While I understand the intention, I think focusing on the positives isn't really beneficial because people don't expect the rest of our traits. The gap between expectation and reality ends up harming how people see us and how we see ourselves.
3 weeks ago | 79
Hopefully this video will be realistic and not pretend autism isn't disabling. I hate it when the only way people accept disabilities is to ignore all the hardships they bring and turn them into inspiration porn.
4 weeks ago | 189
I personally believe that being neurotypical and being autistic are both morally neutral and that there shouldn't need to be "benefits" to a particular neurological type to warrant someone's existence, we all thrive and struggle in areas and that's okay.
4 weeks ago | 68
I’m an adult with low support needs autism, but unfortunately I don’t personally see any positives. I hope you can find some people who do!
4 weeks ago | 58
the only positive i have for autism in my experience is being able to get super interested in stuff and having complex knowlege in stuff i like, but thats also a downside because i get so fixated that it consumes my life and i often spend most of my time in a fictional headspace and find it hard to function outside of it!!
3 weeks ago | 39
Will these people be paid? It’s not cool to ask us to do work for you based off our neurotype where you will be paid for content and we will not. I'd be happy to answer your questions, but not for free.
3 weeks ago | 13
unfortunately the only positive that autism has brought to me was my unending quest for knowledge and how i understand and have empathy for animals more than the average person. the rest of it has been completely disabling though
3 weeks ago | 15
i only really feel the positives of autism when im around neurodivergent people, otherwise all the positive sensibilities i have for design, order, stories and systems are wasted on a world that doesnt care about any of it to begin with. it just means i have way too high standards and not enough energy in a day to meet them, though it does bring me joy when i get close. my brother is autistic and was snatched straight out of university by LEGO cause he's brilliant like that tho he suffered hardcore as a child and could barely go to school, he's now the most normal functioning person in our whole immediate family. its RNG. he got the computer brain and i got depression
3 weeks ago | 26
Autism is disabling. If it isn't disabling, it isn't autism. Direct communication is good but it replaces indirect communication which is extremely powerful. There's nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade, it doesn't harm autistic people to embrace the reality that our condition is difficult. There is value in living a difficult life. I believe taking care of disabled people is a profound gift, it transforms your heart, and being the one being taken care of is a beautiful experience of being vulnerable but loved and protected. I think trying to pretend low support needs autism is a positive thing takes away from the fact that we can protect and care for those with higher support needs, and we can be there for each other in the difficulty, and we can be a gift to those who take care of us too. Taking care of us teaches NTs that their worth isn't in what they can do, and we all are fragile beings and everyone will need care someday. An autistic person getting super good at something because their brain is on fire when they try to do anything else isn't a benefit over having the ability to lead a normal life, in fact it's an incredibly painful reality, but if we embrace that it is a difficult cross, we can enter into it with them, and then there's definitely beauty there.
3 weeks ago | 14
stop picturing autism as a some kind of superpower, because even for people with low support need it autism isn't something that helps you in life (if one doesn't have traits that are "acceptable" or desired by neurotypicals)
3 weeks ago | 10
Co tact Kaelynn Partlow. She has an autism channel, & wrote a book about it. She has functional autism, she helps people of every level. Please consider including her.
4 weeks ago | 12
I guess I don’t view any of my traits related to autism as “positive”, they just are the way they are. And one particular way that I am makes me take issue with the framing of this 😂
3 weeks ago | 4
I think a better way to reduce autistic stigma is to make a video that focuses more on the strategies autistic people use to manage the disability part of their autism to live positive lives and make full use of their autistic strengths rather than just presenting autism as being completely positive and full of superpowers because not all autistic people have the same stereotypal autistic abilities and traits and finds it to be a harmful stereotype when neurotypical people presents autism as purely being a benefit just because some autistic people have advanced abilities. I appreciate you planning to make a video help reduce autistic stigma since autistic people are capable of living good lives and achieving things but normally they need to put in a lot more effort and sometimes need more support than neurotypical people to be able to have the same things like a job or relationship that it is easier for neurotypical people to get and maintain. That is why a better way to reduce autistic stigma is to talk to autistic people who have had struggles that they have overcome to be successful. Talking to the autistic people about the positive things about their autism as well as the negative is a good idea but the title of the video shouldn’t be benefits of being autistic because the title should something more neutral that reflects both the positive and the disability parts of autism.
3 weeks ago | 8
After that interview/video, you should do a second one on the life-ruining kind of autism. Most of the time, autism gives someone strengths and unique qualities that benefit them and humans in general. But occasionally, there are the life ruining types of autism.
