“Everyone’s A Little Autistic”

Intro~

This week’s topic for discussion is whether everyone is a little autistic.

Add clip “Intro Music” to episode

Explanation

Is everyone a little autistic? No. If everyone was, there would be a better system in place for accommodations. Neurotypicals already have the support necessary to succeed because they are seen as “normal.” If everyone was a little autistic, then that would be considered the norm. While I am strictly against spreading misconceptions that everyone is “a little autistic,” I do believe that accommodations should be available for anyone struggling, regardless of diagnosis. The idea that everyone is on the spectrum and sometimes worse off than others is a bit misconstrued. The truth is that everyone has functioning capacities, but those with autism are more victim to burnout and dangerously push themselves past their limits.

Reddit Responses to “Everyone’s A Little Autistic”

I found a post on r/autism where user flatoutspewin asks the Subreddit a related question. The PDF version and the link to the original post can be found with the transcript for free on my Patreon. The post asks:

What's your response when somebody says 'everyone's a little bit autistic'? This is the response that bothers me the most whenever I reveal that I'm autistic, and I never know how to reply. It feels dismissive, and I feel like it diminishes the difference between us and NTs. 

I’ve picked my favorite responses to this post, which will be listed throughout: 

So everyone is a little bit pregnant as we all experience back pain or headaches or nausea, which are pregnancy symptoms?

Since even before I was diagnosed, I’ve seen this response everywhere, especially in memes. It’s a great analogy because people understand that you’re either pregnant or you’re not pregnant. It’s the same with autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder is how your brain is wired; there’s no such thing as a “little bit” autistic, just like there’s no such thing as a “little bit” pregnant. You are or you’re not. There is some leeway at the beginning of the pregnancy when people may say they are “a little bit pregnant,” or an autistic person may joke about only being “a little bit autistic” on days that they are higher functioning. Still, these are just phrases, not realities. Don’t use them if they don’t apply to you.

A close friend of mine said this to me the other day. The phrase I used to explain it is, "Everyone pees a few times a day, but if you're peeing 90 times a day, that's when it's a problem". I think it very well explains that neurotypical people can stim (for example), but people with autism stim much more and more often than neurotypical people (as well as the fact that we need to stim to help us in stressful situations ect). After I said this to my friend, she completely understood. Often, the reason people think this is due to misinformation or preconceived ideas about autism. Often, once you educate the person, they understand.

This commenter is absolutely correct about misinformation and preconceptions about autism. This is a part of why I am starting my advocacy journey now. Education is something I’m deadly passionate about, and I don’t think that the American Education System is fully preparing our children for the world we live in. This is nothing against teachers; I wholeheartedly believe that those who continue to teach in this economy are phenomenal people who are not paid even half of their worth. The real problem is that the system works against them. We need to stop trying to hinder the poor LGBTQIA+ community and put that energy into reworking the broken systems in our government. Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox.

no, but majority of people have symptoms of autism. This doesn't make them autistic, as you have to be disabled in everyday life by these symptoms and they have to be to a certain severity and a certain amount.

This is a great point to bring up. Being autistic affects daily life. My editor, who I’ll just refer to as Katie from now on since I got permission, commented a great example on the draft of this script. She says this is “like people loosely saying they’re OCD. They can be obsessive-compulsive, but if it doesn’t disrupt the daily functioning of life then it’s not a disorder. I’ve said in past episodes that my soul dies a little everytime someone says they are “a little OCD.” THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS. Anyway, back to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Some days are more difficult, and some are high functioning, but it’s still playing a game where everyone else has the upper hand, and you don’t.

Well, I am licensed Autistic

This one made me laugh so hard. I instantly felt so much love for this kindred spirit when I read this one for myself. I might use this instead of just saying I’m diagnosed.

Ad Break~ 

My Future Goals: Advocation

Suppose you struggle with Autism-like symptoms but not enough for an official diagnosis. In this case, you are not on the spectrum. Unfortunately, that makes getting help for your own symptoms harder, but it’s not impossible. You have a right to accessibility, regardless of your diagnosis. If you need help, you should be able to get help. It’s that simple.

With this, I strongly believe that every student deserves the opportunity to do well in school. Any kid can do their best with lessons, but sometimes that’s not enough for our school system. I want to advocate for the kids who are deemed “slow,” “lazy,” “not good at school,” etc. If a student is struggling, there is always a reason, even if it’s simply that the school curriculum is not structured in a way that helps the student thrive. I plan to get certified in every neurodivergency possible so that I can do my best to help every child who needs it. 

This is where I need your help, dear listeners. I can’t become a full-time advocate if I don’t have the money to do so. If you liked what you heard today, please consider sharing RAW-tism, subscribe to my Patreon, and spread the word to your friends or anyone who may be able to relate to my weekly rambles. I want to help as many people as I can free of charge. I don’t want my services to be unavailable to those unable to afford them.

Outro~

r/autism