My name is Jon, and I have an ASD diagnosis. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in 1998. Only one book was available on the market to guide my parents at the time. Now that approximately 1 in 36 people are believed to fall on the autism spectrum, there are many more books, resources, and opinions available online and offline. That’s a lot of potential for disagreements…
But I’ve noticed lately that much of our time is spent on bickering over minutia. For example, does it really matter whether one person prefers person-first language, or if somebody still uses the term aspie? Does it matter if someone uses terms like high functioning or an image of a puzzle piece? In the long run, probably very little when the unemployment rate is approximately 86%, per a 2017 report from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, and services are almost non-existent once we turn 21.
Some people can’t get the services they need for a very long time, and others feel they don’t need any services. ASD affects every one of us differently, and that’s okay. It’s okay to disagree with each other, but let’s at least try to work towards answering some of the more important questions.
Neurodiversity is starting to lean into resentment toward our neurotypical peers. Our clinical providers seem to exclude us from much of the expert testimony in theory and in practice.
That’s why I’m proposing a new way to think about ASD: Neuro-Unity. By working together towards the same goals on a case-by-case basis, we can start resolving some of the larger differences and start thinking about what ideas we share in common with each other. That’s how we move forward as a community. Sure, there will still be disagreement, but if we only focus on the little things, not much progress will be made.
I started this site in 2011 as The Aspie Epilogue and rebranded in 2016 as The Aspie Dialogues. Now, it’s time to refocus on what’s important and work with each other to resolve some of the larger issues affecting the broader ASD community.
Welcome to a new paradigm shift. The age of Neuro-Unity begins now.
NEUROTYPES UNITE!