Autistic, Not Superhuman

Autistic Not Super Human - Narrated By The Author

0:00

/169.980294

1×

I do not think I have ever met an autistic person who refers to their neurodiversity as a superpower. I have only ever read about successful entrepreneurs that claim it to be the case. Therefore, I have this sneaking suspicion that they may well be the exception, not the norm.

However, The world seems keen to be jumping on the 'autism is a superpower' bandwagon: 'Look what <insert-name-of-famous-autistic-entrepenuer> has achieved' etc.

Don't get me wrong, I believe it can be a superpower. But in honesty, only if a few other things happen to fall into place first;

• They got lucky (and were able to work extremely hard)
• They had access to meaningful support & accommodations
• They found a way to succeed within an allistic (non-autistic) definition of value.

Real Talk

The majority of Autistic people have a hard time rubbing along in society. This is not pessimism, it is backed up by facts...

• 35% of autistic people have planned or attempted suicide. Such suicidal ideation can begin as early as age eight.
• Neurodivergents fill our prisons; Up to 50% of prisoners in England and Wales are neurodivergent, compared to 15–20% of the general population.
• Autistics have a lower-than-average life expectancy, often linked to poor mental health outcomes, systemic neglect, and the prior mentioned suicide rates.
• In the UK, only 29% of autistic individuals are in full-time employment. Often not due to lack of ability, but due to difficulty navigating inaccessible work environments.

These stats are not reflective of a super powered community; they represent a neglected one.

The Facts Compounded

These struggles don’t happen in isolation; they’re amplified by the way society continues to treat autism. We live in a world which increasingly seems keen to tell you that 'there is nothing wrong with you', that 'autism is over diagnosed', or a crowd favourite, 'everyone's a little autistic'.

Meanwhile, even the most basic adjustments are withheld or questioned. Making it really quite difficult to just get along like the rest of the world seems to do. Let alone, truly accept who you are.

Here's another hard truth; many of us aren’t struggling because we lack talent or because we are broken. We’re struggling because the system wasn’t designed for us.

It can therefore be a very bitter pill to swallow, when told you possess superpowers, by the same people and structures that disable you.

So what do?

Simple; do not assume.

Some people may feel like their autism is a superpower. Great for them, support them, celebrate them.

But if you don't know if this is how an autistic person feels; do not label it for them. Do not assume autism is a gift. Do not call it a superpower unless they do, and do not expect them to perform heroics. As sometimes, just surviving a day in the world is the superpower.

Real acceptance begins with listening. Not labelling.