Many allistics may say “Oh, but everyone’s a little Autistic” when you tell them about your struggles with Autism.

There also seems to be an increase of Autistics who will say “My needs fluctuate. Some days I have Low Support Needs and other days I have High Support Needs.” When you tell them about your Level/Support Needs.

I wish people would understand that saying you have “fluctuating needs” and that you “also have high support needs some days” feels not too different to any allistic that says “everyone’s a little Autistic”. The thing is? Not everyone is Autistic, the same way not all Autistics have high support needs.

Yes, Allistics can experience Autistic like symptoms, but that doesn’t make them Autistic. Yes, some autistics have bad days and feel like their support needs are higher, but that doesn’t make them High Support Needs.

It’s really important that Autistic people learn that this can be very offensive and feels like lateral ableism. A Low Support Needs bad days will never be the same as a High Supports Needs. A bad day doesn’t determine your support needs.

High Support Needs autistics, even on their good days, will/may never know what being Low Support Needs feels like. Their good days are still filled with difficulties.

Some autistics may want to abolish levels. They may feel like it’s no different to “functioning labels”. They may not want terms like “severe” or “disorder”. But if you take that all away, what does that do for those who can’t necessarily help themselves, who can’t advocate for themselves? Levels/Support Needs aren’t great but they’re better than nothing and they play a big part in the lives of the people who need them.

Some Autistics do have severe symptoms. They do have severe Autism. Those are just facts. Trying to take that away bcus “Autism is a spectrum” is stupid. Autism is definitely a spectrum. That also means severity of symptoms is part of that spectrum. And some autistics have severe symptoms and many of them. That literally says they have “severe” autism or “High Support Needs”.

I just needed to rant. Sorry if it doesn’t make sense.