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djaroyesterday at 8:01 PM3 repliesview on HN

Autism is a disability. The function of the brain to normally process social cues is broken. In the same way someone who is blind has broken vision, someone in a wheelchair has broken legs, and someone with ADHD has broken executive function.

This isnt a moral judgement, theres nothing wrong with being disabled, but it remaims a disability that many people struggle due to.


Replies

hopppyesterday at 8:55 PM

The disability exists when compared to neurotypicals but does not necessarily exist when compared to other autists.

As a comparison, if you put a bonobo with chimps the bonobo will be severely disabled socially, but it won't be when compared to other bonobos.

The fact that autists can communicate with each other does not fit typical models of disability. A blind person should be blind to another blind person.

SubiculumCodeyesterday at 10:39 PM

There is interesting evidence that autism-autism social interactions are fairly vibrant. Everything is a bit more complicated than simple answers, no matter which way you swing.

forestrywattoday at 5:44 AM

You've agreed with what I said. Nothing here is counter to or in opposition to my point.

The person has a disability. Part of the person may be broken, but the person isn't broken. I'm autistic. My sensory processing wiring is different and arguably broken. But I am not. I'm disabled. I can overcome the broken parts that result in my disability with support.