Around the world, research studies found that there are about 1 in 7 people are diagnosed with Autism. I have met hundreds and thousands of different Autistic people ranging from high-functioning to classic Autism. The more I meet these people is the more I see the difference the social skills and perspectives. Not every single Autistic person you meet are a same. This point also proves to be a same for the Neurotypicals (or NT) who are people without Autism and/or other form of disability. The society is diverse. In general, every person is different.
From my experiences I learned that blaming myself for not having great social skills and ability to make friends is not a healthy perspective for others to perceive towards me. However, if the high-functioning Autistic person have confidence to express themselves by the way how they feel and share their perspectives the NTs can become confused. It still depend on the knowledge of the NT person. Unfortunately this is not an everyday thing from my experience, and that make it so challenging where I actively seeking social and friendship opportunities through common interests and networks.
Advocates perceived that media are responsible causing misconceptions and negatively stereotype towards people with disabilities. There are lot of misconceptions that NTs may have come across such as:
- they have no social skills
- they tend to be triggered by things
- young adults with ASD are difficult to get along with
- they can be fearful, angry and mentally harmful
Unfortunately it is so difficult to overcome these misconceptions, hence it makes it so challenging for Autistic people to break their barriers. This comes to attention of how well these young adults with Autism being who actively seeking opportunities to become socially accepted in social situations especially engaging in conversations, listening and sharing perspectives. These three factors are heavily stressful for high-functioning person. My psychologist told me there is only one way how to break this barrier, and they said 'assertive' communication. Not many people are aware of this word nor have abilities to become.
Being assertive is when you listen to yourself and the other person feelings, expressions and scenarios/stories. Sharing experiences is very helpful for anyone because it enables their thoughts to listen other person's perspective. Many young adults with ASD tend to miss out these opportunities due to the mentioned misconceptions above. When I am fully engaged in social situations I am always curious if I have a right time, place or situation to speak, response and listen the NT person. Although this is being blinded by the NT person because they are unaware of the Autistic person is being challenged.
Autism and social media is another issue. How people response online compared to being in person? The reality exposes so much being online by judging how accepted the person you are. These challenges are also occurs by:
- how well people listen to you
- how often you have attention from others
- do people aware of your feelings
This is very tricky area, and it so unfortunate for me not able to deal with it due to stigma and misconceptions. Many friends I have are totally unaware of their actions can be offensive or causing harm towards me. This is why I have been taught about assertive communication because it helps me to understand other's perspective. It helps me so clearly to identify NTs confusion and inability to communicate.
Autistic people are quirky, unique and different kind of human beings. I am proud to be one!
