Internalized autism, why it matters

There's a type of autism most people can't see because all autistic traits have been internalized. 

Meaning, the person's autistic needs are not met... but you can't tell. They look the exact same as someone whose needs are all met.

This is bad for the autistic person, but to the world, the autistic person is doing just fine.

In fact, the world is extremely happy about this. Because we're not bothering anyone with our needs. 😬😅

Not all autism looks like this, but this is the reality for many of us. That our autism looks like nothing.

To be clear, autism being visible to the average person is not what makes it a disability.

What makes it a disability is that it impacts the way we experience the world and limits our ability to get our own needs met. 

In other words... we can't get our needs met without support.

So, just because you can't see a person's autism, doesn't mean they aren't autistic... and certainly doesn't mean they aren't disabled.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. 🙂