Just a question…

How much advocacy is required before people stop using the phrase “high functioning autism”? The use of this phrase negatively affects autistic people with lower support needs for so many reasons…

Not only does it separate us based on our 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 functional ability, it ignores our very real support needs and perpetuates harmful stereotypes and expectations.

"Dr. Allen Frances is “very sorry" for helping to lower the diagnosis bar for autism and turning millions of healthy Americans into what he called “mental patients.”

There are many issues with this article, but I'll try and reduce them down to three.

bit.ly/3NqoJwZ 1. It positions the deficit model as the only way to conceptualise autism, perpetuating the harmful and outdated belief that autism is a "problem" within the individual.

How to handle tics you might find uncomfortable. 🧵

#Tourettes #tics An honest reality of having tics is that they can be uncomfortable and painful. But, it can also be difficult for others to know how to respond to some of these tics.

It’s important we address this if our goal is to better support people with tics and those who care about us…

What causes autism (and is this really what we should be focussing on)?🪡

*𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘵: 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢*

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic A substantial focus of autism research has been on its causes rather than ways to improve our lives.

However, as some have theorised 'gut bacteria' to be a cause, I think it may be useful to share what research has found.

This kind of belief is unfortunately all too common. However, not only is it highly harmful towards the #autistic community, it’s woefully shortsighted.

Here’s how… 🧵

#ActuallyAutistic

https://twitter.com/Inannani/status/1627651162890547208

1. It implies autistic behaviour is the problem in social interactions as it causes “friction.” This demonstrates a complete lack of empathy and awareness about: a.) how autistic people experience the world; and b.) how we are treated by others because of this.

Subtle signs that could have indicated that I’m #autistic, but were missed when I was growing up…🧵

#ActuallyAutistic #Masking Childhood:

- Overly shy.
- Only wanting one friend from a young age.
- Not understanding other’s intentions/real feelings.
- Reading the same series of books over and over.
- Being very talented at writing and art.
- Often in my own fantasy world.
- Being quite passive.

A few points on this:

1. When views are expressed that Tourettic people would be "too ashamed" to show our #tics online, & if we do we're "showing off" & don't represent what real TS looks like, there needs to be accountability. Ideally, by the speaker and your organisation.

https://twitter.com/TouretteAssn/status/1598431443453091883

2. While I appreciate finally receiving a response from the TAA regarding this issue, you have still not condemned this viewpoint, & it's unclear whether you agree with it or not.

3. What is clear, is the TAA has provided a platform for these views to be disseminated publicly.

A common belief about #autism is that women are far less likely to be #autistic than men, and if we appear socially capable, smile, or make-eye contact, we 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 after all.

This is not only very damaging, but it's also inaccurate. Here's why🧵 1. We require additional cognitive, behavioural, and everyday functional difficulties to get referred for assessment and to receive an autism diagnosis than males, despite having similar levels of autistic traits. This may contribute to under-diagnosis.
linkmix.co/13091815

Neurodivergent #masking (e.g., forcing eye contact, following a conversation script, tic suppression) is a symptom of society’s intolerance towards observable characteristics that don’t align with normative standards of ‘acceptable’, able-bodied behaviour. Neurodivergent people are conditioned to “be normal” in order to survive, feel safe, or be accepted. However, this in itself presents challenges. When we mask, our condition is often missed, we face identity erasure, challenges setting boundaries, and poor mental health.