Inspiration Is A Loaded Word For Autistics

I want to take a brief moment (OK, a blog moment) to talk about a word that is very loaded for people on the autism spectrum: inspiration. I do think that people who are autistic do inspiring things, but because there are so many people of varying spectrum functions (from non-verbal and dangerous to people who end their education in high school but still have spunk in them and strong advocacy skills to people who are teachers, have children, and drive to scientists and pro athletes to people in between all these types like me), inspiration is loaded. I don't think that it is necessary for people who know my story to say that I'm an inspiration because I've overcome a lot and done some inspiring things, but so has, say Temple Grandin and so has say on a completely different level than Temple people in my area who advocate for themselves and so has the autistic pro surfer. does any of my story or their story need comparison? I think not. While I like being called an inspiration in my faith, I think I'd rather be told that I say that I do inspiring things with my faith, because I don't want my faith to be thought of as more or less than anyone else because I worship aerobically or because I give smart answers or because I do good things. I want others to strive to do the same, because I think that with autism or with faith, it gets to be a personal battle and everyone is different in their own way. People can cheer for me at the end of races knowing my story a little bit all the want, but in life, I want to be known as Ian Bott: a somewhat normal guy with autism who has adequate skills and qualities in many regards. That would be great. Inspiration, especially with comparison of so many people, makes it loaded and for people on the spectrum is a word to be avoided because it's a diagnosis with way too many variables. Up next week: language part two- why now for the push for lessening ableistic language.