"Am I disabled enough?" A neverending thought

 Hi!  

Have you enjoyed my latest post where I attempted to apply basic LLM concepts to summarize, paraphrase and translate a block of text?  

See LLM Project 1: Translating, Summarizing, and Paraphrasing (using T5)

I'm going on a summer break soon so I thought I'd take a bit of a break from coding and generative AI and focus on a topic related to neurodiversity!  This time, I'm going to share my thoughts on my personal experience going back and forth wondering whether I'd be... disabled enough to call myself disabled?  If you're interested in the discussion about whether autism is a disability check out a previous post:  Is autism a disability?

I was inspired by a YouTube video by Jessica Kellgren-Fozard (Am I disabled enough ft. Hannah Witton) and their experiences with that same dilemma.  It seems that it's a very common sentiment and I've also met people in my own life that share that same feeling about themselves.

When it comes to myself... I feel conflicted.  Mainly because on one hand I am able to live an independent life for the most part.  I live on my own while renting my own property, have a full-time job, and I do have close friends and family.  In my every day life, I don't particularly feel like there's a noticeable difference between my life and other presumably neurotypical and/or able-bodied acquaintances.  

However recently I took an exam that affects my future career prospects.  Back when I was in the middle of booking this exam, I was going through the website for information about accessing reasonable accommodations... and they didn't offer the exact accommodation that I needed which was extra time in exams.  When I was first diagnosed as having specific learning difficulties, the psychologist stated that extra time WILL BE REQUIRED in any written exams so the exam provider strictly prohibiting the request of extra time in exams... made me nervous. 😰  (If you want to read more about specific learning difficulties, check out: Unravelling the mystery of specific learning difficulties) Still me passing this exam is a requirement for future promotions, so I scrolled through any other accommodations that the exam provider offered and decided to request the use of ear defenders during the exam so I won't get distracted with people going in and out of the exam room (I suppose this is an example of auditory processing difficulties).  In the end I did manage to book the exam with the use of ear defenders approved and thankfully the exam venue was close to where I live (unfortuately not all exam venues allow the use of ear defenders even if the exam provider approves of it).  I also managed to pass this exam and got a bit of a celebratory allowance from the company I work at, so all's well that ends well!

While I do have to take exams occassionally, it's not nearly as an all-encompassing existance as it used to be compared to my student years.  However I do still experience struggles with specific activities of daily living, most notably shopping, holding a conversation in public spaces (especially with multiple people or in loud spaces), and not being good at consistently make and maintain relationships.  Shopping is diffcult due to an uncomfortable sensory experience that can lead me to have meltdowns (or more accurately shutdowns) if I don't take frequent breaks in between shops.  I struggle to follow a conversation with multiple people since I lose track of the topic, and zone out in the middle of long conversations.  I just sort nod along and respond as little as possible, engaging in my surroundings (or food if it's during a meal) instead.  When it comes to relationships, I do have people I'm close with but most of my friends and family live far away and consistently being active on social media has never been my strong suit so I need to have a rigid schedule to keep in touch with them and if it doesn't work, I'll just lose touch.  

The above instances reminded me that the world is not very accessible and that there is definitely a component of our temperament relative to the rest of society disabling us regardless of whether the condition itself is life-threatening.  It could also be noted that anyone that doesn't identify or suspect themselves as having a disability would rarely, if ever, even think about what can be considered a lack of consideration.  

I remember a conversation I had regarding neurodiversity (although I didn't "come out" at this point) and someone mentioned that they could be neurodivergent but is afraid to be looked down on because of it.  As a response, another person said "it's fine to be a bit quirky if you're not a bother to anyone."  This phrase may have been meant as a reassurance but I personally found it an ableist and honestly offensive response.  Sure I don't recommend intentionally going out of your way to bother other people but the fact that this person said being a bother to other people is the  line between a "quirk" and a disability bothered me.  Surely the line would be whether the person is living a reasonably healthy life, or at least can have opportunities for a good quality of life?  This phrase made me realize the repercussions of an ableist society that 1) judges disabled people by how "able" they appear 2) whether they are a burden on the people around them (and perhaps society as a whole) without considering the wellbeing of disabled people themselves as if they are not a part of the larger human society.  This also disturbed me since disabled people can be considered the largest minority community that ANYONE can be a part of at any given time so discussions about accessibility benefit EVERYONE not just people who are currently disabled.  

