The Identity Theory of Autism: How Autistic Identity Is Experienced Differently
neuroclastic.com
Terra Vance posits that Autistic people experience empathy and emotions differently because the way autistic identity is structured differs from non-autistic people’s identity constructs.

I‘ve not related to something this much in a long time. I‘ve been treated as a traitor for this so often all over my life. I can’t believe that someone actually has a theory about this that is not esoteric in some way.

  • magikmw@lemm.eeEnglish
    5·
    7 months ago

    I’m unpacking a lot of stuff in the past 3 years, and this article struck me hard.

    I remember thinking of myself as having to wear masks, without knowing what masking is, and only recently I started to see when that is automatic.

    I like to think ‘weird’ and when people accept it I would also say stuff like I’m “infinitely curious, detail oriented, living in a vast network of interconnected concepts” or “I work in IT, am dad” if not.

    And this article has examples of Me. Crying when watching a documentary about the infinity of space, learning of world-changing discoveries. Also being deadpan serious when answering an aghast, rethorical “How could someone do this?” with “Just like that.”

    Thanks for trying to understand diversity. Not a lot of people do.