You are so special! Now you have “Autistic Joy” too!!!


Oh man, here we go again. I am noticing lots of online conversations, and now suddenly Youtube and blogs, suddenly even articles written about “Autistic Joy”.
I am not certain where this originated but the same people who promote “special interests” and “autism is a superpower”, “autism is a gift” are at it once more.

I have been scolded and prompted to respond to multiple queries about my “special interests”, my “superpowers”, my “Autistic Gifts”, and now my so called “Autistic Joy”.

The power of positive thinking is real, the ability to recognize and appreciate the good things in life is real, the sense of accomplishment or self we may obtain from recognizing positive traits in ourselves is healthy unless it is unrealistic or imagined.

I find these prompts to be condescending and actually the opposite of empowering. They all fall under that “special” label where we are constantly pointed at and labeled and “othered”.

These things may be well meaning and meant to encourage a positive outlook in children, but when some 20 year old lectures me about my “special abilities” and how I should be proud because I am autistic, I wonder what sort of BS they have been raised to believe.

Autism in childhood is hard enough, wait until they figure out they have been given a completely unrealistic evaluation of their abilities and their potential (you can be anything you want to be)

I am proud of my autism like I am proud of my diabetes or my high blood pressure. These things are what they are and I don’t go around like some PR person touting the “advantages” of these conditions and how important they make me.
I smell something bad when patronizing people praise and condescendingly (metaphorically) pat me on the head, telling me how wonderful I am.

There may be advantages to being autistic, but in all these years of living, I’m not sure I can name even one.

Most people experience positive traits, and can appreciate things about themselves, but that does not make them “special”. Yet folks are here all over the internet once again telling me how “special” I am.

Its perhaps mistakenly meant to be positive or encouraging, but I smell condescendingly shallow patronization and back-handedly once again pointing out that for an autistic person, I am doing so very well! For an autistic person, pretty good, (still not neurotypical though, too bad for you, your performance in one or two areas of life may meet or exceed neurotypical norms, good for you, you are so special! )

PS, even after almost 73 years of life on this planet I am unable to find “happiness” and as far as I am aware, have never experienced “joy”.
Your experience may be different, good for you, that’s not bad for an autistic person!!!
( sarcasm)