Neurodiversity and me

I was first told by my parents about being
queried for being autistic as a child

when I was fourteen years old.

At this time, I was suffering
a bullying crisis in secondary school

and I was breaking down wondering
what was wrong with me,

and why couldn't I just be
like everyone else.

It brought a mixture of emotions:

a sense of relief,
finally understanding myself,

but also hopelessness.

Many media portrayals of people
on the autism spectrum

that I knew of were of lost causes,

to be pitied or changed to fit in
with everyone else.

Then, at 15 I found a sign of hope.

I came across an online community
of autistic activists,

ordinary people on the spectrum
who championed something new and amazing.

Autism acceptance.

They spoke of Neurodiversity,

which accepted autism
as a natural difference in human brains,

with autistic people needing to be
accepted in a society,

and accommodated,

instead of being looked down on,

or viewed as an abstract mystery
to be solved

by the next medical breakthrough.

The ideas of autism acceptance,
pride and diversity,

without exaggeration saved my life,
and made me a happier,

and stronger person.

Autistic people deserve to be
valued and accepted as they are.

They deserve to know that they are
powerful for being able to live,

survive, and achieve in a world
not built for them.

They deserve to be proud of who they are,

not on the grounds
of how normal they can act

or their perceived intelligence,

but on the ground that they are human.

People with Autism are not
a puzzle to be solved.

♪ outro music ♪