IntoTheVoid
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the strange title, but I couldn't figure out anything better.
I've noticed that some people believe being autistic wouldn't be an issue if the society we live in treated autistic people with more respect. Most of the problems with being autistic, they argue, stem from society being unaccommodating. I kind of agree with this idea, at least for high-functioning autistic individuals.
Let me give you a simple example—an autistic person hates big crowds and parties. This person is asked by his family to attend an uncle's birthday party. He refuses, but the family forces him to go anyway.
Now, society might say, "Bro, just overcome your autistic traits, be more normal, and do what’s expected of you!" But the opposite perspective could be, "Maybe society should simply respect that some people don’t enjoy parties and let them be." In this case, the autistic person wouldn't have an issue if his family simply respected his decision.
I first came across this idea when I read Unmasking Autism by Devon Price.
The thing is, some people—including some autistic individuals—don’t seem to agree with this idea. I read some reviews of Unmasking Autism on Goodreads, and a few of them addressed this. One said, "I strongly disagree with Devon’s idea that respect will fix everything. No... Even if everyone accepted autism, it’s still a disability."
Some people seem to disagree even more strongly. A couple of days ago, I saw a post on Reddit that suggested this idea is "dangerous" and "ableist."
But why? I wish people with this opinion would provide more explanations and arguments because I don’t see what’s wrong with it.
So, a question for those who disagree: Why? Can you explain in more detail? And for everyone else, what’s your opinion in general?
I've noticed that some people believe being autistic wouldn't be an issue if the society we live in treated autistic people with more respect. Most of the problems with being autistic, they argue, stem from society being unaccommodating. I kind of agree with this idea, at least for high-functioning autistic individuals.
Let me give you a simple example—an autistic person hates big crowds and parties. This person is asked by his family to attend an uncle's birthday party. He refuses, but the family forces him to go anyway.
Now, society might say, "Bro, just overcome your autistic traits, be more normal, and do what’s expected of you!" But the opposite perspective could be, "Maybe society should simply respect that some people don’t enjoy parties and let them be." In this case, the autistic person wouldn't have an issue if his family simply respected his decision.
I first came across this idea when I read Unmasking Autism by Devon Price.
The thing is, some people—including some autistic individuals—don’t seem to agree with this idea. I read some reviews of Unmasking Autism on Goodreads, and a few of them addressed this. One said, "I strongly disagree with Devon’s idea that respect will fix everything. No... Even if everyone accepted autism, it’s still a disability."
Some people seem to disagree even more strongly. A couple of days ago, I saw a post on Reddit that suggested this idea is "dangerous" and "ableist."
But why? I wish people with this opinion would provide more explanations and arguments because I don’t see what’s wrong with it.
So, a question for those who disagree: Why? Can you explain in more detail? And for everyone else, what’s your opinion in general?
