I am aphantasic and have a very different kind of autobiographical memory from that of other people I’ve spoken to
But then this occurred to me:
Why should I accept Brian Levine’s 2015 (yes, 2015!) coining of the term ‘severely deficient autobiographical memory’ for this aspect of my neurotype?
Being Autistic, I’m pathologised by the medical model as having a ‘autism spectrum disorder’
And being an ADHDer, I apparently have an ‘attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (yeah, get two Ds in there, why not!)
Yet many Autistic and ADHD activists who subscribe to the social model of disability and the neurodiversity paradigm are making inroads into persuading at least some academics and clinicians to treat us as disabled, not disordered, not deficient – just a different kind of human, not humans that have gone wrong
My aphantasia/SDAM (I have a strong hunch they go together) may have strengths and weaknesses in comparison with the imaginative capacity attributed to the mythical ‘normal’ person
But because it’s out of the ordinary, it has to be called severely deficient by the gleeful (probably) neurotypical researcher, doesn’t it!
So much of my work as an #ActuallyAutistic educator for young adults is undoing the damage done to them by ABA therapy and school systems. I know dogs that were educated with more humanity than some of my students.
They're taught to be ashamed of their autistic traits, and that's pretty much it. Most of them can't define autism, even in their own words.
PLEASE do not ever expose autistic people to ABA. Any perceived benefit can be attained with different approaches, like play therapy. Teach them about autism, using the #SocialModelOfDisability.
They're fully human beings, don't ever treat them with any less dignity.
We need to stop dodging the question of disability. It's okay to be disabled and Autistic, trying to keep the two concept separate is in itself a form of ableism.
I'm trying to put together a short list of the basic concepts that are essential to understanding the #ActuallyAutistic experience of life. These can be helpful for explaining things to allistics/neurotypicals, but also for seeing ourselves from our own perspective instead of how we are failed NTs. I think it's just a few (albeit big) concepts. Here's my basic list:
#AskingAutistics Do you have your own short list of concepts for understanding or explaining #autism? What are the big ideas that shape your experience of #autistic life?