The Thinking ‘Kat: Autism

Time for a discussion of what can be a challenging topic. Autism is a condition that impacts a person’s ability to communicate and socialise, and it tends to lead to repetitive behaviours as well. There can be sensory factors as well; some autistic people react badly to the sensation of certain clothes, or the textures of certain foods, as an example.

There are degrees of autism, with some on the spectrum not even being capable of verbal communication. Others are capable of masking their autism, though not always without challenge.

It’s a sensitive subject. The difficulties with social settings can make it appear that an autistic person is aloof, cold, blunt, and awkward. Prior to a diagnosis, this can make life difficult for everyone involved, especially so for children. As someone who is familiar with autism, I will say that patience is a must, and so is showing love, as much as possible.

I come from a place of sympathy, due to my own brain chemistry. I have dyspraxia, a condition that affects concentration and focus. This manifests itself as a sort of constant, skittish thought process. I can trace this as it happens, by thinking a particular thought or notion, and within five minutes, finding myself at a completely different place. For example, I could be thinking of Formula 1, and within five minutes, whatever thread I was following will have become a meandered take on whether or not ants would like cheese.

Despite the emotional and social challenges of autism, many of those on the spectrum are fully capable of learning, and of developing social skills. Autism does not have to hold a person back, and some actually go as far as to embrace their unique neural situation. Acceptance for who we are is often all any of us want, and autistic people are no different in that respect.

The flipside to this is that autism cannot be wielded as an excuse to wave away any and all forms of negative behaviour. There are those on the spectrum who are fully able to understand what is and is not acceptable conduct, and yet they may choose to be belligerent. I’ve encountered this first-hand, and it can be observed in some high-profile figures too.

As an example, take Elon Musk. Does his autism excuse his behaviour, in part or in full? Can it excuse some behaviours, but not others? He recently gave what certainly looked like a Nazi salute at Trump’s inauguration, and since the gesture is one widely associated with the Nazis, it seems hard to fathom that Musk could be unaware of its symbolism and meaning. Autistic or not, is any justification for using that gesture? Musk a learned man, so he cannot fail to know how it looks, and between this, and his growing association with hard-right and far-right political entities, to what degree can he – or anyone on his behalf – hide behind any aspect of his life or self?

I think what I am broadly trying to get at is that autism should be treated as a stigma, nor a taboo subject, and it is important to understand the value of patience with those who are on the spectrum. Intolerance is not going to garner any benefits, though the patience does have a few caveats. Speaking from direct personal experience, you can still, where appropriate, discipline someone who is autistic, and someone who is autistic can still respond well to that. If there was ever an area where understanding nuance and individuality was important, it is how to make neurodivergent people feel accepted and welcome in society, and that includes, where possible, helping them to understand what is and is not unacceptable conduct and behaviour. It should go without saying that Nazi salutes are not acceptable behaviour, and there’s no conceivable way Elon Musk in unaware of this.

Some people might say ‘it wasn’t his intention’ to do a Nazi salute, and that this should exonerate him, so to speak. There is only so far a reasonable person can take this logic. You might not intend to cause offence if you call someone ignorant, but you can assured that no one will particularly appreciate the comment, and where gestures from a party with a history of terrible, evil deeds are concerned, you can assured it will offensive, and rightly so, to a great many people. Intent matters, but so too does common sense, and awareness of the consequences of one’s words and deeds. Again, autism can only shield Musk so much from those consequences.

I don’t know if I’ve put any of my thoughts up in a coherent manner here, but it’s something I wanted to get off my chest. There you go.

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