Framing autism as a “superpower” can be dangerous. It can paint autism in a way that is disrespectful of those that have to battle to be understood and accepted every day. In today’s blog, I’m going to break down four reasons why we shouldn’t refer to autism as a superpower.
1. Daily Struggles
Unless you have autism yourself, it’s going to be difficult for you to understand just how many ups and downs there are. Ella Willis’ book, Literally goes into more detail about this. Pointing autism out as a “superpower” undermines those difficulties others may not see. There may be days where we’re unable to get out of bed due to burnout. We may not be able to function at our best.
Not every day is like that. There may be days where we can get by without problems. There may even be days where we can do absolutely everything on our task list and treat ourselves at the end. It’s remembering that the balance may mean not everything works 50/50.
2. Disability Reality
Autism is a disability. The way our brains work means we have to work harder to understand the world not built for us. Depending on what we can manage on our own, we may need support to be the best we can be. Dressing autism up in a superhero costume won’t change that.
If nothing else, telling someone their autism is a “superpower” dismisses the reality that they might need a little extra help. We need people to feel comfortable to ask for help, not belittle them into feeling their struggles aren’t valid.
3. Divisive Actions
Remembering that not all autistic people are the same is also so crucial. The last thing we want to do is create fractures in the community by deeming certain traits “better” than others. We are all awesome and we should celebrate that together.
4. Achievements Masking
Autistic people have a whole variety of skills. Yes, there are many out there that have so many skills that it’s got them achievements and recognition. That’s great. What isn’t great is using autism being a “superpower” to overlook their needs to be able to be the incredible people they are.
Autism is complex. Learning not everyone is the same and some of us need more help than others is just the start. Yes, there are ups and well as downs. Respecting the difficulties we may have and not belittling those that need that extra support will help us change the perception of autism. It’s not a “superpower”. It’s a balancing act to allow us to be our incredible, awesome selves.