Me reflecting on this conversation and thinking about how ableism seeps into the average person reminded me that I'm very much part of the disabled community since anyone that has never considered the possibility of being disabled themselves probably wouldn't even think of this.

Even after all this I still go back and forth in my identity as being disabled because... I can still more-or-less... function without much support, but the fact I still need what's considered to be "special" support in certain situations... means I'm disabled?

How did you all feel about this post?  It may have been a bit ramblier than usual but I hope it gives an additional perspective about the question "Am I disabled enough?"  Please, comment down below because I would love to read your thoughts!

Autistic in Tech: The Good, the Ugly, and the Ableism

LUKAS HAS RETURNED 

Hi everyone!

I know it's been a ridiculously LONG time since my last post, but working full-time and balancing other work and life-related activities has made my life pretty hectic 😅

Last time I wrote about my experience in going through interviews for job hunting.  Now that I've been at the office for a few months now, I figured that it's time for an update.  

It is a sort of stereotype to imagine autistic people working in tech, but do I feel like tech is actually a good place to work for autistic people in real life?  

Note: These are my own experiences and opinions, and not a full featured research study.  If you have any experiences of your own that you'd like to share, comment below!

The Good

Flexible working environment

Clothes, working hours, days off... Tech can be really flexible which is important for autistic people that have diverse needs.  I could wear anything from a suit to a hoodie at work, although it seems like I can't wear jeans to work for being "too casual."  I knew someone that wore sunglasses at work because of sensory sensitivity issues, and while some may have found it odd, this person seemed happy since they could continue doing so.  When it comes to working hours, while there are core hours I have to adhere to, beyond that I can clock in and clock out whenever I want as long as I attend mandatory meetings.  If there's any sort of technology I want or need to use, I can ask someone from the company for permission and it's usually possible.

Diverse personalities and interests

My workplace seems to take great pride in welcoming many types of people.  While I do think that in part, this can be some kind of corporate rhetoric to "encourage diversity," at the very least I feel like there's little urgency for conformity when it comes to how I think or what I like.  Everyone has their own interests and contribute some thought during discussions.  Hanging out with other colleagues (e.g. drinking parties) isn't mandatory unless on special occassions but you can go out if you want to.

Office and Remote working

Somewhat related to the flexible working environment, due to the pandemic, there's a more prevalent infrastructure for remote working.  Tech-related tasks can usually be done at both the office and at home.  It's possible to go to the office everyday, and it's also possible to work from home most of the time.  It really depends on the individual's circumstances.  

Investment in physical and mental health

Tech jobs practically force employees to sit in front of a computer screen for hours and hours.  This makes the person more susceptible to poor posture, less exercise, and poor sleep.  Perhaps this is the reason why my company takes great measures to give employees a chance to maintain their health by hiring HR staff that specializes in mental health in the workplace and having healthcare plans specifically catered toward the IT industry.  I find that this is beneficial for everyone, but since autistic people are said to have a higher tendency to have health issues compared to other populations, this can be especially important to consider.

Good salary 

Jobs in tech companies tend to offer fairly decent to great salaries.  I don't personally recommend finding your dream job with the money alone, but it is something to consider.

The Ugly

Long screen time 

It really is part of the job description.  You sit in front of a computer and work on finding solutions through coding, preparing presentations, and attending meetings.  At the company where I work, almost everything I do involves the computer.  It becomes difficult to make sure to take care of your eyes and make sure to take regular breaks to avoid health issues in the future.

Male-dominated field 

Maybe in certain parts of tech, there are more women who are actively involved in tech positions.  While there are some women who have held successful careers, I've noticed an overall lack of female tech workers in my company with less than 10% of tech positions in my company held by women!  I do believe that my company tries to be female-friendly as best as they can, and the gender ratio doesn't really affect my day-to-day life.  However, there have been instances where I the women in my company have to do certain types of jobs more than our male counterparts.  It's most noticeable when the company attempts to recruit new workers, and especially if at least one of the recruits is female, and the HR department prefers having a female tech employee to emphasize how female-friendly the company is.  Although at least in my experience, the women where I work at are fairly close.

