Autistic relations: like-mindedness, identities, and community

Autistic relationships are integral to how lives are lived. People’s identities are multifaceted and evolve throughout their life course. We have personal identities, such as being autistic, role identities, such as being a teacher, and social identities, such as being socially autistic, which is suggestive that you can be autistic without necessarily identifying with other autistic individuals in a social or community context. People relate to one another through their identities in various ways. Drawing from the work of several scholars and relating it to my previous research, I aim to illustrate the potential importance of different communities formed around shared interests. This leads to questions about how people engage in activities or community practices. Additionally, our learning about how to exist develops over the course of our lives. How we are permitted to exist impacts us in various ways, including our mental health. While individuals are heterogeneous both within and outside their neurotypes, many find solidarity and a degree of comfort within their neurotype. This suggests that shared interests may be more significant in the long term—such as in improvisational activities or similar philosophies and religions—but solidarity within the autistic community is also crucial, especially when facing disabling practices and prejudice. This solidarity is evident in events and discussions within the autistic community. Ultimately, no one is "normal," and people are inherently social, even if they express that sociality differently.