Autism & Society Explained: What do we mean by 'Normal'?

Autism is not uniform - every autistic person is unique. There's no such thing as a "normal" autist. What do people mean by "normal" when it's applied to other people? How does it feel to be told you are "abnormal"? Is it OK to tell an autistic person that they're "NOT normal"?

#Actually Autistic #AllAutistics #AskingAutistics #Autism

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[Melissa.Garrett]

One of my favourite quotes ever is from the actor Misha Collins: “I want to live in a world where the word ’normal’ is an insult.” Surely we should be celebrating variety, since it is the spice of life.

[elainelee]

Don’t think too much, is what I hear all the time.

[thelynarysystem]

Thank you, you've put good words on the concept of normality, especially on why being included in the societal concept of normality is fundamental.

[autiejedi]

Very timely, and extremely good points made, Quinn. Thank you! 💜

[josephmartin]

But, I'm not ready to give up the way I use the word, since it communicates the scientific meaning. And, I would be giving the twenty minute explanation when I used it. Still, many people don't follow my words even when I define them all... Having had the diagnosis "you are weird" for 66 years, It helped a lot to embrace" weird [wired spelled differently, so to speak]" contrasted to "normal." I use that explanation to prepare people to try and understand whatever the main point is which I want to over communicate. It works... or it least it has once or twice. Thanks and carry on, brother: you communicate much better than I!

[MaryKDayPetrano]

This was very good ! I'm autistic, and I'm probably one of the first autistics ever to have graduated law school in the United States. Autistic people are NOT accepted in the legal profession. Since I graduated in 1990, the Courts that are almost 100 % composed of Neurotypical people, have invented these new case screening methods, and financial punishments to exclude autistic people and to impose fines on us that are so far exceeding our entire lifetime income it's absurd. If the Autistic person makes an innocent, honest mistake, they pounce - they will look for any reason they can find to toss an Autistic person's case out, no matter how important the case is especially to the autistic person from the autistic perspective. It's a very good example of how they only let you have a right to be heard if you're "normal." And, it's obvious they regard autistic people as "abnormal." It really has a tragic effect on Autistic people all across the United States. Some 33 years after I graduated, they still won't let me be a lawyer because being autistic "is an age-old problem" that "violates social norms." Truth !

[LiveAndLetLive]

I was diagnosed Asperger's years ago, when it was still a diagnosis given over here. My partner reacts like a neurotypical, but insists he is autistic. He resonated with things on the Asperger's On The Inside channel, came to that conclusion, and expects it to excuse bad behavior toward me; yet, when ToM comes up and it's time for him to learn how to respond to me vs. react, NOPE - REACTION TIME! It's ruining my life. Multiple times a day, all day every day - I have a physical disability so I'm at home and he's working from home. It's

I want to support him if he is autistic too - I'd never want to give him the scars he gave me. At the same time, I've already wasted 4 years with my own autism having to be ignored or mistreated... So if he's using that to gaslight me, it's very unfair. He refused to read much about ASD, and still does, but obviously is going to get offended if I doubt him. He DOES show signs of it, but I'm not a doctor. Should I just bite my tongue while I insist he seek a diagnosis, lean on external support until he does and pray they narrow it down? I should know who I was engaged to by now.

[jayflash]

I enjoyed the video. What do you think of the term ‘normies’ for non-autistic people? Personally I don’t like it. Is there a better word for ‘normal’?

[anthonypena]

Semi aquatic egg laying mammal of action. 🎶.