Social interactions continue to be tricky

Apparently there's a stereotype that there's a lot of autistic people in tech.  While certain autistic traits are more-or-less acceptable in the tech space, there are many employees with varying backgrounds.  With different backgrounds comes different opinions and ideologies and sometimes these can clash.  Unfortunately, "reading the room" and following social norms continues to be a requirement for maintaining a peaceful work environment.  

The Ableism

Disability shouldn't be a "dirty word,"...  but it is (?)

It's interesting to me that certain autistic traits are accepted, especially the ability to have a sharp focus and deep interest in the topic, but disability conversations are not as commonplace as what I've been used to in university where we had a disability student society as well as a disability support centre.  Sometimes I wish we could have more meaningful conversations about health and accessibility since I've felt health and safety meetings are treated as a chore.

What counts as "reasonable" accommodations?

When I was in university, there was a disability support centre where they had a website with a list of disabilities and some example accommodations.  Each student was also assigned a tutor to help navigate reasonable accommodations.  In the workplace though, it's HR that investigates anything to do with employee welfare.  The company also doesn't have an open policy about disability besides revealing that there is an insurance plan in case someone becomes disabled due to the job.  Thankfully my workplace is fairly flexible in terms of working hours and I can request adding extra functions to my office computer, but I still believe that information about disability support can be made more widely available for the public eye.

The lack of disability-related education in some people can be... astounding...

Once, there was someone that gave a talk saying that "a disabled person won't be able to do the job."  Needless to say I was dumbfounded when I heard this but it also enlightened me that some people have never thought about disability and disabled people's potential in the workplace.  

Thanks for reading!!!

This post has taken me wayyyyyyy to long to write!!!  Thanks for reading until the end.  I hope you enjoyed it, and please feel free to leave any comments about the topic.  How do you feel about being autistic in tech?  Do you have different experiences and opinions?

I honestly have no idea when I'll be writing next but till next time!  Have a great life!

Autistic person talks about job interviews

Hi everyone!

Earlier this month on Twitter, I asked my fellow Autistics people there what part of job hunting they found difficult.  The majority voted for "Interviews", so for this month, I'd like to share my experiences in interviews.  Hopefully you can find some solace or enlightenment from this post 😊

Content:

1. An overview of the job application process
2. Why do we need to have interviews anyway?
3. Types of interviews
4. When did I feel like the interview went well?
5. When did I feel like the interview went... not-so-well?
6. Did my feeling and the results match?
7. My overall thoughts on interviews
8. Dear fellow autistic people 
9. Final thoughts

An overview of the job application process

Interviewing is a common method of trying to find "the one" potential employee but it's still usually just one part of the job application process.  In most of the companies that I applied for, the application usually consisted of the following stages.

1) Preparing/Submitting application forms (CV, resume, portfolio, other documents)

2) Aptitute test (usually testing basic literacy, numeracy,  and "logical thinking")

3) Interviews (usually 2-3 rounds but it is possible to have more or less)

4) Offer (Hopefully 🤞)

There can also be take-home assignments, assessment centres, casual meetings with human resources (HR) or other employees depending on how competitive the role is and how much the company wants to assess "cultural fit." 

What does cultural fit mean?  Essentially it means that the person's presentation and core values align with the vision and values of the company.  The point of finding people who are a good cultural fit seems to stem from the idea that the company would have the manpower to realize their business plans and create their version of the ideal workplace, and keep their employees happy and keep working for the company.  (Sources:  Business News Daily, BBC) 

Due to the pandemic, most of the job application process (or at least for me) was online in the comfort of my own room, but I did have to go to the office in-person for a few occassions.

Why do we need to have interviews anyway?

From the company's perspective, I believe that interviews specifically would be considered a viable option to assess the following:

• Cultural fit
• Whether the applicant can present themselves as "professional" according to maintream corporate standards
• Whether the applicant can show that they have the skillset that the company wants (including communication skills)

It may seem like there's a power imbalance with the company having more power but I can see how the job seeker would have some use for interviews as well.  As much as the company wants to find someone that fits, so would the job seeker.  I understand that when you're seeking for a job, you can feel like any company would do but if you want to look for long-term employment, it would be desirable to be able to blend in with the working environment and build rapport with the people.  It's also a good opportunity to check whether the company... actually knows what kind of people they want to hire.... (Sometimes the job advertisement may present itself as something and the job itself being something else...)  

