Insight: Be wiser and avoid being reactive

For supporting

World Autism Acceptance Month

This article is part of the 25th Anniversary since the I have started awareness projects and activities back in 2000

In the past, there has been a lot of stigma for myself an an autistic and neurodivergent person with a multicultural background


MY EXPERIENCES
I have faced several challenges and obstacles which enable other people when other multicultural individuals to disclose and enable them to understand my difficulties. This also applies on occasions with general society.


EXAMPLE OF STIGMA IN MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITIES
Hiding Behind The Labels
One of the frequent examples includes being accused of hiding behind my difficulties or trying to be accused of hiding behind a label. This is a term that wrongly accused me of not taking responsibility.

Lacking pride or confidence
Some people will respond by disregarding my difficulties and patronising accusations that I lack any pride when it comes to disclosing or enabling others to understand me.
I have also been given some unhelpful responses to having some confidence in myself. This would happen if a person disregards my difficulties against any requirement that I would find impossible due to my difficulties.

Unrealistic Expectations
Another example is when other people make critical arguments with remarks that my difficulties are not an excuse for what may struggle with unrealistic pressures to have neurotypical thinking and abilities. This leads to situations in which I am accused of not trying hard enough against the difficulties I live with.


Disrespectful judgement of my difficulties whether I've disclosed or not
Regardless if I have disclosed my difficulties or not, one of the embarrassing and stigmatising problems is when a person notices how many struggle or responds differently to how the other person would face unnecessary criticism without understanding the difficulties I live with. Examples of this matter include being criticised for remembering people's names even though I live with sought to memory difficulties. Also, when networking at a major business event, a CEO wrongly disrespected my communication skills even though I had disclosed my difficulties from the outset.

However, through my observations, I have noticed this example is getting worse. I have faced unplanned intervening lecturing.

I have experienced this myself from strangers who don't know me making false perceptions and not aware of my difficulties and how other people misperceive me

Some of these examples are examples I have been treated over the years. Sadly this sort of disrespect for and perceptive judgment has now worsened.

EXAMPLES OF STIGMA IN GENERAL COMMUNITIES
When I am visible with general communities in public spaces and open spaces, it can be very embarrassing as a black male on the autistic. With being constantly made to feel ashamed regularly. For example, if I'm using my human rights to speak up against something that is not right, I'm automatically seen as awkward. If I am seen as upset I am automatically seen as aggressive or a danger. When I'm standing up for myself I'm automatically seen as an irritant. If my difficulties are noticed by others I'm automatically seen as either lazy or nuisance. When I am struggling or seeking help I am automatically seen as a leech.

THE CONSEQUENCES
If we do not intervene and change attitudes and social behaviour on this matter, it won't mean many multicultural people like me with autistic and neurodivergent-related differences will always become excluded from many opportunities and be excluded from certain parts of society. Also, the effects of constant mistreatment can harm a person's interpersonal abilities, social skills and confidence. It can also harm anyone's confidence and self-esteem.

WHAT HAS TO CHANGE
Cultural change must happen within the multicultural & general communities and stop reverting to old-fashioned perceptions that a person's difficulties are a form of embarrassment and a liability.
This means stopping demonising, disrespecting or disrupting a person for difficulties they live with. Move away from false assumptions through perception and typecasting.

Also, we must not stop pressurising multicultural people with hidden differences related to unrealistic expectations, as it could cause disruptive and harmful implications against instability and circumstances.

POSITIVE STEPS FORWARD
Have an open mind when you know someone who lives with specific difficulties, including when they have disclosed understanding information.

Think before you judge or interview anyone who doesn't understand.


FINAL POINT
Everyone in the all communities must stop shaming, be respectful, patient and value mine and other people on the autitsic spectrum's existence