Deficit or difference?

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference?

There are a few things about autism that it takes quite a lot of ingenuity to consistently frame them as negative.

I've listed some of them here...

A thread 🧵

️

#Autism #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic

1/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.1:
Preferring clear, direct communication.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as social failure.

2/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.2:
Taking words seriously.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as literal-mindedness, rather than respect for meaning.

3/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.3:
Needing explicit expectations.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as rigidity - rather than being unwilling or unable to adhere to invisible, illogical, and/or inconsistent rules.

4/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.4:
Deep focus and commitment.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as obsession, rather than depth, care, or expertise.

5/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.5:
Sensory intensity.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as overreaction, rather than a body receiving a great deal of information.

6/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.6:
Not performing hierarchy and status games fluently.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as social naivety, and not as a different relationship to power.

7/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.7:
Emotional or cognitive intensity.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as dysregulation or maladjustment - rather than a high level of engagement & responsiveness to the world.

8/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.8:
Honesty and consistency.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as bluntness, inflexibility, or lack of tact.

9/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.9:
Stimming or moving differently.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as inappropriate behaviour, rather than self-regulation.

10/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.10:
Not automatically prioritising appearances.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as poor social awareness, rather than a refusal to make surface performance more important than deeper things.

11/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

Deficit or difference 🧵

Autistic deficit no.11:
Being distressed by injustice, hypocrisy, or coercion.

In the “negative or nothing” model of autism, this is framed as challenging behaviour, rather than an accurate response to something being very wrong.

12/13

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

To sum up, many autistic ‘deficits’ may only be deficits in a material world that needs very high sensory tolerance & the constant filtering of a barrage of human-made information...

... and in a social world that's built around implication, hierarchy, performance, and obedience.

13/13

Can anyone think of more things? Whatever your view, comments very welcome!

I’ve explored the “negative or nothing” theme more here: https://www.neurofabulous.org.uk/autism-negative-or-nothing.html

[danimo@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone I only see one problem here: being subject to judgment from neurotypical people. What's the point of that? Since I've been avoiding those people, there hasn't been a problem.

[cassandravert@indieweb.social]

@KatyElphinstone
Basically we are inconvenient to certain people. I tend to think that's why Kennedy has targeted autism.

[katyelphinstone@mas.to]

@GentlemanTech

Good point. Not accepting theories without any data or evidence.

[showitt@mastodon.social]

@KatyElphinstone These are all wonderful interpretations and they make me joyous and positive pivoting my thinking towards these positions. But it does leave me with an incandescent rage that I was, and always have been, correct in how I thought, interpreted and discussed situations with NT's, but was dismissed, ignored and ridiculed for my thoughts and words. And for what it's worth I thought that you were absolutely bloody brilliant on the Podcast Let's Talk Neurosense, thank you for that.

[undefined_variable@mementomori.social]

@CassandraVert @KatyElphinstone I don't think the inconvenience is us, per se, but us gaining more awareness and thus acknowledgement, and as an extension, reaching for some basic rights and accommodations we're due, that is the inconvenience for them, and why Kennedy et al hates us, as they do every minority population that tries to lift themselves up. They'd be fine with us if we stayed under their heel.

[cassandravert@indieweb.social]

@undefined_variable @KatyElphinstone I mean because we don't think like they do, they can't use all the same controls. That's inconvenient for them. Someone like Greta Thunberg is inconvenient.

[cassandravert@indieweb.social]

@KatyElphinstone Also, both my daughter and I will use the literal meaning of idioms to make jokes. (eg "two shakes of what?")