Types of interviews

Generally speaking, I experienced three types of interviews.

• HR 
• Usually the first interview
• Could also be a casual meeting
• Usually would look for basic back-and-forth verbal communication skills and whether you can dress and act "properly"
• Technical 
• Usually the mid-level interview
• The interviewer is an employee/manager that has a good understanding of the skills and experience required in the position
• May involve technical tests (e.g. coding tests for programmer roles)
• Would involve an in-depth assessment of the applicant's skillset
• Executive 
• Usually the final interview
• Most likely to assess cultural fit
• May ask the applicant what their career goals are

Not all companies involved all three types of interviews and in this exact order.  Some companies had more interviews and some had less, but broadly speaking these are the sort of interviews you would likely encounter.

When did I feel like the interview went well?

I would get a good feeling after an interview if I:

1) Managed to answer all the questions without getting stuck

2) If the interviewer was friendly 

3) If the interviewer wanted to present the company in a positive light when I asked questions at the end (e.g. good pay, good benefits, positive environment etc.)

When did I feel like the interview went... not-so-well?

I didn't feel so confident when:

1) I got stuck in the middle of the interview

2) If the interviewer seemed to either try to encourage (or rather console) me to "keep trying hard" or if the interviewer seemed less friendly as time went on

3) If the interviewer tried to present the company in a negative light when I asked questions at the end (e.g. too much overtime etc.)

Did my feeling and the results match?

For the most part I felt like the interview went as well as I thought it did (probably 8/10).  That being said, there were times when I was positively surprised and there were times when I thought I did well but ended up getting rejected.  There were also places that didn't even bother to send out a result (which mostly likely means a rejection but how annoying that they don't at least send out an email... lol...).  

My overall thoughts on interviews

Overall, although I felt like it took a while to land that job, I think interviews are here to stay.  It's such a mainstream method in the job application process that a lot of people have had a history of developing.  It seems to serve some purpose from both the interviewer and the interviewee, even if it feels like there is a power imbalance since one party would probably be more desperate than the other.  

My overall engagement and enjoyment of the interview largely depended on whether I could see myself getting along with the interviewer, and also whether the atmosphere of the interview made me more comfortable than nervous.  I tried not to think too much of the outcome when I was at the interview, because I thought it might make it harder to do my best.  The main parts of interviews that I disliked was that as much as I would prepare, it's almost impossible to know what kind of interviewer I would have, what kind of questions would carry more weight, or when I would ponder if I said or did the "wrong thing".  It also sucks if I can't answer all their questions regardless of whether I get the offer or not.

Each company gave me different reasons for their rejections, but it seemed like I generally struggled with showing my skillset in tech roles.  I wasn't that confident in my tech skills (programming, machine learning etc.) since I didn't have a strong computational background (No CS degree for example).  I think that being autistic meant that for me, it was even harder to make confident statements since I have a habit of spacing out mid-conversations and misinterpreting what people are saying. 

In the end though, I'd like to think that I'm going to be at a company that's right for me at present time, since I tried to be as honest as I can  (masking only the bare minimum like wearing a suit).  I got to ask my own questions for the company for over an hour after all haha!

Dear fellow autistic people

I understand that autism is a spectrum and thus there are all sorts of autistic people.  Some of you may struggle with interviews, some of you may thrive, and some may never have been interviewed yet.  Interviews can be tough for anyone, but since autistic people tend to be the minority in thought processes and communication patterns, it can be especially difficult to find that one company that will give you a chance, and one that seems like the right fit.  

From my own experience, I found that I got burnt out quite a bit since I felt like I had to mask more than usual.  I was fairly worn down towards the last couple of months.  I'm glad that I got an offer from a place where I masked the least because that gives me more confidence that I'll be okay there.  Although I suppose time will tell XD

There's no right answer I can give to "how to get a job" or "how to have the perfect interview" but my advice would be to handle job hunting as training/running a marathon.  Just keep thinking about how to present yourself, practice, do the interview, and try again.  When you've finished one interview, move on to the next one.  Take regular breaks, and maybe even longer breaks when feeling worn out.

Wherever you are, good luck!

