Examples:

Yesterday I was at a health evaluation for a driver’s license. Everything went well with my physical health, but at questioning, my autism was bought up. I was accused of needing help with learning in primary school (despite of my grades, that were usually B (I know, I’m lazy)) and now I need a psychological evaluation.

When I started high school, most professors infantalized me, but later stopped after I proved myself (ok, some didn’t stop, like the slovene teacher and the sport teacher/coach).

When I meet someone new, they always think I am intelectually disabled, before proving otherwise…

Why is this happening?

Edit: It means a lot to talk to people who support me trough this (even if only on the internet). I took a psychological evaluation today. It included an iq test like form (easy, but didn’t finish the whole paper), questionairs and some cordination tests (that in my opinion I was bad at). Just waiting to get the results. Hopefully I’ll pass, but I can’t really do anything if I don’t, can just maybe try somewhere else in the EU (i think).

  • hauiAEnglish
    221·
    4 months ago

    Well, I dont think anyone can answer this definitively. But I recon its multiple things:

    • autism is still widely unknown/not understood
    • we‘re just starting to see people advocating since more and more keep getting diagnosed
    • teachers are often not autistic and/or come from a generation that frowns upon disclosure of medical information
    • lots of prejudice
    • since you have slovene as a language, I recon you might be from slovenia, which is in europe. Europe is far behind the US in autism advocacy and slovenia as part of the balkans could be even further behind (feel free to tell me otherwise if you‘ve ever visited france, germany or GB for example)
    • autistics afaik often report problems with speaking their mind or explaining their thought process (which would include me) and therefore get underestimated

    Those are just my thoughts and opinions. Nothing of this is proven fact and I am happy to stand corrected. Just trying to give some ideas of why this might be a unhappy coincidence.

    You can always decide to change this and write up a lecture or speech which you can hold at some event if thats your cup of tea. You can then educate large amounts of people in a short timeframe. Good luck.

    • Persen@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      6·
      4 months ago

      Yes I see the balkan influence in Slovenia. I feel bad, because my father (also autistic) is on the doctor’s side even tho he knows I’m not intelectually disabled (he even thinks I’m smart). He just doesn’t want to question their authority.

      On the unrelated note: I accidentaly said yes to a question I later learned it was partialy corelated with intelectual disability, so it might be my fault.

      • hauiAEnglish
        6·
        4 months ago

        Its a dumpster fire all over the world and you‘re not alone. Feel free to go into research and help clear up this idiocy.

        • Persen@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
          1·
          4 months ago

          Well since that appointment, I’m scared I might lose legal rights so there will be nothing I could do about it.

          • hauiAEnglish
            2·
            4 months ago

            I‘m not in your position so I dont know anything about it. Its possible to be declared incapable but thats quite a big stretch to assume it will happen usually. If you dont have a criminal history or people interested in controling you it sounds like a less likely outcome. Feel free to correct me. Also, if you‘re interested in shaping your and other autistic folk‘s future, you can always advocate.

            • Persen@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
              1·
              4 months ago

              Thanks, I think my mother is interested in controlling me, but she probably wouldn’t suceed because my father wouldn’t let her (hopefully).

              • hauiAEnglish
                3·
                4 months ago

                In that case I‘d worry about things you can control instead of things you cant control. Makes life a lot easier and healthier - most likely longer too.

                Learn, try to discover new things and do what you can to be selfreliant.

                Good luck.