Autism: The Struggle

Hi guys. Yesterday, something happened at school that I think is important to share with everyone.

I was in art class, which was at the beginning of my day. The fluorescent lights shone down on our table, and I was tired from an early morning. We were taking notes in our sketchbook when the situation started. I was sitting next to a boy who considered himself to be "cool." The people who think ignoring you, making off-hand comments, and being painfully nonchalant about life is cool. We all have those people in our lives, and sometimes we (or maybe just me) fantasize about what it might be like to be like them. However, everything comes with a price. In all middle schools around the country, that price is putting people down in order to lift themselves up. Don't get me wrong: this is not everyone. I know people that are kind and charismatic, and people admire them for that. It's the people who make jokes at the expense of others that you need to look at. The people who laugh and talk about people like it's no big deal.

Anyways, I was sitting in art, doodling and mindlessly drawing when this boy made a comment. "You're so artistic," he said. Taken aback, I smiled and responded, "Thanks." His mouth then twisted into an ugly sneer. "I said autistic." My heart dropped. I'll never forget those words. My cousin is autistic. She's such a beautiful soul, with a contagious laugh and a positive view of life. She has changed all of our lives, and our family would never take her disability as something negative or a joke. I didn't understand why this boy was using a community: one of smart, capable people, for roasting purposes. I didn't understand why the person I loved so much had a connotation of something funny. I was disgusted. I looked at him, with nothing other to say than, "That's not funny." I felt so cornered at that moment, as if I was walking on eggshells. Another girl at our table responded with, "No, it's pretty funny."

I was so triggered by this that I fell silent. Sometimes, there is nothing that can describe anger better than silence. However, I didn't feel just angry. I felt sad and scared. You practice saying all the mean things to those people, but when it actually happens, you have no idea how to respond. I was so disappointed that I didn't say anything, but I'll say something now. By making those jokes, you are disregarding those people and using them for social purposes. There is nothing that is lower than that. This year, I have heard people say the R-word, use autism as something funny, and so many other things. I hate this more than you can possibly imagine. Do you know why? These ignorant people have no idea what it's like. These words are the same as slurs, yet nobody has recognized this. We talk about racism, sexism, ageism, and classism, yet we never mention ableism.

Ableism: discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. To everyone out there, please listen to this post if nothing else. Tell your family that these words aren't okay. When one community struggles, we need to hear them and support them.