Final thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this month's article.  There's still more that I could talk about, but I think I've written what's important.  Check out my previous posts!  My past autism related posts are:

• AUTISM AWARENESS (or ACCEPTANCE) MONTH 2021
• Is autism a disability?

What are your thoughts about job interviews?  What did you like or dislike?  Do you think being autistic has its advantages or disadvantages?  Let us know in the comments!

If you want to have a say in what I share next, look out for my Twitter!

See you next month!

Is autism a disability?

Introduction

Welcome back to my blog!  If you thought you missed my October 2021 post... you didn't😓😅 I took a break from making blog post since there was a lot going on in my life😊 Now I've gotten settled and it's time to start writing!  This time, I'd like to introduce a discussion topic that arises on occasion which is: Is autism a disability?

From my research (and I use this term pretty loosely here since I just mean watching related YouTube videos and reading reddit/FB discussions LOL) I've seen a variety of opinions:

1. Autism IS a disability because there are some struggles that are unique to autistic people on a regular basis (e.g. meltdowns, shutdowns, sensory overload, being misunderstood by people often etc.) 
2. Autism IS a disability not because autism in itself is a bad thing to have but rather because society disables autistic people by putting limitations on what it means to be "normal"
3. Autism IS NOT a disability because autism can have good and bad traits and it is society that dictates what is and what isn't a disability
4. Autism IS NOT a disability because as much as we have other types of diversities (hair color, eye color, skin color, height, weight etc.) we also have neurodiversity
5. Autism may or may not be a disability depending on the severity

I made a poll on Twitter to see how people on the internet respond to the question "Is autism a disability?" and here are the results below:

(Please follow me at @lukas_fleur382 to participate in future polls😀 Your opinions may be reflected on a future post!) 

For further information, here are a few videos by autistic YouTubers that express their own opinions on the matter:

• Purple Ella:  Is Autism a Disability
• Amythest Schaber:  Ask an Autistic #16 - Is Autism a Disability? 
• Joe Jamfrey - Is Autism a Disability?
• The Aspie World - Autism is Not a Disability!?
• Autistamatic - Autism & Society: Is Autism a Disability?

It seems that this topic can become quite controversial and heated discussions can arise.  Personally I think this question is rather philosophical because we would have to question what it means to have a disability (or be disabled) and what it means to be autistic.

List of definitions 

Definition of disability (US and UK)

US (Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)): 

"A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment"  

UK (Equality Act 2010): 

"A physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal everyday activities"

• substantial - e.g. takes much longer than it would usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed
• long-term - e.g. 12 months or more 

Definition of autism spectrum disorder

The following are official diagnostic criteria that doctors/psychologists/psychiatrists use internationally when performing an autism spectrum disorder assessment.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-V)

A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history:

1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.

2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body languages or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.

3. Deficits in developing, maintaining and understanding relationships, ranging for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.

B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history:

1. Stereotyped or repetitive body movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g. simple motor stereotypes, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases)

2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior (e.g. extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day.

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g. strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).

4. Hyper- or Hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g. apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

C. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).

D. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.

E. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global cognitive delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below  that expected of general developmental level.

Reference:  Centers for Disease Control or Prevention (CDC) 

International Classification of Diseases 11th revision (ICD-11):  Taking into effect starting January 2022

Persistent deficits in the ability to initiate and to sustain reciprocal social interaction and social communication

Range of restrictive, repetitive, and inflexible patterns of behaviour, interests or activities that are clearly atypical or excessive for the individual's age and sociocultural context.

The onset of the disorder occurs during the developmental period, typically in early childhood, but symptoms may not become fully manifest until much later, when social demands exceed limited capacities.

Deficits are sufficiently severe to cause impairment in personal, family, social educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and are usually a pervasive feature of the individual's functioning observable in all settings, although they may vary according to social, educational, or other context.

Individuals along the spectrum exhibit a full range of intellectual functioning and language abilities.

Reference:   ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (Version: 05/2021)

What do the definitions all mean?

