As I said, I don't disagree with this, Pieter. Celebrating differences is what neurodiversity is all about.
What I'm (so far unsuccessfully) trying to explain to you is that this same concept you are using is currently culturally being abused to oppress autistic people by not catering to and erasing our different needs and forcing neurotypical social expectations onto us. Ableism is currently predominant and ingrained in our society (the norm), and I have to face it every day. Saying things like "everyone is (a little) autistic" and "no one is autistic", as well as functioning labels, only serve to dismiss and discredit the difficulties autistic people face every day that allistics don't have to, that make our lives so much harder, often near-impossible to live, in this society. They serve to stop autistic people from advocating for ourselves and voicing our negative experiences and concerns about the current state of things as it impacts our lives.
Being autistic in current human society is a difference that equally presents (great) additional challenges as well as positive traits and experiences (when finding acceptance). To look at only the positive means denying the reality of the situation.
What I'm (so far unsuccessfully) trying to explain to you is that this same concept you are using is currently culturally being abused to oppress autistic people by not catering to and erasing our different needs and forcing neurotypical social expectations onto us. Ableism is currently predominant and ingrained in our society (the norm), and I have to face it every day. Saying things like "everyone is (a little) autistic" and "no one is autistic", as well as functioning labels, only serve to dismiss and discredit the difficulties autistic people face every day that allistics don't have to, that make our lives so much harder, often near-impossible to live, in this society. They serve to stop autistic people from advocating for ourselves and voicing our negative experiences and concerns about the current state of things as it impacts our lives.
Being autistic in current human society is a difference that equally presents (great) additional challenges as well as positive traits and experiences (when finding acceptance). To look at only the positive means denying the reality of the situation.
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