Autism and people with one hand

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Compared to people with one hand, I was wondering which one of the disabilities is more severe. Would you say the person with autism suffers more in their life, or the person with one hand?

I would say it depends on circumstances and available supports. Does the person with one hand have appropriate family support, community support, and/or tools? Does the person with ASD have appropriate family support, community support, and/or tools? In one community Autism may be more generally accepted, but physical differences less so. In another community perhaps the reverse.

Autism affects all parts of my life but I don't consider it "suffering", other than the pain of sensory discomfort like bright lights. My social challenges are quite significant but I'm happy avoiding it all and living a simple life, the way I do.

Maybe I'm in a unique position to answer because I lost the use of one hand after "suffering" ^ a stroke. I did a year of Occupational Therapy and regained use although I still have issues with fine motor control or two-hand coordination all these years later. I know I didn't lose my hand, but I got to experience what it's like being unable to dress myself or do basic daily tasks just with one hand.

In my opinion loss of function in my hand was a much bigger problem than Level 2 autism. I did a year of therapy hoping my hand function would return, whereas I didn't do that for my autism and I'd have no wish or need to do so.

You can't measure "severity" or "suffering" per se

Different people cope with the same thing, different ways

It is easy to imagine that your situation is worse than other situations

I would tend to say that autism is worse than no hand, but I am biased because I am autistic and two handed

Everyone has subconscious biases

However one handed people, I suspect get more sympathy than autistics. Two handed people look at one handed people and think that if an accident happened they lose one hand

But I think some neurotypicals act like I am crazy and stupid when I am just autistic, and they act like being autistic is a choice

I suppose kids with one hand will most likely be teased or bullied about it through school, but if the one-handed person is NT they'd no doubt make friends with kids that accept them, which can lessen the chances of bullying, as most bullies prefer to target kids who are often on their own.

I think in the adult world most people would have more sympathy and understanding of having one hand, and it shouldn't get in the way of their social performance.

I am sure there are some people with autism who have suffered less than someone with one hand and vice versa.

I guess it depends on the person and the severity. In my case, I certainly wouldn't give one of my hands in order to become neurotypical. Playing the guitar and piano reasonably well has been very useful in mitigating some of the social problems of my ASD, and although I'd presumably be able to use my neurotypicality instead to fix those problems, I'd rather keep things as they are. I get a lot out of playing music that has little to do with social advancement, and there must be hundreds of practical things I'd have a lot of trouble doing if I only had one hand.

My sister is an NT with juvenile diabetes (had it since highschool).

Im an aspie without diabetes (so far)- not the lifelong juvenile kind.

Oddly comparable things. Both lifelong and chronic and incurable. You dont "catch" either from germs.

Would I swap afflictions with her?

That question has occurred to me a few times.

My sister is a lot more successful than I am...so logically I should say YES!

But its a mind f**k to really ponder it.

Being aspie is part of who I am. So a big piece of my personality would change.But I would be more successful. But then I would have do all of that stuff...stick needles into myself. But I would have more money, but this but that.... Too much emotional baggage for a rational train of thought to move down the track to a conclusion.

I have autism and a (dominant) hand that doesn't work properly.
So I'm screwed I guess?
I'd rather have a fully functioning hand hands down.

I believe you.


When I was 14 I won Def Leppard tickets on the radio by calling in and naming the one-handed drummer. I didn't know they had a one-handed drummer or what his name was, but I looked on the back of my albums when the phone was ringing.

My dad was furious because I made him drive downtown to pick up the tickets from the radio station.

Then I went to the show by bus and subway train by myself (with a friend, but no parents.)




https://youtu.be/9SnxBvH-0Mc