Can I ask everyone to please stop using our perceived intelligence to assert the worth of autistics? It& #39;s a common refrain I hear from family members and caregivers, but it& #39;s harmful for a few reasons. First, the concept of intelligence is itself rooted in ableism, white (1/6)

supremacy, and eugenics. It& #39;s a social construct. @twitchyspoonie talks about this here: https://twitter.com/twitchyspoonie/status/1256430613537546240?s=20">https://twitter.com/twitchysp...
Autistics typically do well with standard measures of intelligence because of things like hyperlexia, special interests, and pattern recognition. But (2/6)

Not all autistics are strong in all or even any of these areas; we are as varied as allistics in terms of strengths and weaknesses. However, the "savant" stereotype is often used to downplay our difficulties. It& #39;s assumed we can compensate because we are "so smart". (3/6)

While autism is not in itself an intellectual disability, many autistics have a comorbid ID, and they are not lesser than the rest of us. Intelligence has no moral value and should not be used as a measure of someone& #39;s worth. (4/6)

So next time the subject of autism comes up and you& #39;re tempted to say, "Oh, I teach autistic kids, and they& #39;re just so intelligent!", ask yourself why you feel the need to emphasize that. Would you do that for NT children? Is it because you instinctively feel the need to (5/6)

Assert our humanity? Or because we are only as valuable as what we can contribute to the world? I understand that this usually comes from a place of love and protectiveness, I just want you to consider the message it sends. (6/6)