Dealing With Autistic People

The definitions of disorders change and are constantly updated. For example, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Medical Disorders eliminated the different subsets of Autism Spectrum Disorder so that Asperger’s was no longer considered a diagnosis. And before 1974, homosexuality was considered a medical mental disorder. And any type of mental disorder is a product of the culture that defines it. So the best thing to do when dealing with people with autism or any mental disorder is to treat them as you would any human. If they are assholes, then call them one, or avoid them. The problem with feeling sorry for them or having others making you feel bad for being mean is that they are being defined by that disorder. And the definition of that disorder could change in a couple years. Plus, I have heard the argument “you should be nice to them, they were born this way.” Well, a poor man is born poor, but if he is an asshole I won’t like him because he is an asshole, not because he was born poor. Likewise, I don’t hate an autistic because he is autistic. I don’t like him because he is an asshole. Though be understanding that they might be an asshole because they are poor or autistic. But also realize they could be using their poorness or autism diagnosis as an excuse to be an asshole. As for treating autism, it really depends on the cause. If it is due to how the brain developed during gestation, then there is not much that could ever be done to treat it. If it has to do with abnormal immune system attacking neurons or abnormal levels of chemicals in the brain, then autism could be treatable or preventable.

As someone with Asperger's, It's highly essential that we develope a strong sense of self awareness. The problem is that it can take a fucking long time, and essentially becomes moot once dealing with a new social situation. Not only that, but it can often lead to overcompensating, trying too hard, and reading too much into things.

Wellll......that's a somewhat tricky statement, because oftentimes we don't realize if we are being annoying. It takes setting boundaries. For me it took realizing the harsh truth that nobody wants to hear me go on about nonsense for hours on end. If you want to have a meaningful relationship with someone on the spectrum, find some conmon ground that you wouldn't mind talking about, and only hang with them when you want to talk about that. We are otherwise normal people with regular lives; we just have a longer warm up period for the social aspects.