People with autism have opened up about what they truly feel with the way they have been treated by society. They shared their experiences about how other people view them in an online community and revealed some suggestions on how not to talk to people with autism.
The discussion was on Reddit and people with autism were directly asked: "What do you wish people would understand better about autism?" One of the things they highlighted was that their condition is part of a spectrum and the severity of the disability is different with each case.
Few people realize that IQ is also not the best gauge for determining a person's autism spectrum. "Many service providers only consider you as being disabled and eligible for services if you are physically handicapped or are under a certain IQ threshold," said Reddit member jabberwockxeno.
Never Label People With Autism As 'Snowflake'
"I'm so sick of being called a "snowflake," said member PhoenyxStar and emphasized that people with autism are not learning-disabled, rather, they are socially unable to adjust and this hinders them from learning better. "If you can find some strong incentives and good teaching tools, we can learn," he said and added that many people with autism are fast-learners.
Never Let People With Autism Get Away With Behaving Like Jerks
Some have revealed that they can't make friends easily, nor keep these friends around for long. However, they also shared that there are people with autism who behave like jerks and blame their condition.
They said that it would be right to call the person on this behavior. "It's not a valid excuse; it's like making a culturally-incorrect gaff, then saying "It's not MY fault I didn't grow up [x culture]!" said another Reddit member.
Autism Mum cites that people with autism might take longer to understand what you tell them and their response might be considered rude. Understand that these are not attacks, but a difficulty in communicating. Correcting the behavior with kindness, reassurance and clarity will get better results.
Never Tell People With Autism To 'Just Ignore' The Bullies
Being told to "just ignore" the bullying people with autism have experienced as children has a huge effect on them. While many have adjusted better in life as adults, they hoped someone helped them deal with bullies better than by simply ignoring the person or situation.
Some couldn't process the situation, or believed this was normal and got little help from teachers and other adults because the bullying didn't stop. One member pointed out that his situation was resolved when someone defended him against the bullies.
Never Talk To Them Like Children
Some people with autism dislike being regarded as "special" and thus get treated like children. While those with severe autism are unable to function, many in the lower end of the spectrum have the ability to live normally and take care of themselves.
Austistic Hoya suggests talking directly to people with autism even if they are around caregivers, personal assistants or therapists. Don't make assumptions about their lives because people with autism can have jobs or might be parents. They're adults with responsibilities, too.
