Re: [AutisticTreehouse]Learned AS like behaviours

[Guest guest]

This is exactly what I wanted to say about this, only I couldn't figure

out how to say it eloquently. It's as if there is a faith-based premise

is that we are broken, so all differences must be cast into that value

system.

> On 22 December 2011 06:03, Kate Gladstone <handwritingrepair@...

> <mailto:handwritingrepair%40gmail.com>> wrote:

> > I have seen it happen (the phenomenon he describes, of typical people

> coming to act more Aspie as they learn from us) There are also, of

> course, many cases in which it does not happen.

>

> Does anyone think that when it does happen it may on many occasions

> simply be that by being around people who display and accept unusual

> traits others may feel less need to hide some of their own? That it's

> giving them a freedom, rather than somehow forcing them to be like us?

>

> This is a little different, but I learned a lot about being autistic

> from joining forums like inlv and ANI-L, and started doing things that

> might have made me look more outwardly autistic but actually were

> usefully copying ways others on spectrum had adapted things to their

> needs. Examples include wearing socks inside out (as the toe hem

> irritates) and cutting labels out of clothes.

>

> I don't think it's wrong to feel ok or even good about doing things

> differently. And I think it's great if we ACs can sometimes provide

> space where NTs can be a little less repressive and normal!

>

> Ruth

>

[Guest guest]

> This is exactly what I wanted to say about this, only I couldn't

> figure

> out how to say it eloquently. It's as if there is a faith-based

> premise

> is that we are broken, so all differences must be cast into that value

> system.

From an essay written in 1998:

If people on the autism spectrum all " came out " and worked towards

increasing institutional flexibility to the point where our " special

needs " could be accommodated, the world would be a much more

comfortable, less alienating place for everyone else as well. Such a

world would be one where the individual got to decide whether the

lighting in the workpl ace was impairing her ability to function.

Where bosses would be expected to negotiate with employees the manner

in which information and orders were exchanged. Where " the market "

would not enforce the notion that being part of a romantically-based

couple was the way to become " adult. " Where seeking assistance with

certain aspects of daily life was not seen as an admission of

incompetence. Where it would be as normal for children to have

different learning styles as it is to have different colors and

textures of hair. Where everyone would " have an accent. "

(Note: it goes on to say that for various valid reasons, not everybody

is able to " come out. " )

Whole thing is here:

http://www.planetautism.com/jane/diff.html

Jane

[Guest guest]

Because of my sensitivity to other people's emotions, any time I'm around people

who have characteristics who are similar to me, those characteristics get drawn

out of me. So naturally being around autistic people who have autistic

characteristics similar to mine will draw out those autistic characteristics.

~Marcie

[Guest guest]

I'm fairly recently diagnosed, but the more time I spend around other

autistic adults, the more comfortable I feel just being my own autistic self

rather than trying to suppress my natural behaviours all the time.