In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families -- as well as efforts to mitigate them. One challenge is that autism is an "invisible disability," which does not have obvious physical markers.
Russell Lehmann at Psychology Today:
The paradox of invisible disabilities is a cruel and exhausting loop. Society tells me to mask my autism, to blend in, to not make others uncomfortable, and to play the game that is intrinsically antithetical to everything I stand for. I’m rewarded when I suppress my traits, when I wear the cloak of “normalcy,” when I pretend that sensory overload doesn’t feel like my brain's on fire and electric currents through my skin.
I’m told I’m “high-functioning,” “inspiring,” “not like the others”...as if that’s a compliment. As if my ability to suffer silently makes me more valuable. And let's be clear, it DOES make me more "valuable" in the eyes of society because society isn't ready for my autism. It isn't ready for the rare vulnerability, the intense meltdowns, or the complete authenticity.
But the moment I need support, the mask backfires. Suddenly, I’m met with skepticism. “You don’t look disabled.” “You seem fine to me.” “Are you sure you need that?” "Well you must be doing well, I mean, look how far you've come!".
Because my challenges are largely invisible, I’ve been denied professional support time and time again. People fixate on what I can do, often using infantilizing or condescending language, while dismissing what I can’t. When I speak up about my limits, I’m told not to be so negative, as if naming my pain makes me the problem. But no one tells someone with a broken leg that their pain is just “pessimism.” The irony is, many of these dismissive voices come from professionals working in the disability space, people who should know better.
