So, I have some complicated feelings about this message. I’m not gonna touch on the font, as that’s already been done, but rather just the message. Autism does not imply nonconformity and nonconformity does not imply autism. I know neurotypicals that are nonconformists, and I know autistic folks who mask so deeply that they conform just like any average neurotypical. Autism is much more than simply the act of conformity/nonconformity. And I think the biggest problem I have here is that for autistic folks, nonconformity is (most often) not a choice. It’s simply the way we function, and often times masking doesn’t feel like a choice, either. It’s more of a necessity to survival.
I struggle to praise the idea that autism is a performance art as is being loosely implied in this statement. I consider it a way of life rather than a conscious, artistic choice. Especially for those with severe presentations that are disabling, I feel like this statement is exceptionally exclusionary.
So, I have some complicated feelings about this message. I’m not gonna touch on the font, as that’s already been done, but rather just the message. Autism does not imply nonconformity and nonconformity does not imply autism. I know neurotypicals that are nonconformists, and I know autistic folks who mask so deeply that they conform just like any average neurotypical. Autism is much more than simply the act of conformity/nonconformity. And I think the biggest problem I have here is that for autistic folks, nonconformity is (most often) not a choice. It’s simply the way we function, and often times masking doesn’t feel like a choice, either. It’s more of a necessity to survival.
I struggle to praise the idea that autism is a performance art as is being loosely implied in this statement. I consider it a way of life rather than a conscious, artistic choice. Especially for those with severe presentations that are disabling, I feel like this statement is exceptionally exclusionary.