4 weeks ago | 32
While I think that being autistic has given me some positive things it is also quite disabling even though my support needs are lower than many (I am low support needs, late diagnosed so I can’t speak for autists who have high support needs or who were diagnosed early, they will likely have different opinions than I) I do like having special interests, it’s fun to research and learn about things and discuss them with other ND friends (autistic people have an easier time communicating with one another than they do NTs!). I’m privileged to have a career in one of my special interests and it’s made me feel very fulfilled every day in a way I doubt many can understand. I also appreciate that I can notice patterns and tropes easier than most and make connections that others don’t see, it’s quite helpful when designing or writing. However I (and many other low support needs autistics with late diagnoses) still suffer from living in a world where being anything other than neurotypical is seen almost as a moral failing. When you are lower support needs you often don’t get the help, or only part of the help you need because parents might just think you’re fussy or sensitive. You get bullied by other kids for reasons you can’t figure out and you come to the conclusion very early that you are just a bad person, you don’t know what you did wrong but everyone treats you bad so it must be true. So you try your best to be like them, to ‘mask’, try to make eye contact, try to speak like them, turning to invisible stims, never even discuss your special interest because then they’ll realize what a weirdo you are and make fun of you. And after years of masking you end up burning out and still recovering years later. Fortunately I have a supportive family and my workplace and friend group is majority neurodivergent (museums FTW!) which means I’m in a stable and well supported situation at the moment. Unfortunately this is not true of most low support needs autistic adults, many of whom are unemployed or underemployed, many suffer from thoughts of self harm or worse. If you’d like to talk to some more articulate autism advocates I suggest getting in touch with ASAN (autism self advocacy network)
3 weeks ago | 3
Hey so, I’m not necessarily low support but I might be up for an interview. Autism hasn’t been purely beneficial or detrimental, there are good things but I do need support from day to day. It might be good to explain how even people who aren’t completely independent do get benefits from our autism instead of perpetuating the erasure of anyone who isn’t low support from the discussion
4 weeks ago | 7
According to the National Library of Medicine, 42% of autistic adults report having suicidal ideation in the past year and 18% reported that they attempted. (As opposed to 4.8% and 0.7% for non-autistic adults). 20% of autistic children reported suicidal ideation and 10% reported attempts. (As opposed to 14.2% and 4.5% for autistic children). A quote: "Therefore, available data suggests that autistic adults are 25 times more likely to make a suicide attempt than non-autistic adults." I would encourage you to read the article though because there is more information there. The data I've seen on the unemployment rate for autistic people is different between different sources, with some saying 30 to 40% and some going as high as 85 to 90%. Whatever the actual statistic is though, we know that it is very much higher than other unemployment rates. For example, the U.S. has an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Sure, there are good things that can come from autism. I have the perspective that autism isn't inherently bad or good, it's society that mainly turns it into a disability, but there are many inherent problems that come with autism, and having autism is not remotely easy for anyone. If you are going to make a video about autism, skipping the perspectives of medium to high support people and skipping the data above will entirely misrepresent the disability.
3 weeks ago | 2
Aspie here. Appreciate the cause you’re doing man. Feel like it affects so much of my way of life, and all too often, people label autism as some kind of defect. Or a negative. Like you’re just stupid or something. When really it’s just, insanely smart and passionate, just about really weird things. Lmao I feel fortunate in that my passion was found with guitar playing. Not that there’s anything wrong with obscure hobbies that a lot of other aspies invest into. But it’s made my life a lot easier to fit in, being able to speak this universal language everyone can speak and enjoy. I thank God for this gift, and I thank you for highlighting WHY it is one.
4 weeks ago (edited) | 3
Dr Sermed Mezher
I'm looking to interview a couple of people with low support needs autism for a long-form video called "The Benefits of Autism".
For this, I want to find out about your experience living with autism, how you feel it has affected you and any parts of this neurotype you have seen as positives/have helped you gain success.
Examples that might prompt some ideas are:
1) direct methods of communication (can be both a positive and negative depending on the situation)
2) A specialist interest you have (maybe you turned it into a career?)
3) Attention to detail/hyperfocus
4) Resisting peer pressures
5) Loyalty & dedication
If you would be willing for me to interview you for this then I'd be grateful if you can e-mail me on hello@sermedmezher.com
Thank you again for all your support. I feel so privileged to be able to make pieces like this with you all that can hopefully do some good to tackle the current stigmatising information being spread.
All the best,
Sermed
4 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 405