we are also treated like we have a childs brain and thus not given the same respect of an adult because we have varying levels of intellectual disability,having ID doesnt make us think like children,rather we process the world very differently,we understand differently and have a different hierarchy of needs,most with ID have adult interests like having a girlfriend/boyfriend and having a job.
This was something that frustrated me when I was a community support worker. My colleagues and higher-ups would frequently describe our clients in terms such as, "having the mental capacity of a ten year old", or, "thinks like a child." I always found this way of thinking to be reductive, inaccurate, and insulting.
Sure, someone may still enjoy Thomas the Tank Engine at the age of 30 and need help toileting, but they may also have strong political convictions, desire adult relationships and have their own apartment. Comparing that person to a preschooler would just be wrong, even if there are some superficial overlaps in interests and ability.
When I worked with people with dementia I would often be told that, "they are just like children", even though dementia is totally different. Children are constantly learning, dementia patients are constantly forgetting. Children don't typically accuse you of cheating with their husband and trying to steal their house. They certainly don't find themselves lost amidst disjointed memories of their long lives, unaware that their daughter couldn't possibly be both in elementary school
and celebrating her wedding anniversary at the same time.
So I agree; adults with mental disabilities (weather it autism, or something else entirely) should not be treated as children. Everybody needs to realize that they are individuals with complex personalities and needs that cannot be reduced to a simple number.
Back on topic
Ones ability to clearly articulate themselves certainly dispels the appearance of disability. I can see how this would lead people to "fall through the cracks" and not get the help they need as people would presume they are more capable than they are. I would not go so far as to say this makes things more difficult than being non-verbal, mind you, as that would be very challenging indeed.