Autism inequality- is it taken seriously enough?

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Someone on facebook just unfriended me for my daring to suggest that the employment deficit of autistic adults is comparable to the detrimental treatment of blacks during segregationist times in the USA.

I know it probably varies from country to country but here in the British isles people with ASD (especially those with Aspergers or those who arent visibly autistic) face being turned down for benefits, written off as lazy, ignorant or obstructive for unfair reasons, being neglected at school due to prolonged diagnosis and facing detrimental treatment in the job interview and workplace scenario. 85 percent of autistic, physically able adults aren't in work at all which i'm sure anyone can agree is disproportionately excessive.

My question is am i over reacting or is autism inequality not being taken seriously enough?

It's not taken seriously enough because those without it believe people with autism to be hopeless causes and want to push them aside and ignore.

No, I think you are correct.

Of course, I'm an introvert, and I've read things that suggest introverts are at an inherent disadvantage in today's workplace, so I'm probably biased since I see many of the struggles autistics face as comparable to those of introverts (and a far bit worse, I might add).

I've found that bringing race into just about any discussion is a recipe for a disaster, at least in the U.S.

I'd say it depends what you mean by segregationist times in the U.S. If you're talking about segregation against blacks in the U.S. from around the 1960s through the 1980s, then that's probably about right. 1950s and earlier seems too extreme though. At least there aren't many discriminatory laws against us. Most discrimination against us is just de facto. Too bad there's no affirmative action to help autistics get jobs.

Yes because you have so many know-it-all specialists who wrongly profile and label anyone who keeps to themselves as defective in some way; as in violent. sociopathic, insane, not right, anti social and a plethora of other negatives.

the guy who unfriended me is Irish.

As in real Irish, not American-Irish.

Any mental difference that's apparent can cause someone to face discrimination.A person with Tourette's may be qualified for a job,but not get hired because of their tics.

Yes, but with autism the reasons are often far more arbitrary and less justifiable.

For example, not being able to 'fit in' with the social scene and office politics despite being qualified in all other aspects.

I think the other aspect is that neurotypicals are far more aggressive and predatory, they tend to click with employers who invariably are also NT. Its that symbiosis in my opinion that causes the employment deficit for autistic adults.

What we need is far more aspies and autistics within the employer community to redress the balance.

Ah, I see.

I can't speak for other cultures as I'm largely ignorant of their nuances.

Nobody cares about autistics being treated as unequal our importance to them and significance is not even a blip on the radar. The only thing we can get out of it is if someone beats us up for being autistic we can get them for a hate crime that is about it, in the mean time people get to get away with making fun of us calling us ret*d and refuse us employment without saying why.

And you have to prove they did it because you have autism which isn't always easy to do.

No OP you were not over-reacting, from my perspective. The NT gatekeeping and interview procedures which exclude ASD people in large numbers from the workforce is economic oppression of a targeted group. It is a disgrace in a country that affects to believe in equality for all. It needs to be recognised as economic oppression practiced by the status quo on people with less power. It needs to be called what it is. Naming things for what they really are is powerful.

This is probably how most people think: if you are not clearly, visibly severely disabled you are simply whining or lazy. If you can't "sell yourself" (dehumanising figure of speech) you are likely work-shy and don't want the job enough.

Quite possibly.

However changing the status quo will require targeted education of employers, employment centres, academics, and representatives. Education is the first step toward changing attitudes, and until the ASD community seize the moment to do that, nothing will change. Change never comes from the status quo, only via those who are oppressed by it.

Or, you know, we could not rely on other people do to stuff for us.

There is an issue with this for all people who deviate from the social norm, and that varies greatly depending on the nature of the work that is being done, or living in general wherever the norms of culture change.

AS far as this being an issue specific to a diagnostic label, no, as there are not very many so-called lower functioning autistic folks out there doing jobs in the wild that are not part of a program for the disabled who are not protected from this type of discriminatory behavior.

And as far as higher functioning Autistic folks of the Asperger's variety, people in general do not even understand what the hell that is, overall, STILL, per specific diagnostic criteria FROM THE PAST, per DSMIV criteria, AND THEY NEVER WILL KNOW NOW, AS THAT CATEGORY IS GONE FROM DSM5 DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA NOW.

AND even IF a very intelligent well versed diagnostic criteria person on the street or medical professional attempts to explain it to them PER OLDER DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA THAT delineates the DIFFERENCES BETTER THAN THE LOOSELY described diagnostic criteria now, by the TIME THEY LEAVE WITH ALL THE FACTS ABOUT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, which is gibberish to folks who already have it LOCKED IN INNATELY, THEY SOON FORGET, if they ever understand it in the first place, AS IT MATTERS NOT TO THEM, unless a close friend or family member is DIRECTLY impacted, overall.

Again overall, as there are exceptions, but for most people the higher functioning Autism thingy is equivalent to a nerd, and that is a common cultural meme for almost a century now.

And yes nerds AND so called HIGHER FUNCTIONING Autistic folks AND ANYONE ELSE who is substantially different from the perceived social-norm have trouble not GETTING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BY THE 'COOL KIDS' WHETHER IT IS AT SCHOOL OR CONTINUING ACROSS THE LIFESPAN AT WORK AND PLAY TOO.

Humans discriminate against what they perceive as innately or culturally different per the social norm.

This is human nature, and although laws attempt to regulate this behavior, MOTHER and human nature does still rule, behind closed doors WITH the crowd that IS IN CONTROL.

THE REALITY OF LIFE, is adapt and survive or the other thingy in all its difficult degrees of reality as well.

And yes it is so dam sad and unfortunate but it is Human Nature and Mother Nature True.

Nice to complain about it for support but LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE IN TRUTH IN REALITY IN ANY OTHER WAY, BUT ADAPTING TO WHAT IS.

THE CATEGORY of Asperger's is gone, and government looks at all Autism now, overall, as a severely disabling disease, as sad as that may be, and it IS relegated to the realm of DISABILITY AND RESTRICTED WORK PROGRAMS FOR THE DISABLED.

AND YES, THIS IS DIFFERENT IN SOME OTHER COUNTRIES, BUT THE United States is a quick CURE WAY OF LIFE, EITHER BY PILL OR 'SHORT BUS' WAY.