Affinity Between The Autistic & Deaf Communities
We have a lot more in common than people might think
Individual differences
September is Deaf Awareness Month. I am both Deaf and Autistic, and I have noticed quite a few commonalities between these two communities.
Below are general statements which do not apply to every Deaf or Autistic person and are based on my personal experiences.
When we spend the majority of our lives trying to adapt to fit the needs and expectations of mainstream society, it wears on us. It can be very exhausting and discouraging to constantly have to ask for accommodations or to make all of the effort to bridge communication gaps.
Hearing and allistic (non-autistic) people can make things easier by trying to meet us halfway, considering our needs without us always having to ask, and by making efforts to learn and better understand our perspectives.
Direct style of communication
Autistic and Deaf people tend to prefer a more direct, even blunt, style of communication, which other people may find a bit abrasive sometimes.
I very much prefer a direct and clear style of communication, whereas I find hearing neurotypicals tend to use cryptic or coded language, dancing around what they are really trying to say. Out with it already!
History of marginalization
Many in the Deaf and Autistic communities have experienced oppression, discrimination, and marginalization. In the Deaf community, many Deaf children were denied access to sign language, forced to learn to lip-read and speak in order to accommodate the hearing majority.
Similarly, Autistics have been subjected to dehumanizing and traumatic behavioural “therapies” in order to force us to behave more like neurotypicals.
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