The Great Debate: Is Autism a Disability or a Difference?

#ActuallyAutistic #AskingAutistics: Do you consider being Autistic to be a Disability, a Difference, or both?

What IS Autism? 

"Autism" is a medical term used to describe people with a life-long neurodevelopmental difference that causes us to experience the world around us in a way that is "atypical" to what many in the general population will experience. 

Autistic People often have spiky skills and ability profiles. We are also known for having communication, sensory, and muscle control differences (where we can be hyper or hypo-sensitive in our various sensory and motor areas). 

We can have reduced muscle control and increased sensory sensitivities, OR we can have INCREASED muscle control (like Clay Marzo, the surfer) and decreased sensitivity to sensory input (not feeling cold even when it's freezing outside). This decreased sensory input may also impact our interoception (the perception of sensations from inside the body) - interoception difficulties can make it challenging to sense hunger or when you need to go to the bathroom and do other self-care tasks (which can be troubling for some of us). 

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Autism PLUS (co-occurring conditions) = Additional Struggles

Many Autistic People have additional co-occurring conditions and disabilities that are common for people of our brain type in addition to being Autistic. 

For example, I am Autistic, and in addition to being Autistic, I also have poor vision, an anxiety disorder, chronic stomach problems, migraines, chronic insomnia, and seizures (if I have too much sensory exposure, not enough sleep, too much stress, or too much alcohol). 

All of these co-occurring conditions I experience are more common in Autistic People. However, they are not required criteria for being Autistic (and many Autistic People won't experience these things). This distinction is crucial because when we call the extras that aren't inherent parts of being Autistic "part of Autism," it erases Autistic People who don't have those particular experiences and additional conditions. 

Additionally, lumping co-occurring conditions into "Autism" harms Autistic People like me (who have co-occurring conditions we want help for) because doctors and providers are more likely to dismiss our health concerns as "just part of our Autism," preventing us from accessing adequate care for our additional needs. 

Autistic People who have additional disabilities will have more obstacles than Autistic People without additional disabilities (Autism Pure), just as Autistic People who have enhanced motor control may struggle less than Autistic People who have difficulty controlling their bodies. Similarly, Autistic People who are hypersensitive (less sensitive to pain and sensory stimuli) may struggle less in some environments than those of us who are hypersensitive to sensory input and pain. 

4 paper question mark cutouts in thought boxes that are also cut out, on a brown background.

Is Autism a "Disability"? Is it a "Difference," OR is it BOTH? 

There are often arguments in various comment sections in Autism spaces over whether being Autistic is a disability or a difference.

Some Autistic People firmly believe they do not have a disability, while others say being Autistic is a disability (for them). I realize there are various opinions on this issue.

The point of this piece is not to tell anyone how they should identify their own Autistic experience. I aim to share my perspective and the perspectives of some Autistic People in my life whose viewpoints differ from mine to help shed light on these two (sometimes clashing) perspectives. 

Autism as a Disability

According to the CDC, A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions). 

Additionally, the diagnostic criteria for Autism listed on the CDC's website states that for a person to be diagnosed Autistic, their traits must "cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning." Based on the medical definition alone, yes, Autism would be a disability (for one to be formally diagnosed in the US). 

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