I’m Autistic, and I really don’t like when people call me childish. But people kept telling me it wasn’t ableist and I was being unreasonable and irrational for telling people not to call me childish. That’s why I asked.

translatingableism-archive:

It’s alright to ask! And it is ableist. And even if it weren’t, they should respect your wishes to not be referred to as so.

Autistics can present seemingly “childish” (according to others) traits, and calling us childish for those traits are demeaning.

People have talked down to me like a child my hole life. I’ve had people younger then me call me “kid”. Because my speech mannerisms were different and that’s when I even speak. Because I didn’t know how to keep a back and forth conversation and how to know when a topic ended or when to not change the topic I was treated like a child.

I was often talked to like a 9 year old talking about what I learnt in school instead of an adult talking about my interest when I info dumped. These are really demeaning. And this is why they should not be calling you “childish”.

It’s disrespectful of them and I am sorry you have to deal with that.

~admincam