Disability:

• Has some kind of medical condition (can be the mind or body)
• Makes life harder 
• Finds it hard to get good grades
• Struggling to get a new job, or sustain a job
• Finds it difficult to talk/make friends/work with people
• Finds it difficult to shop or travel on their own
• Struggles to eat/sleep/go to the toilet/take a bath or shower on their own 
• etc...
• Usually long-lasting (months or years)

Autism spectrum disorder

• Difficulties socializing
• Understanding what is considered to be "normal"
• Doing what is considered to be "not normal"
• Doesn't have friends (or a lot of friends)
• Friendships don't last long
• Is not interested in people
• etc...
• Is generally considered to be "different"
• Does the same (or similar) things over and over again
• Says the same words
• Lines up toys/tools etc.
• Paces around and around
• Hand flapping/pacing/spinning/fidgeting etc. often
• Likes things the "same" way
• Same foods
• Same schedules
• Same clothes
• etc.
• Different expression of interests
• Likes things that others aren't interested in
• Likes things a lot more than other people
• Likes very few things compared to other people
• Senses differently
• Finds some lights/sounds/smells etc. a lot more stressful than other people
• Finds some lights/sounds/smells etc. a lot duller than other people
• Starts from when they were small kids
• But might not necessarily struggle until later in life
• Makes life hard(er)

Is autism a disability?

Arguments FOR autism being a disability

• IMPAIRMENT in social interaction and communication
• SUBSTANTIAL LIMITATIONS in life activities
• Present from early developmental period (long-term)

Arguments AGAINST autism being a disability

• Symptoms may not become fully manifest until later when social demands exceed limited capacities - Would the person not be autistic at a time when they may not have been "disabled?"
• Level of functioning may vary depending on the context - If a person struggled greatly in school (e.g. had consistently bad grades), but built a successful career with very few struggles, would the person no longer be considered autistic?  Would they no longer become disabled?
• Assessing impairment or level of functioning is up to the interpretation of the assessors and the person themselves - lack of consistency

Conclusion

From a purely literal standpoint it may seem obvious that autism is a disability, but the reality is that there is a lot left to interpretation when defining a "substantially significant impairment" for both an autism diagnosis and disability assessment.  It may be safer to assume that autism as a condition is a disability (at least as long as we have the definitions that we have presently) but whether someone identifies as a disabled autistic person is dependent on their situation and the interpretation of the person themselves and the people around them on what it means to be disabled and what it means to be autistic.  

Afterthought

Thank you for reading until the end!  I'm super grateful for my readers that check out my work😍 Please share your thoughts in the comments!  Do you think autism is a disability?  What are some other autism-related topics that you would like me to write about?  If you're interested in my previous autism/neurodiversity related posts, here is a list:

• AUTISM AWARENESS (or ACCEPTANCE) MONTH 2021
• Unravelling the mystery of specific learning difficulties
• Story time:  Bioinformatics research without a computer science degree 

Since next month is December, I'm planning on sharing a story time about learning about a new programming language: R.  Hopefully, it would smoothen the transition to a new era for my blog to talk about a wider variety of topics related to programming.😘

AUTISM AWARENESS (or ACCEPTANCE) MONTH 2021

If you're new here:  WELCOME!!!  If you've been here before:  WELCOME BACK!!! For those of you who have been reading my posts, you may be more accustomed to reading about Python projects or related content.  But my blog name is "Chronicles of a Neurodivergent Programmer" so I thought it would be befitting if I talk about neurodiversity for a change, especially for Autism Awareness (or ACCEPTANCE) Month 🥳  If you have read the About Me page, then you would know that I am autistic.  As such, it is important to me that people, autistic or not, are aware of autism and are accepting of the autism community.  

What is autism?

The diagnosis is now called "Autism Spectrum Disorder" or ASD for short.  If you're autistic you have:

• Difficulties with social interaction
• Difficulties with your senses and/or change
• Been autistic your whole life (and will continue to be autistic)

While there are other common traits that are associated with autism, the above three are the core features.  Although autism tends to be described as a series of odd behaviors, autism would be better described as a difference in information processing.  Essentially autistic people will "see" the same thing, but "view" things differently.  It's better to say that autistic people tend to have a different perspective of things from the majority of people.  Different perspectives can lead to acting differently, and sometimes be perceived as inappropriate.

But acting differently or inappropriately from misunderstandings or different views is a universal experience of people, right?    So, does that mean everyone is on the spectrum somehow?  

