Aspie Cymru - Ydi Awtistiaeth yn anabledd?

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• published: 14 Dec 2015
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ENGLISH TRANSLATION Hello and welcome back to Aspie Cymru I’m Kerry, and back in October BBC Radio Cymru contacted me to ask whether I’d be willing to take part on one of their shows; Post Cyntaf (First Post). Steve Silberman with his book “NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity”, had just been nominated, to be put on the shortlist, for the Samuel Johnson Prize. He won the prize in November 2015. Following the book’s conclusion, a question was raised; “Is autism a disability?” Radio Cymru asked for my personal opinion. As it was only a short item, I was not given the opportunity to say everything that I had prepared. So, I’m going to read the short edited version of my script for you now. From my personal perspective “Is autism a disability?” This neurological condition presents itself differently in each and every person with the diagnosis. It is possible to meet someone with autism and not realize that anything is “different” about the individual. Maybe a person is totally independent, with an average or high IQ. On the other hand, perhaps that individual needs help every hour of the day; to do the simplest things, things that people generally take for granted. Again, everyone is different. It is difficult for me, as a person with a diagnosis, to admit to myself that it is a disability, because I have many strengths and the ability to do some things a lot of people cannot; with or without autism. However, the truth is, I sometimes struggle to cope. I have trouble living life to the full because of: my autism, the lack of understanding shown by society and the comorbid conditions that come with the “spectrum” condition, such as depression and anxiety etc. With the right support structure and reasonable adjustments, I believe can achieve all the things I want to achieve; working with my strengths, but without forgetting about my weaknesses. Although I do not like saying this, these weakness and the fact that I need help to do some things, is what makes autism disability me. True, when I have the right support in place and employment which accentuates my strengths, it may look as if my autism has disappeared. But, and this is an important point, it will never go away, it is a lifelong condition and it is part of me; both a blessing and a curse. For example, I have been successful in many aspects of my life without assistance; without medication at all either! Possibly due to my autism, I do not know. And I truly believe that can I succeed again. However, when something goes wrong, no matter how small the problem, this can have potentially serious implications for me. Mostly, I only need help every now and then, but I may need assistance at some point at short notice or for long term; or never again! I can’t predict the future, but I have to be realistic. There is a lot I can offer to society and autism is not all negative. There are a lot of positive things about the condition or for being autistic. For example, I have a different way of thinking which can offer an additional perspective on how to solve a problem. So, in conclusion, I'm not going to cry about it. I have faults and things I would wish I could change about myself like everyone else. But, I do not want to be cured; even if this is possible. I can do the same things as everyone else, in my own unique way, I’m not saying. Maybe I’ll taking more time, will go into too much detail or be more efficient/quick. Whose right is it to say that this is a good thing or not? Especially when in some respects, this is true for everyone. It is not the faults/traits in isolation or directly that make autism a disability in my opinion, but the failure of the current medical model and/or social systems to provide/put appropriate services and modifications in place. If our needs and rights, as the minority, were to be respected at the same level as those of everyone else, autism for me, as a person with high capacity, who always falls through the net when it comes to services etc., would feel less like a disability and more like just a different way of thinking; which is respected, understood and celebrated equally as all other ways of thinking. Right, that's it for today, please feel free to leave any questions or comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for watching, until next time, respect and peace.