Holdover Childhood

Let us consider, for a moment, the world of a child.

In a lot of ways, it is a frightening place; there is usually little to no agency over what we will do that day, when we will do it, what stressors we will encounter, what will be asked of us. Think about it for a moment; as an adult how would we feel if we had to live our lives under such demands?

Because the thing is, for those of us who are autistic, this extends into our adult lives in a lot of ways.

Every day, we are required to navigate a world that is not designed for us. We are expected to work hard to meet the requirements of neurotypical social protocol. We have to contend with noises, smells, crowds, and other stimuli that can be painful and exhausting. Society demands that we operate in a way that is uncomfortable for us. In essence, it can often feel like that childhood experience of having to live on other people’s terms never really ends.

Compounding the problem is that autistic adults are very often infantilized by society. Please don’t do this. It can be frustrating and demeaning for autistic adults when people treat us as if we’re still children. Once again, put yourself in our shoes; how would you feel if somebody treated you this way?

Don’t be the reason someone autistic feels disempowered; treat us with the dignity you’d afford to any other adult.