Not really...  The autistic experience is pretty much about never being truly sure about whether you are acting "the right way" or not.  Let's use an analogy.  Let's say that people use either compasses or coordinates to navigate the world.  There are many more compass-users than there are coordinate-users.  Most of the directions used to communicate how to go to a specific location are more suitable for compass-users.  Coordinate-users would find it harder to navigate than compass-users because the directions are not communicated in a way that is easily understandable to them.  Likewise, when coordinate-users communicate directions using coordinates, compass-users are baffled.  It's not IMPOSSIBLE for compass-users and coordinate-users to communicate directions, but it can be DIFFICULT.  While a compass may have some compatibility issues with other compasses sometimes, it's not the same thing as a compass working like a coordinate.  Ultimately, people who have autism and don't have autism share human experiences but that doesn't mean that everyone is on the spectrum.

If people with autism don't think like people without autism, how would we communicate with each other?

Autistic people aren't just one giant monolith.  Not everyone acts the same, not everyone thinks the same, and not everyone shares the same strengths and weaknesses.  Much like when interacting with any individual, the best way is to engage with the person.  That being said there are a few pieces of advice from personal experiences:

• Be honest and blunt (It might feel daunting if you're more comfortable with people "reading the room" but autistic people may "read" differently giving rise to misunderstandings.)
• Reflect on your assumptions and expectations (If you're used to people doing things in a certain way, and someone doesn't do what you expect, don't assume it's a fault of theirs.  If in doubt, ask them so you can understand their point of view before being confrontational.)
• Be understanding of differences (Being fixated on normality won't really get you anywhere, difference isn't always bad and it can even be a good thing.)

I don't have autism and I don't know anyone who does, so why should I support autism acceptance?

Current statistics say that about 1-3% of the human population is autistic.  That might seem like a very small percentage but that would end up being millions of people around the world.  Chances are you have met someone who has autism.  Even if you haven't, you will probably meet someone autistic in the future.  Human beings live in societies to survive so being able to build relationships with different kinds of people will be beneficial to everyone.  So... why not support autism acceptance?

In fact, my support for autism acceptance is found in the blog logo!

What went into the blog logo?

Golden 🐍

Haha ok I am aware that the python looks more yellow than "golden" but there is are a few reasons why I call it the golden python:

1. Au is the chemical symbol for gold ✨✨✨ and the first two letters of Autism
2. Gold is rare and so are autistic people
3. Gold is valuable and so are autistic people (because we are awesome!!!... and also because we're rare I guess LOL)
4. Gold is useful and so are autistic people (much like how gold is used for phone parts, autistic people can, and do, contribute to society)

You can hear more about Autistic Gold from Aspergers from the Inside

The reason why I used a python was because... I primarily talk about Python coding on this blog 😉  Actually... no wait there is another reason.  Variations of the infinity symbol ∞ have been used by advocates representing Autistic Pride.  I had the mouth of the Python join the tail as a reference to the Ouroboros symbol representing wholeness or infinity.

🌈🌈🌈

The term "spectrum" from ASD refers to the various ways that autism can present in each person.

"You met one autistic, you met one autistic."  

- Nathan Selove

The rainbow is also a nod to the overlap between the LGBTQIA+ community and the autistic community.  Autism can be found in people of all races, religions, gender, sexual orientation etc.  There is diversity in almost all aspects of life that I can think of, and autism is also very diverse. 

💕💛

The heart refers to loving both python coding and autism.  It also refers about being accepting of people from different walks of life in general.  🤟🤟🤟

What can we do to support autistic people during (and after) Autism Acceptance Month?

The first step would be to listen to autistic voices!  There are plenty of advocates out there that talk about autism and organizations that work to support autistic people.

Here are a list of my favorite autistic YouTubers (in no particular order):

• Nathan Selove
• Autistamatic
• IndieAndy
• Stephanie Bethany
• Yo Samdy Sam
• Autistic Tyla

My favorite autism support organization is Spectrum First (especially relevant for those of you from the UK) 

One of the few companies dedicated to supporting autistic adults and is proactive in hiring people with all sorts of neurological conditions.

BONUS:

I hope you all have enjoyed my autism awareness/acceptance post!  For those of you who come here to read about Python coding, don't worry I have been learning more skills and working on new projects.  Next month I will be posting a Python project so check that out when it releases!  If you haven't seen my previous works before, check out the Blog Archive section.  

See you all next month!!!