Throughout my time on the internet, I've been asked why
I like to disclose that I am autistic on the web,
sometimes out of curiosity, and
sometimes with hostility. I've been told multiple times that I am attention seeking,
faking my diagnosis, and that being autistic isn't something to be proud of.
I want to be proud of who I am, and autism is an integral part of who I am. Besides that,
I think the following is also true for many other autistic people, and just "othered"
communities in general. The internet is meant to be a place to find community, and connect
with likeminded people. Being able to connect with other autistic people is something that the internet
enables me to do when being offline does not. It also can help explain habits of mine that
may otherwise be misunderstood. Please be kind to people who just want to connect
with other people like them instead of making rude accusations.