Being Autistic In A Neurotypical's World

I'm tired. I've been tired for a long time, a very long time. I love being autistic, but it can be hard trying to get by in a world that wasn't designed with people like me in mind, a world that doesn't understand that my difference isn't a deficit or defect, that I don't need or want a cure and that all I need is a little more support and understanding so I can thrive.

So many things in my life can feel like a battle - a battle to get an education, a battle with my mental health, a battle to get support, a battle to be understood and feel heard. It shouldn't be this hard, it doesn't need to be this hard. It isn't my autism that's disabling, it's the world. We are being put into systems that are broken, we're being forced to wear a mask daily, we're being told we have to do things a certain way even if it doesn't work for us, we're constantly receiving messages that we are not valid or worthy and do not belong in this world. Why would we do this to people? It's harmful and quite frankly wrong. Autistic people shouldn't need to change who they are just to be accepted - the world needs to change the way they view people who are autistic, neurodivergent or disabled and listen to our voices and accept us for who we are, rather than trying to 'fix' us (we were never broken).

'I'm autistic, I am not afraid of this, nor ashamed, it's just a part of who I am. I can't be cured, I don't want to be, it's just a fact of my life.

My autism can make things difficult, but on the days where I'm finding electricity in things, seeing the details that others might not, I like it a lot. I like myself the way I am, a lot.' 

~ A Kind Of Spark.

~ The Loud + Proud Misfit 💛