My disability is me. It’s who I am. There is no me without my disability. None that is negative. Without my disability I’d be a completely other person. You can’t separate me out from my disability. There is nothing wrong with that.
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At an IEP meeting, the county "autism expert" proudly stated (looking so pleased with himself) that he told my daughter "not to think of herself as autistic." Spoke of person-first language.
I'd been giving the matter a LOT of thought (hadn't realized yet that I'm also autistic). I launched into 1/
a polite-yet-firm tirade. Part of what I said (the gist of it, anyway): autism is *in every cell of her body*, it is as much a part of who she is as gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation--would you tell someone of another race how to identify? 2/
Exactly. 💛 Our brains are just wired differently. It’s not something we grow out of, or an illness. It is a disability, and there is nothing to be ashamed of about that.
My dad used to say I've "overcome" my ADHD by getting an advanced degree and didn't understand why I didn't like it. He still doesn't, but at least he's stopped saying it.
Ooph reminds me of when I got an award at the end of sixth form which turned out to be for something along the lines of 'suceeding in adversity' instead of my actual academic achievements and it felt like I'd been punched in the guts. 🫠
Thanks for all this. I'm neurodivergent and I sometimes feel a bit invisible because my thing isn't obvious. I can't even talk about it because people don't get it due to lack of awareness and facilities where I'm from. So I really appreciate this.
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I see you, Erin.
Sometimes I wonder who I might have been and what I might have done if not for.
I'd been giving the matter a LOT of thought (hadn't realized yet that I'm also autistic). I launched into 1/
I can't remember all of it, but it was one of the proudest moments of my life, and I hope the "expert" took it to heart.
/fin
We see you.
Thank you for saying this out loud. I have always hesitated saying this for so many reasons. I hope to gain the same courage you have.
Thank you!