Live, Observe, Learn, Repeat

I’m not sure if marching is quite right, but in a sense it’s probably in the mix there somewhere. There is a certain determination and drive inside many of us autists about justice (and maybe it’s in more than ‘many of us’) which could be associated with the action of marching. A purposeful movement in a clear direction with the aimed-at destination being what is (from our perspective) right and fair and just.

Yes, there is one small (not small) issue with that approach to our existence. There is a fact which stands against it before we have even begun. This life cannot (and will not ever) be fully right and fair and just. This truth will (likely) be a point of recurring conflict in the life of the autist. We may well have to (seemingly frequently) stand for justice or fight against injustice at a personal levels or wider levels and in any of many contexts and scenarios even when non-autists might not be overly aware of any kind of issue occurring. But for now, we’re not focussing on the sometimes darker side of being autistic. We’re having a look at the best bits, whilst not denying that these ‘best bits’ also have the fully opposite positions as active partners too.

Having a strong (and mostly accurate) intuition about what’s right and wrong, is a laudable human trait, isn’t it? Yes. I’m going to state that it is. Pursuing solutions based on a perception of what is right and wrong is also a phenomenal trait, isn’t it? I think so. And when that is aligned with a genuine sense of fairness, even better, right? Yes. That is my view.

It may well be true that we can see some things (sometimes related to injustice, although not confined only to injustice) which others cannot see and yet at other times be ridiculously blind to things others can clearly see. But that gives us a different approach to life and situations or scenarios that need dealing with. It gives us unique ways into finding solutions and into all we do and how we are.

Because we can (maybe) tend to become a little obsessive (understatement acknowledged but brushed over nevertheless), this can produce the outcome of individuals bringing something ‘otherly’ to this human existence and to life on Earth. We can bring (and often do, without realising it) different perspectives and other ways of approaching all that is life.

Whatever your opinion of her, her views, or her way of expressing those views, Greta Thunberg is undeniably someone who is marching for justice. Are all autists like Greta? No. Do we need to be? No. I mention her as an example (on a now global scale) as one who began by making personal and family decisions about their carbon footprint. They decided to make life choices that would be kinder to the environment and things grew from there.

Her seemingly incessant pursuit of significant changes in how we live, focusses both on the tiny details of individual every-day choices and extends to the grand stages where world leaders discuss what must happen next to help the climate situation we (as humans) have collectively created. Her many communications directed at world leaders concerning the changes that are needed to protect our planet and life on it are strong. Very strong. She does not hold back the messages she believes need to be said. She has a passion. She does not alter her way of speaking of being to be socially acceptable. Her pursuit of being an advocate and initiator of change is an obsessive passion and seems to be her main driving life focus. Is she fully aware of all the implications of what she is delivering? As no single person can be fully aware of everything, no, she can’t be. But does that stop her delivering the messages she believes to be right and just and good? It does not stop her, no. I’m sure she has learnt much as she has walked the path so far and I’m sure she will learn more on the path ahead.

Her pursuit for justice as an advocate for our planet, has become (it seems) a purpose for her that she gives much of her time, focus and energy to. She seems to not be overly concerned about what she says to those in power. She seems unconcerned with how she says what she says. Her aim is to ensure the messages about what we must do to save our planet are listened to and acted upon. She is open about her autism diagnosis, and it is more than likely that her ‘wiring’ does help her pursue action in this area that she sees as so vitally important for the continuation of life on Earth. She is seeking justice for the Earth.

She may be a public figure who is demonstrating this approach on a global scale, but it is a stance that is very active within all kinds of situations and contexts for many of us autists (as well as for many non-autists too – that is not in dispute). Sometimes there might be a clear goal and focus for the pursuit of justice and at other times, not so much.

Within education, mine was clear. I stood for (and with) the families who needed me to do that when the system was failing them. I fought for justice for those who needed support or needing hearing or (in the case of the children) needed educating in a plethora of ways. It was all crystal clear to me at the time. Now I am not in education in the same ways, it’s trickier to see and to use my pursuit of justice as an internal driver that gives me focus and clarity, meaning and purpose.

It might seem like my sense of justice is lesser than it was because my life looks different now. And that might be fair to assume that, in some ways. But then again, if you were tell me that I said something I didn’t say or did something I didn’t do, or if you say I didn’t say something that I did say or didn’t do something that I did do…well, good luck, but you’ll probably see my internal justice-ometer rise up to meet you. I realise this is also true for the non-autist but as with most other things, it is the extremes that make the difference. There is a tendency for autists to often operate at the very edges of the extremes. Even if to others the shift from what is right or true is only slight, for the autist, it may be a radical shift.

Children are particularly astute at this. All children have strong (metaphorical) justice threads running through them, but especially (and at the extremes, are) those who are wired autistically. If a situation the child was involved with is recounted within earshot of the child and if a few facts are altered or embellished (even slightly), the response in the child can seem ‘over the top’ (‘Over the top’ of what? Dawn, don’t start that.). The non-autists may look on and see a meltdown appear that is (from their perspective) out of all proportion to the situation encountered. However, for that child, it is fully reasonable that they will react however they do. For them, the meltdown is the only way they can demonstrate that they know they’re being lied about or have been exposed to a lie. They might not have the language to express their discontent with this injustice, but they will (likely) demonstrate it in other ways (whether that be a full shutdown which was always my ‘go to’ as a child, or full on physical and violent meltdown). When it has not yet been understood that one must learn to manage (to some extent and dependent on ability to do so at any given time) responses to situations, the responses will be shown in one way or another and however extreme they may seem. The injustice will not go unnoticed. Never.

It would be fully reasonable and rational for any autists to see their issues with coping with injustice as fully negative. After all, experiencing injustice can negatively affect our thought processes. It can lead us into paranoia or cause anxiety while we work out how to address the injustice, if indeed it is possible to address it. They can impact sleep, mindset, focus and sleep and this list could go on and on. And those things are true.

But I am going to return to where we began, because that is also true for us. It is my belief that both extremes can be true and can live side by side.

Having a strong (and mostly accurate) intuition about what’s right and wrong is a laudable human trait, isn’t it? Yes. Pursuing solutions based on a perception of what is right and wrong is also a phenomenal trait. And when that is aligned with a genuine sense of fairness, even better.

It may well be true that we might see some things which others cannot and yet be ridiculously blind to some things others clearly see. But that gives us a different approach to life and situations or scenarios that need dealing with. It gives us unique ways into finding solutions and into all we do and how we are.

I guess that means we keep marching on with justice held up as a filter to what we see and experience. Whether it is justice on a global scale or in the tiny details, justice is justice. And justice is cool. As the Cambridge dictionary puts it, it is all about ‘fairness in the way people are dealt with’. That sounds more than reasonable to me. And we can (and will, most likely) be strong advocates of that.