Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

by Devon Price

To other people, my tears were immature tantrums and my opinions were condescending diatribes. As I grew up, I learned to be less intense, less embarrassing—less me.

Our apparent high intelligence puts us in a double bind: we are expected to accomplish great things to justify our oddness, and because we possess an enviable, socially prized quality, it’s assumed we need less help than other people, not more.

By reworking society to make it more flexible and accommodating of difference, we can improve the mental and physical health of all people.