different opinions on autism from autistic people

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Such as if it is a disorder or disability, or personal feelings on a "cure".

I recently ordered this book off Amazon: I Am Autistic: A Workbook: Sensory Tools, Practical Advice, and Interactive Journaling for Understanding Life with Autism (By Someone Diagnosed With it)

I read the whole thing already, and it offered great insights. I even made some discoveries that I hadn't made before in all my research.
Then there's the chapters near the end that talk about the things in my first sentence.

I don't entirely disagree with the author's views on those things, which include the social model of disability, and that autism is a neurotype. I just think that "autism is only a neurotype" is a very level 1 thing to say, if that makes sense. People who are deeper into the spectrum may feel a little differently.
I like being autistic and I embrace my differences. I wouldn't want to be neurotypical at all. But I also am not severely disabled by my autism - I do consider my autism a disability, and not entirely based on the social model!

What are your thoughts?

An observation you will find in multiple places on WP and on the Internet:

If you've met on Autistic then you've met one Autistic.
That is, we're all different.

I have a formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1 (Mild) so it is possible that I may or may not be legally disabled.

That certainly is not consistent with my opinion or life-history. I think I am just different.

Different people different views.

Don't look for a black & white answer or believe anyone who tells you there is, because there isn't one.

Its about maintaining personal views and choice.

Many people accept that its wrong to presume that autistic people want to be cured. However the reverse is also true.

I’m always wary of people who make blanket statements about anything in life, so same goes for me around the subject of autism.

I think you’re right to consider people whose autism seriously affects their wellbeing, albeit living in the neurotypical world is a large factor in that.

I had a really difficult day on Friday, autism related, and it (yet again) made me wonder about autistic people who are having these days most of the time - it’s absolutely exhausting and this weekend was a write off, hardly been able to say more than a few words to my wife at a time, can’t do my hobbies, and my energy has been seriously depleted. Thankfully, I’ll bounce back, but I’m saddened for others who don’t so quickly.

I have a ASD level 1 diagnosis. My view on what is the "normal" way to interact with other people or how I interpret things is different from the average population's view and that leads to misunderstandings and sometimes conflicts. I don't think of myself as disabled. My intellectual skills (IQ) is higher than the average level and to some extent I find it difficult to tell what part of me being different is high intelligence and what is autism.

Some people on the spectrum really believe the “different not worse”. People on the spectrum and those not. Not everyone. I am wary of the “I am autistic so I speak for all people who are autistic” um - no, you don’t.

Some people in the spectrum would really like a cure and would take one if one came along.

When I was growing up the saying was “I’m ok, you’re ok”.
The new fashion is “I’m ok, and it is about time you shaped up”.

One name for it is “group narcism”.

I am a middle child. I don’t follow the big crowd. But self-appointed “I am in your small crowd and I have decided I speak for you, and you must do as I say, and think as I think. We will now blame all our problems on people not in our small crowd” type people don’t thrill me either.

YMMV

If I were "normal" there is a good chance I wouldn't be retired at 60 in good health living in my own home surrounded by gorgeous gardens. Many of my former co-workers would love to be able to retire at my age!

I play golf. I taught myself rather than taking lessons. It is a lot of fun to figure stuff out to play better.

I retired at 56

And I felt terrible physically when I retired. But I feel much, much better after I retired.

It really differs from person to person.

Here is a thought from my own experience, regardless of if I am on the spectrum or not. (Don't know yet).

I have noticed (Usually when I was in school) that I seem to put so much extra effort into something compared to others to only get mediocre results, despite me being more intelligent, or in theory being more able. I found this to be cruel because I would be tryingmy very best to be told "Must try harder" when others I fully well knew had hardly tried at all would get good marks. This really annoyed me and sometimes resulted me to abandon trying at all such as when I was in college... No point in putting in extra effort that would get me no where!

Another aspect of this was in places I worked at where I was being taken advantage of or bullied using hidden bullying methods and I did not know it, where I really should have walked away and walked out and saved myself going through what was some sort of mental breakdown or autistic burnout? If I had just walked out I would have avoided that, and the bully would have been exposed. (I was talked into carrying on as the bully knew he was in danger had I walked out. He had another staff member talk me out of walking out. I then went through much more of the ssme! I endured it as part of what I assumed was daily life!)

My thoughts are that a cure, regardless if would take one or not, is only a fictional hypothetical and will never be a reality. So it's better to just focus on accommodating support needs and making life easier for autistic people in general.

A lot of normal people don't have it so easy either. They may be rich but have messed up families.

What I do is learn or figure out what affects me and see if there is anything I can do it make life easier.

A weird thing I discovered is that if I sleep with really warm clothes covering my legs, I feel cold.
I feel warmer if I make my legs work harder to stay warm and just wear really warm clothes up top!
Of course this is in the cold winter months and not the hot summer months!

In the hot summer months I wear a crop top and short shorts so I can go without A/C to have really low electric bills!

I don't think anyone is claiming that autism/disabilities in general are the only source of hardship.

I'm a combination of a Level 1 and a Level 2. I'm a little bit slow compared to most of the people here. I'm happy to be alive and that's all that matters.