Disempowering as empowerment - The deficit discourse

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http://www.autismempowerment.org/unders ... -syndrome/

I suspect that as a minority group in which members have sustained severe emotional abuse arising from their disempowered and stigmatised status, any experience of reading something that seems to be even mildly sympathetic (or at least not openly hostile) is often see by ASD people as a positive thing, as "empowering" and to be applauded/encouraged. It is certainly better than the hate speech of bullies and the hostile charities that purport to "serve" ASD people.

However this thread - as the title suggests - is based on questioning the assumption that the non-hostile commentator about ASD is really "on our side". In societies in which there are huge imbalances of equity, huge imbalances of power, the expressed sympathy shown to marginalised groups may not be a form of empowerment at all - at least not for the nominal beneficiaries.

I chose this particular link because it so expressly poses under the banner of empowerment for ASD people. Yet reading the article, founded entirely on the deficit model of autism, there are no positives, there is nothing that addresses the disempowerment of ASD people as a minority group. Articles which are not overtly hostile can nevertheless be covertly harmful, and I think articles like this show - at least to me - why self-advocacy is the only effective way forward in the process of achieving equity and recalibrating the current balance of power/powerlessness between the NT/ASD divide.

The skim reading of your link led me to think this was neither empowering or de-Powering.
Just another of many sites sharing similar information

FYI I am among the males who looked into diagnosis later in life , under the DSM V version.

Among my self adaptations was Theatre association starting in college to present. Improvisation classes to teaching improv, communication, comedy and puppetry. Puppetry and radio righting and production used as ultimate masks. One point for a few years I even had a puppet character on a radio syndicated program.

Good for You I am all for self-empowerment. In my conceptualtisation, self-empowerment is bigger than the personal, it is powerful on a political level too. Power, disempowerment, empowerment are fascinating to me vis a vis the politics of ASD.

Unrelated to ASD, the following are a summary of workshop responses to the topic of power and powerlessness:

Common Responses for “Situations that
make you feel Powerful”
• overcoming fear or a feeling of ignorance by
pushing myself to take action
• recognition by others of what I did
• finding a creative way to solve a problem
that seemed unsolvable
• being able to handle a difficult assignment
• succeeding as a leader
• caring for and helping others
• joining a group with other people who have
the same problem
• capacity to inspire fear
*The list combines responses from several countries.

Common Responses for “Situations that
make you feel Powerless”
• disrespect and putdowns
• being ignored
• being stereotyped and denied opportunities
to prove oneself
• lack of control
• loss
• ignorance
• shame
• isolation

It helped me see more clearly into the core issue of so many ASD people - particularly young ASD people - feeling so powerless and why some here express their felt anger about it so powerfully.

Early on I knew only anger or peace.
I didn't recognize or know how to deal with emotions I didn't like or was uncomfortable.

Learning to be comfortable in discomfort which logically doesn't make sense but ultimately leads at least me to less meltdowns. Does.

Change is still a challenge.
Change at the job site top led to the pursuit of a diagnosis. Also support from wife, counselor and direct supervisor.

How did your emotional scale come to expand to new and fuller dimensions? Were there distinct steps or events that you can identify and share? How old were you when the capacity for expansion began?

I like to believe that we are all a work in progress......

Progress not perfection.

One step was at 33
Another at 36
Another at 39
Another big one at 51
Another at 62

Steps included

Inventory of the good bad and ugly inside and out

Getting real
Taking data
Acknowledging growth and setbacks.
Changing vocabulary. Like
I'm not doing old bad behavior
I'm doing X now.
Finding strong models that would tell me the truth and while not liking it accepting it.

Growing spiritually
Helping others while getting help.
I was good at helping while not doing self care.

Thank you. It seems to me that deep and lasting change is more likely to take place when all of the different levels of our selves come into a kind of simultaneous unity: the physical, the emotional, the psychological, and the soul level of where we store the meaning and significance of change.. also, it's my perception that there can be some brief and unique transcendent moments in people's lives, when we seem to have a knowledge and vision that is wider and deeper and greater in scope than we are normally capable of, and these can have an enduring positive effect for the rest of one's life. I am referring to unexpected moments, that can occur serendipitously. Moments of knowing something about life that we did not know before..