition. No my literal readers I’m not talking about flirting with autism, but treating the condition flippantly like a desirable gift while neglecting the harsh realities of life on the spectrum.
Actor Ed Norton recently brought this topic back into the public sphere in an appearance on Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert podcast. He has been widely praised for condemning the romanticization of autism in Silicon Valley where many are claiming to be on the spectrum as an excuse for bad behaviour (believed to be a veiled jab at Elon Musk). You can watch the reel here: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DcWUdXlI5co
With the spike in autism diagnoses (especially self-diagnoses) the romanticization of autism is increasingly becoming problematic. More and more high functioning autists are announcing their diagnosis which given the breadth of the spectrum can distract from the more profound forms. The superpower trope, the “Rain man” genius, or the misunderstood oddball can give false impressions of widespread ability across the spectrum, making it harder to get adequate supports for those with greater challenges. It’s almost like a new take on autistic masking where you’re open and unmasked in your autism, but still hiding the challenging aspects of neurodivergent life behind a mask.
I feel like a broken record after nearly 10 years of this, but no two autists are the same. You cannot equate a high functioning successful tech boss with a profoundly autistic child that is incapable of taking care of themselves. These experiences do not inspire the hope you think you’re giving. I admit, at times I’ve been guilty of this and acknowledge the need to check my privilege as a high functioning autist, but I also put the bad with the good. I don’t shy away from the challenges I’ve encountered in my life- I try my best to give an authentic perspective of my experiences.
The worst part of the romantic autism movement is the lack of accountability. As I’ve discussed in previous posts, having autism doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person. The condition can explain your behaviour when you have an oopsie moment (like accidentally saying to someone they’ve gained weight- not a real life example I promise!), but things quickly become a serious problem when you consistently use it as an excuse. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, so it’s not that you can’t learn from your behaviour and do better, it just means it can be a little harder or take a little longer to learn how to behave properly. When well known autistic faces refuse to take accountability for their actions, it reflects badly on the rest of us, and sets a bad example for the next generation of autists.
Autism is what it is, we shouldn’t try to sugar coat it. As with all things there’s good and bad, but we shouldn’t put on our rose tinted glasses and romanticize the truth or we risk doing more harm than anything else.
Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!
Have a lovely weekend!
Aoife
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