On the inspirational story TV show “Good to Know,” the narrator said Jackson “suffers from autism.”
Way to go! You just set autism acceptance back several notches.
Neurotypicals or those who aren’t autistic can end up suffering tremendously – as a result of how their brain is wired.
There are things that NTs will do, that puts them in grave danger, that an Autistic would usually never do.
For example, Christie Wilson went to a casino to play Black Jack and got to talking with a total stranger at the table, Mario Garcia.
Video surveillance shows them exiting the casino in the middle of the night – his arm around her waist.
It’d be unthinkable for most autistic women (who have low support needs) to carry on this way – accepting a ride from this man she’s known for only an hour or two – letting him slink his arm around her.
Out of video range, Mario forces Christie into his car, then drives off to an isolated area where he rapes and kills her. This is a true story.
For the life of me, I just can’t imagine an autistic woman not arranging ahead of time for a trustworthy friend or family member to drive her home in the middle of the night (yes, autistic people can have friends or trustworthy acquaintances).
And if she couldn’t get a ride, she’d just forego the gambling for that night and find something else to do.
That’s because autistic people are more likely – FAR more likely – to make decisions based on logic rather than on emotion or feelings.
Autistics are FAR less likely to buckle to peer pressure to get drunk, do drugs, smoke or have sex – because ASD comes with a built-in high level of resistance to doing something just because “everyone else is doing it” or jumping on the latest bandwagon or getting sucked into the latest trend.
Certainly, ASD comes with plenty of struggles, but many of those challenges are caused by living in a world that’s designed for NTs.
However, neurotypicality comes with inherent challenges too, such as caving to peer pressure, the inability to see the details and analyze, and lack of proficiency at detecting patterns with the things happening around them in life.
This isn’t to say that NTs can’t excel at logical and analytical thinking, spot trends in the business world or pick up on small but relevant details.
But these gifts are far more prevalent in those on the Autism Spectrum.
So there I was, watching a TV show, “Good to Know,” which features inspirational stories.
The one that aired August 26, 2023, included a segment on an autistic teen boy, Jackson, whose parents reported that ever since he began taking care of two goats, his ability to verbally communicate had improved.
The segment cut to a commercial break, and upon the show returning, the narrator said, “Jackson, who suffers from autism…”
Jackson’s parents seemed very loving. The boy derived immense joy handling his goats at the nearby animal farm. This teen didn’t seem to be suffering.
Many “normal” teens suffer.
- They get sucked into the wrong crowd.
- They gossip at school, spread rumors, backstab.
- They get into fights over boyfriends and girlfriends.
- They worry if they look cool enough, if their makeup is perfect, if their clothes meet the approval of their friends, if their new car will make them more likeable, if a thigh gap will make them more likeable.
- They sink into a depression if they don’t have a date for Friday night.
Any HUMAN can suffer – at any age. What kind of home life did they have growing up? Did they witness their mother getting beaten up by their father?
Maybe they didn’t even know their father. Was one parent an alcoholic?
People are suffering the world over from all sorts of things. We shouldn’t throw autism in there.
The narrators on “Good to Know” always say “has autism.” They never use the term autistic. What are they afraid of? Do they not realize that collectively, the autism community prefers autistic?
Why not just say, “Jackson, who’s autistic…”?
Not all autistic people suffer in the true sense of the word. In fact, I’ve seen severely autistic people who seem oblivious to the world’s problems. Some just seem so content stimming continuously.
Does this mean they never have meltdowns when they can’t communicate a need? Of course not.
We also shouldn’t assume that every single autistic individual even has meltdowns.
A dad to a profoundly autistic teen told me he had never witnessed his son have a meltdown.
Stop saying “suffers with autism.” You don’t know that individual. You don’t know what kind of home life their parents provide for them.
I’m clinically diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It comes with some issues and challenges — even sometimes struggles — that I’ve had all my life. But I don’t suffer.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical and fitness topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. In 2022 she received a diagnosis of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder and subsequently has developed an intense interest in ASD.
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