Musk Nazi Salute goes viral

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It was clearly a Nazi salute and he did it with intention.

Oh, and f--- any of you who enable conservatives' deflection that this is because of autism. You sicken me.

As some experts and advocates may tell you, autism symptoms and gestures that appear like targeted hate toward people are typically two completely different things.

First, while autism can cause people to struggle more in social situations, it doesn’t mean it excuses cruelty and disrespect, whether intentional or not. While some individuals who are autistic may struggle to interpret social cues or engage in social settings, that doesn’t mean they’ll jump to controversial actions.

“Neurodivergent people are just like anyone else and are able to learn social norms, context and impacts of their actions,” Jennifer Vincent, a licensed mental health counselor who works with autistic and neurodivergent individuals, and has nearly 20 years of experience, told HuffPost.

Shea Belsky, a Jewish person and autistic self-advocate, also emphasized this point based on his own experience. “Autism does not make it impossible for someone to feel shame, empathy or guilt for their actions,” he told HuffPost. “I do not believe for a second that Elon was oblivious to what he was doing.”

Additionally, as autistic X user @FowlCrown, Siena, stated in a post that autism and a Nazi salute are not a cause-and-effect situation. “im autistic and wouldn’t make any movement even close to a nazi especially in front of a cROWD at such a heightened political time,” they wrote.

There’s also the argument of dyspraxia, a movement and coordination disorder that’s common in autistic children. Some on social media suggested Musk’s salute could be a product of that.

When discussing a condition, especially in public conversations and debates about controversial topics, talking to people who have it firsthand is also vital.

“For me, I experience a lot of sensory challenges, including being very sensitive to noises, smells, visual stimuli,” Dawson shared. “I also need a lot of alone time, and can easily take on the emotions and stress of those around me.”

Of course, that’s only one example. Autism will look different for each person who has it — and that doesn’t mean hate speech and gestures are a part.

“I feel it’s important to look at the background and overall context of the individual, not their neurotype in isolation,” Dawson said. “Musk’s track record with the far right is undeniable and should be what is focused on here.”

Acknowledging what’s behind this particular debate ― and the impact it has
All of this begs the question: Are people associating Musk’s gesture with autism doing so because they believe they know how autism works, or because they want to throw a blanket defense for Musk (and perhaps more specifically, the far right)? After all, some X users posted photos and videos of Democrats with their arms out, appearing to demonstrate the same gesture. But others argue these images are not the same as Musk’s gesture.

After asking Dawson, she said it could be a combination of both. “People often reach for anything in defense,” she said. “The fact that it is being brought up highlights a continued misunderstanding that’s being perpetuated recently.”

When asked how the excuse for Musk made them feel, the people with autism we interviewed used words like “abhorred,” “incredibly angry,” “infuriated” and “saddened.”