I've previously published a post about this but I wanted to revisit the topic.
The majority of the articles that I have read have stated that yes, autism does in fact define individuals on the spectrum because, well, autism is all that they are.
But I disagree ....
Don't get my wrong, autism is a huge part of both of my little superheroes but it certainly isn't all of them.
Autism does explain some of their behaviours, it is the missing link for us in what WE were missing as their parents to help them succeed in this world.
I was recently asked to list L and O's strengths and I was honestly astounded to hear that many parents are unable to list their ASD child's strengths.
The way that I look at it, is that if you only see a child's autism, you will miss every other part of the child.
If you only focus on L's autism, you will miss his cheeky personality, his massive sense of adventure, his curious nature, his wantingness to learn new skills ....
If you only focus on O's autism, you will miss her amazing imagination, her caring and empathetic nature, her intelligence, her creative ability ....
You can't ignore their autism as it is a part of them but it is not all of them.
In my mind by saying that autism defines an individual, autism can then be used as an excuse.
"Oh I can't do that, I have autism."
No, autism should not stop you trying your up most best to reach your goals. Autism may slow you down but it should not stop you.
Whether you use the term "have autism" or "is autistic", autism does not define either of my little superheroes. We (my little superheroes included) prefer "have autism.
