I thought I had resolved to thinking of my Aspie traits as just being part of the autism spectrum. With that resolution, I was ready to move forward and start advocating for autism in general. But, I was wrong. I am just too uncomfortable with throwing Aspergers into the autism ocean. I just don’t see the benefits of doing that for us Aspies.

When I made my 2022 New Year’s Resolution to help bring understanding to the conditions of Autism, I didn’t know how difficult that would be for me. I have given up that resolution earlier than I thought I would, but that is because of what I have found in my preparatory studies.

If you have been to RJsCorner before, you likely know that I say I have Aspie traits, but I don’t proclaim to be autistic, as I have never been tested, nor do I want to be. It just seems that the current medical establishment wants to classify Aspergers as a disability, and I just don’t think of myself, or those who have been labeled of as Aspies, as disabled. I know they say that Aspergers is at the high-functioning end of the spectrum, but that is not enough for me.

In my studies of the last few months I have familiarized myself with this spectrum concept and have discovered just how debilitating autism can be for many. I have found that many, perhaps most, on the spectrum are unable to cope in the neurotypical world, so they invent another world for themselves. I am proud of the fact that I have lived my life in the real world. Yes, I have learned to wear many masks to do that, but that is just how it is.

Maybe some day, I may consider myself part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but not today. I am just not ready to go swimming in the autism ocean just yet. Generally, I consider my Aspie traits as assets and not liabilities. I don’t consider them disrupting normal mental functions. I consider them being simply another way to look at the world, and not something that needs to be fixed or be considered a disorder.