alt Hacker NewsThe part about being autistic for life is not really helpful. I personally know people who learned to "stop being autistic" from an outside POV, and they got to the point where they're not consciously masking anymore, it all comes natural. Just decided to act "normal" for a change and stuck with it.
Of course it's not easy, not everyone can do it (like if they also have some intellectual disability) or wants to do it, but it's the right solution for a lot of people. It's not really curing autism because it's not changing your DNA but it's definitely treating the most socially disabling symptoms.
But I think the statements all good and does what it's supposed to if it helps fight forced therapy child abuse and anti vax movements. Don't need to be perfect to make a change.
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That sounds too much like people saying 'just don't be depressed' to me.
And constantly masking (whether or not it's consciously done) is taking its toll too. Because you spend a lot of 'brainpower' second-guessing yourself.
For me it was really liberating finding people that accept me as I am so I don't have to worry all the time. And I became more successful at work when I stopped pretending to be someone I'm not.
And I definitely don't want to 'seem normal' to not attract the ire of the anti-vaxxers anti-neurodivergent crowd. They're my enemies so they deserve no such adaptation.
Unconsciously masking is still tiring, and masking doesn't generalise well to unfamiliar situations.
They are still autistic.
Knowing something you’ve learned to live with for life has a name and by learning that name thus recognizing your ordeal can be very helpful. Neurodiversity is real and learning that you are perhaps somewhat special (not wired like others; perhaps prone to using social tricks as a mask) can help. My personal learning of the last few years. For me the tricks and masks didn’t hurt me, but recognizing how I am and even a bit of sharing that with closest relations helped me massively.