twistmalchik:

I hate when people write stuff about how they don’t understand why some people like being autistic, and write a ton about how they feel like those of us with pride in our neurotype are unimpaired.

I’m glad I’m autistic.

I’m not glad that I haven’t been able to hold a job, that losing speech causes significant barriers, that people think I’m on drugs because I stim, that I almost failed out of college because I was undiagnosed and had no accommodations. I’m not glad that I struggle with hygiene, executive function, and maintaining relationships.

When I say I’m proud of being autistic, I don’t mean that I like those things. I am saying that I accept those things and that my life is worth living. I don’t wish I was different, because if I was different I wouldn’t be me.

I’m saying that the narrative of my life as a tragedy is a false one. I am saying I have agency and that I am powerful.

And none of that is mutually exclusive with autism. It’s not even in spite of autism. Autism is a part of it, and I celebrate it even when I am told I should be ashamed.