“Read the Room”

If there is one phrase I’m very sick of hearing as an autistic person, it would be this.  People with ASD cannot just “read the room”. That’s like telling someone with a broken leg to “walk it off”.  ASD sufferers struggle to pick up social cues, and often are being belittled and harassed for it.  Yes, we say things that sound weird or are out of place. We can’t help it. It’s just the way our brains are.  If the autism came with an off an on switch, believe me, we’d utilize it.  Suffering from autism is thinking differently than everyone else, but everyone expects you not to.  

Another thing that makes me want to riot is people self-diagnosing themselves with autism, and using it as an excuse to be a rude person.  As someone who’s been diagnosed, it’s very frustrating.  The reason no one takes it seriously is because of people like this who use it to be a horrible person and get away with it.  Being a jerk isn’t autism, you don’t have autism, stop it.  Honestly seeing how many people pretend to have this illness is disgusting.  Maybe they are genuinely convinced they do, or maybe they just like to play the “I’m autistic card” to get out of trouble.  If a doctor or therapist has not diagnosed you as autistic, then stop pretending that you are.

I want to live in a world where I don’t have to pretend I’m not autistic.  I want to be accepted and not be attacked for things I can’t control.  I want to not have people glare at me just because I’m neurodivergent.  Sometimes people don’t care that I am and just see me as beneath them.  I’m still a person who has feelings, I’m not some broken toy for you to throw out.      

Author: Lillian Denney

Award winning writer, Lillian enjoys writing short stories, poems, and other personal works. Lillian also enjoys art, gaming, basketball, and archery. She likes anime and other cartoons. She also enjoys reading but rarely has the time and has been reading "Cell" by Steven King for a year. View all posts by Lillian Denney