I do not struggle to access social engagement.

My autistic nervous system has never struggled to access social engagement in safe settings.

I struggle to access SAFETY.

All of these apparent “deficits” are either stress responses or perfectly functional neurodivergent communication differences. When an autistic person is overwhelmed by a sensory or social aspect of their environment, their body starts to shut down and the communication parts of the brain go offline.

Because I understand being autistic to be a cultural identity and not a medical disorder, I recognize #actuallyautistic people as experts on their own culture, and I view neurotypical researchers as outsiders attempting to understand a culture they are not part of.