I am Autistic and I am Tired

I am Autistic and I am Tired by Steve Summers on Facebook

Today I feel tired. --

Tired of being rejected.

Tired of being ignored.

Tired of being excluded.

Tired of being treated like an outcast.

Tired of being treated like a misfit.

Tired of feeling like others look down on me for being different.

Tired of being expected to try and act 'normal' to have a 'normal' life. -- I am not 'normal.' I am Autistic. 

Tired of people who think that just trying harder will make Autistic people 'more normal.' -- Would you tell a blind person to try harder to see? Would you tell a paraplegic to try harder to walk? Would you tell a colorblind person to try harder to see the colors that they can't see? 

Tired of people who don't understand Autism and who don't make any effort to learn about Autism so that they can cure their own ignorance.

Tired of people who refuse to accept Autistic people just as they are. 

Tired of people who presume incompetence. 

Tired of neuro-bigotry. 

Tired of the silence of others. Silence is *not* support. 

Want to help us? -- 

Listen to Autistic people.

Make an effort to learn about Autism.

Educate yourself about what we go through each and every day. 

Learn about how negative attitudes make us feel.

Practice Autism Acceptance.

Accept that we are different, not less. 

Accept that we are different, but *not* defective. Don't try to make us into a poor copy of your idea of 'normal.' 

Accept that we are okay to be ourselves -- just as we are. 

Accept that we are  humans with feelings just like everyone else.

Accept that Autistic rights are human rights.  

Presume our competence. 

Don't avoid us, include us. 

Most of us have have social anxiety. Please be kind and reassuring to us.

Please reach out to us. We won't often make the first move after suffering from a lifetime of rejection, exclusion, and being bullied.

Please practice inclusion. 

I am Autistic and I want to be valued and accepted for simply being me.