In the case of India and Southeast Asia (I live in Singapore, part of Southeast Asia), they have the potential to create conditions ripe for sustainable development. I believe Aspies should be part of, rather than excluded, from the bigger trend of a more eco-friendly and more supportive feature for all.
Perhaps my hopes are seen in a recent trip to Indonesia. People there treat everyone with acceptance and respect. Even me, a yellow-skinned foreigner who don't speak their language, gets their warm welcome and friendly, approachable smile.
View attachment 1751
I believe that Aspies in our region should focus on acceptance first, before awareness. In the western world, it was hoped that awareness can bring about acceptance, and with civil rights and self-expressiveness of Western Aspies, that worked out. But this doesn't work in the way of the Eastern world - especially, unfortunately, in East Asia. (South and Southeast Asia are, for now, quite ignorant of Aspies (save for Singapore), but at least their leaders involved in autism affairs know better)
View attachment 1750
In East Asia, autism is definitely a disadvantage in a group-centric culture. They are not just out of the norm, they are immediately excluded from opportunities. Now when the autistic people gather together, especially for people with East Asian descent in Singapore (for there are only three South Asians and no Southeast Asian-descent people in all autism groups we see), we get, instead, a East Asia type of organizational behaviour. I noted that our group is basically just 'a bunch of failures to laugh at people who fail more, and humiliate them'. Despite best efforts by other people, our group degenerated for a while, because we failed to bring in acceptance in terms of awareness of our conditions.
View attachment 1752
Now, the main challenges ahead for Asian autism affairs are:
We need to create conditions ripe for more acceptance in people with autism, for those living in Asia
We need to encourage them to share their issues, with both vigour and humility, to the rest of the world
In addition, specifically for my native Singaporeans, more so for Aspies - who have the most to gain and create the most value to surrounding Asian countries - we need to see our opportunities and to really be open sharing their challenges, experiences and suggestions/solutions to create a more accepting world, in whatever forms that will make Asia notice. It can be in creative forms we all can think of. (One of my group members does, in fact, tried to pen a novel in the Asian setting, revolving around the Aspie theme, but he aborted it for personal reasons. How sad.)
