Neuroableism

 

By Helen Said, Autistic advocate, Melbourne Australia

Some people who come across this blog might wonder, do we really need another "ism"? 

"Isms" are needed to help us think critically about our attitudes and the world we take for granted. When we notice a pattern of bad attitudes and structural problems that cause disadvantage to a group of people, we need to discuss it, name it and address it.

The term "racism" was coined in 1902 by Richard Henry Pratt, a brigadier-general in the US Army who opposed racial segregation. It was to be many decades before the word "racism" was commonly used and understood. As I was growing up, after Martin Luther made his historic "I have a dream" speech, the words "racial prejudice" started being used. In those days, many colonised countries, such as the US, Australia and South Africa, legally segregated Black people. As there were no anti-discrimination laws, racial prejudices were openly expressed. In Australia, migrants such as myself, who had a darker skin, different languages and cultures and non-British ancestry, also experienced racial and cultural prejudices.

In those days, many people of good will sincerely believed that prejudice, ie individuals wrongly pre-judging other races, was the main driver of racial inequality. They reasoned that stopping racially motivated impoliteness, and discriminatory actions, would make all races equal. But as the movement for racial equality deepened, more people began to understand that racial inequality was embedded in the way society was organised eg dispossessing Indigenous First Nations people, erasing their culture and history and failure to address the inter-generational trauma thus caused. To have these in depth discussions and address these issues, the systemic problems needed a universally understood descriptor that would help us to conceptualise the issues and keep them front of mind. Hence the need for the concept of racism.

We didn't always use the words "feminism" and "sexism" either. When I was young, the feminist movement was known as "Women's Liberation". Women who wanted equality were commonly derided as "Women's Libbers". I was regularly baited as a "Women's Libber" for beating the boys in maths tests at school. Nothing was known about Autism or high maths Autistics back then. The baiting, although stigmatising, led to some surprising outcomes. I became curious about Women's Liberation, and joined many social movements at university, which ultimately prepared me for Autism advocacy.

Men who wanted women to remain subservient housewives were commonly called "male chauvinist pigs". This was a very long name, eventually abbreviated as MCP, and ultimately replaced by the descriptor "sexist". The word "feminism", which had been used to describe the suffragette movement, eventually came back into vogue. By calling ourselves "feminists", we had a self defined descriptor that transcended 1970s protest movements. At times, feminism has come to be associated with white professional women demanding a slice of the pie for themselves, however its true meaning lies in overcoming all forms of oppression experienced by women in patriarchal class society. Domestic violence, underpayment of third world garment workers, exploitative beauty standards and sex trafficking are just some of the issues that feminism seeks to address.

"Ableism" is a relatively new word. Eight years ago, when I first suggested using the word "ableism" in Labor Party policy, a disabled party member said, "I don't even know what that means." I continued calling for my party to use the word "ableism" until opposition to ableism was finally inserted into the Victorian Labor Values Statement two years ago, along with opposition to transphobia. The Victorian Labor Values Statement is now read out a the start of every meeting. I can proudly say that I contributed to every party member, from the regional branches meeting in their local pub, to the government ministers in the parliamentary caucus room, declaring their opposition to ableism at the start of every meeting. This hasn't automatically overcome ableism, but it has elevated the urgency of addressing ableism to the level of other discriminations named in our values statement.

Why now do we need to use the term "neuroableism"? "Neuroableism" was coined in 2019 by Julia Feliz, an anti-racism educator and founder of Sanctuary Publishers.  Neuroableism is a term that combines "neurodiversity" and "ableism" to describe discrimination or social prejudice against people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurological differences.

The term "neuroableism" is not that widely used, but this needs to change. Autistics have been targetted by the Trump regime and US Health Secretary RFK Jnr. Trump has called Autism a "horror show". RFK Jnr has wrongly portrayed Autism as being caused by environmnetal factors such as vaccines, and has wrongly stated that Autistics will never go on dates, write poems or pay taxes. An announcement about the causes of Autism is expected this month. The announcement is expected to pathologise Autism. This pathologisation needs a name and Julia Feliz has given us one: Neuroableism. The term neuroablism will help us name, conceptualise, discuss and overcome the littany of lies and mistreatment that will surely come out of this announcment. 

There is plenty of neuroableism around already. The September 27th 2023 issue of Psychology Today carries an article written by Ludmila N Paslova PhD, titled What is Structural Neuroableism at Work? I must say that I have experienced three quarters of the problems outlined, including "Micromanagement disrupts neurodivergent productivity, imposing external demands that may not align with our intrinsic flow and motivation....On the surface, office politics might seem an innate aspect of corporate life. But for many autistic people, in particular, this creates an impassable toxic minefield that makes us sick and prevents us from exercising our talents....the implicit expectation of perpetual teamwork might particularly harm neurodivergent talent who may excel in deep work and need stretches of solitary focus."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positively-different/202309/what-is-structural-neuroableism-at-work 

As a result of this structural neuroableism, I abandonned the organised workforce many years ago. I am much poorer but a lot happier being self employed. Neurodivergent people who are paying mortgages or raising families might not have this choice. There needs to be work solutions for all of us.

Trump and RFK are set to release the findings to their so-called Autism Inquiry this month. We already know what it will be: Neuroableist.