Two simple reasons:
- Because I can’t change the fact that I’m Autistic. Might as well embrace it and work with it.
- To challenge the belief that autism should be something to be ashamed of and hidden at all costs.
To be clear, just because I take pride in being Autistic, doesn’t mean that I see autism as a “superpower” or “gift”.
Autism is a disability that can come with many challenges. I don’t want to downplay that.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a “wrong” way of being.
My pride is mostly a reaction against negative preconceived notions about autism and Autistic people.
Also, according to Devon Price’s “Unmasking Autism”, proudly owning your disability has its benefits:
coming out proudly about one’s disability and presenting it as a valuable part of one’s identity helped reduce self-stigma’s impact…
In general, most research does show that proudly owning one’s disability can have a big impact on how people feel—and it can change the attitudes of the neurotypical people around us.
Devon Price, Unmasking Autism