The importance of online Autistic communities for a positive Autistic identity
A Q&A with guest contributor Claire about the benefits of engaging with online Autistic communities.
Like me, many newly discovered autistic people don’t know where to start when they are diagnosed. We are left with many questions and it can often be difficult to find answers. Finding ways to engage with communities of other Autistic individuals (online or offline) can provide a vital source of information and support.
Q: What questions did you have that needed answering?
A: I wanted to know where I belonged and who I could connect with and the autistic community has given me that in abundance. I wanted to know there are other people who think in a similar way to me. Signposts that point to our community can be one of the best sources of help.
Access to my autistic community has been absolutely crucial for me to maintain good mental health. It’s quite difficult to summarise and articulate how important my community is to my sense of autistic identity as the magnitude to which it has helped me cannot be accurately conveyed with words — just joyous loud stims!
Q: What have been the benefits of being part of an Autistic community?
A: I’ve benefitted emotionally, educationally, and this has supported a sense of purpose, connection and belonging.
Emotional impact: the sense of belonging and overwhelming empathy I feel for my neurokin is beyond anything I have ever experienced before. It feels absolutely amazing! Every time I chat to other autistic people online or watch my favourite autistic led YouTube channel Aucademy I feel immersed in a group of people that just ‘get it’ and who are just as passionate as I am. I feel validated and listened to in a way that isn’t matched offline. This gives me greater purpose. I want my fellow neurokin to feel the same sense of belonging and connection I do now.
Q: How has engaging with your community empowered you to help other Autistic individuals?
A: The overwhelmingly positive ramifications of being part of my autistic community has given me more impetus to spread our knowledge and culture with my neurokin.
Sharing knowledge and our culture: My autistic community hosts a wealth of lived experience understanding that other newly discovered autistics deserve to discover (whenever you’re ready of course) from sharing favourite stims or dedicated interests, to decoding neurotypical interactions (confusion appears to be universal) or understanding alexithymia or autistic burnout. My autistic community holds the metaphorical keys to self-understanding. Many of us, including myself learn the language of autistic culture we never knew existed. Knowledge is power!
Q: Do you have any suggested follows? Where do you recommend people start?
A: Firstly, the Aucademy website is a great place to start as it has a dedicated page for autistics at the start of the identification journey. Secondly, there is a huge autistic community on social media so I would recommend following autistic advocate accounts such as @livedexperienceeducator (Instagram), @autisticality (Instagram) or @aucademy (Twitter).
Helping others: the sense of hyper empathy, compassion and kindness is amazing. From offering words of reassurance or validation to signposting for further advice and sharing experiences, we are here for each other. The best thing about my autistic community is supporting others to know and believe that they are awesomely autistic.
Q: What action can other people take? Might newly diagnosed people asking questions also be beneficial to others?
A: Just by being part of an autistic community, we can challenge people’s assumptions and stereotypical beliefs they may hold about being autistic and socialising.
You can take action by always signposting to autistic led sources of information whenever a non autistic person wants to learn about our autistic experiences.
When newly identified autistic people ask questions other members of the community may also reflect on their life experiences with new knowledge and compassion for their younger selves. Also when I am able to answer other autistic’s questions I find it very rewarding to know that I can help my fellow neurokin understand their profile or problem solve in everyday situations.
These are just some of the reasons why the autistic community is awesome! To any newly identified autistics: WELCOME TO YOUR COMMUNITY!
