Autistic identity, culture, community, and space for well-being

In this chapter I discuss and critically consider the importance of identity, culture, community, and space for improving the well-being of the (our) stigmatised and marginalised Autistic population. I will do this by first discussing a tale of two “autisms”: the first being the pathological and paradigmatic narrative that constructs “autism” as a medical neurodevelopmental “disorder” embedded within a “culture of autism”; the second narrative being that of Autistic culture, with Autistic experience understood from a neurodiversity perspective, where Autistic people are different, not disordered. I touch on the well-being issues the Autistic community experience, going on to explain how fostering an Autistic identity can act as a “social cure”, one that affords Autistic people symbolic and material support from community members. Lastly, I consider the refuge and healing properties of Autistic spaces, and how these spaces may prove to be a stronger tool for discovering one’s Autistic-ness as a teen or adult compared to current infantilised medical diagnostic processes. I hope to show the importance of Autistic identity, culture, community, and space for Autistic well-being.