Today is world autism day. More than anything, I want credibility from an autistic person. This is more important than awareness and acceptance. For far too long we have been striving for acceptance. Then it shifted to awareness. Still, I believe what matters more is having the credibility. When we say something, it should be believed for what it is.

Far too many times our value is discounted. This happens because of carrying the diagnosis we bestow. It can be like having a mental health diagnosis. Our brain does not work the same way as someone else’s. If there is any doubt about whether we are taking care of ourselves, attention shifts to our mental health. Alternatively, it can focus on our autism diagnosis. This overshadowing diminishes the value of what we say. Just because we express ourselves and how it sometimes comes across should not mean it’s discounted. It should be valued for what it is.

The sad thing is this happens often than what people think. Our perceived or known status as autistic is often considered more valuable than our words. This status or mental health diagnosis impacts our credibility. This perception comes from the professionals that serve us. It also comes from law enforcement officers and those who give public services. This affects how conflicts are fought or resolved in our favor.

This hurts so much. Sometimes, because of the power that someone has over us, we can do nothing about it. We often face the disadvantage of not being believed. Our words are not always considered credible. It can be one of the hardest battles we face. We meet such battles when we struggle to get the things we deserve. It can seem that we are in a constant battle with the systems. These systems are intended to serve and accept us for who we are.

On our end, we have a responsibility. We must uphold our part of the bargain by taking care of ourselves. For some time, I did not hold up to this standard. Whenever I faced conflicts, this shortcoming was always pointed out to me. It was hard to hear that. Eventually, I had to accept the hard truth. It was up to me to do what I had to do. I was on thin ice. The people who once gave me the latitude I needed were gone. They no longer supported me as they did in the past. Many reasons drove me to change. I needed to get back on track last year. I had to start taking care of myself, regardless of how hard it was.

I have a wish. When someone sees us in the outside world, I hope they do not judge us by what they see. They would instead value us as a person that we really are. I wish they would see us for who we truly are. They should accept us and be aware of our actions. It’s important that they take what we do at face value and hold some credibility to it.