"But I don't need to know how your brain works".
A common comment, when autistic people talk about the need to explain that we're autistic.
Mmm.
Let's explain a bit of everyday life. Thread.
I am invited into a meeting with e.g. 7 people whose brains function in 'typical' ways/
A common comment, when autistic people talk about the need to explain that we're autistic.
Mmm.
Let's explain a bit of everyday life. Thread.
I am invited into a meeting with e.g. 7 people whose brains function in 'typical' ways/
Comments
They won't be aware of it. It's not in their control, unless they realise that's what's going to happen/
Untrustworthy
Rude
Abrupt
Weird
Incompetent.
Want me to go on?
And in no time at all, the 7 people decide that they have all the answers, & I'm irrelevant to their group.
They didn't know.
They misread it./
See the excellent work at https://salvesen-research.ed.ac.uk/our-projects/diversity-in-social-intelligence-replication re how autistic social skills tend to work just fine amongst other autistic people. A genuine difference, not a 'fault'.
Do I tell them?
If I do, do I risk endless difficulties from prejudices and half-remembered untruths from the Daily Wail and other unreliable sources?
Or do I get lucky and find a group that's had good neurodiversity training?/
Then go home and collapse from the pressure?/
Now, I can add all the useful stuff that I'm being paid by their organisation to deliver.
Now, we can appreciate each other's differences, and learn to double check any misunderstandings between us/
a) don't know what it is
b) dismiss it
c) treat me like I'm slow
For me, it's done more harm than good.