You're "MORE than Your Autism" or "Stop Making Autism Your Entire Personality"

Autism is not something I have “with” me. Autism IS me. If I were not Autistic, I would literally not be the same person.

#ActuallyAutistic #AskingAutistics: Has THIS ever happened to YOU?

You start to feel safe and excitedly share something about your Autistic experience, only to have the conversation shut down by someone who doesn’t understand Autism or Autistic People.

It happens far more frequently than it should. Conversations like this one are another reason many Autistic People don’t feel safe opening up about their brain types.

3-panel comic titled “You’re more than your autism” - the first panel, an excited person is sharing their Autistic experience. The second panel is a frustrated person scolding them, saying, “You don’t have to make autism your entire personality.” - the third panel is a Lyric emoji with the following text: In reality, many of us see autism as a core part of our identity. I’m Autistic. It’s who I am. Autism influences who I socialize with, the types of relationships I have, and how I experience the world around me. It’s my hobbies, passions, interests, and communication style. It’s interwoven into how I interpret and fit within social constructs, structures, and hierarchies. If I were not Autistic, I would literally not be the same person. - Lyric Rivera, NeuroDivergent Rebel

Autism influences most things in my life, such as who I socialize with, my relationships, how I process information, and my world experience.

Autism is tied to my hobbies, passions, interests, communication style, and habits. It’s interwoven into how I interpret and fit within social contexts, structures, and hierarchies.

That’s why I say I am Autistic, instead of that I am “a person with autism” – because, for me, “with autism” sounds minimal for something so integral to my being.

Autism is NOT a separate thing that I “take with me.” It’s not something I can leave behind when I venture out or that I can forget when I go places (though I can imagine multiple situations where this would, admittedly, be convenient).

Autism is not something I have “with” me. Autism IS me.

If I were not Autistic, I would literally not be the same person, and I like the person I am (NOT despite being Autistic, but BECAUSE of my Autistic mind).

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