Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

by Devon Price

Non-Autistic people process complex situations intuitively and efficiently, but make a lot of errors. Just think of how many times you’ve seen a really confident, outgoing person misread a situation, interrupt another person, or say something offensive without seeming to realize it, or to care. There are negative consequences to such actions, but usually the allistic person who made the error doesn’t have to bear the brunt of them. It’s everyone around them who has to scramble to pick up the pieces, clarify the misunderstanding, or smooth over hurt feelings. One of the most liberating realizations I’ve made as an out Autistic person is that it’s not harmful for me to ask questions, interject when needed, or be honest about how I feel. When you tell people what you want and need, you actually stand a chance of getting it. You also free up other people to express their needs more openly, too.