Autism & Victimization

cactus-spirit:

Somewhere I read that a symptom of autism/ ASD is a tendency to feel victimized. Feel. And I couldn’t get that out of my head because there is a difference between just saying that and saying “a tendency to be” victimized. Saying “feel” carries the implication that the victimization is in one’s head. 

But in any case, there’s  probably a reason people with ASD feel victimized:

Autistic children are more likely to be bullied. 

Autistic children are more likely to be abused.

Autistic children are more likely to experience sexual abuse and the abuse is less likely to be recognized because symptoms of being abused are often misinterpreted as “normal” autistic behavior. 

Autistics are more likely to be sexually assaulted because they are often taught compliance from a young age in therapies like ABA.

Autistics are more likely to be unemployed.

Employers discriminate against autism, autistics are more likely to be bullied by their coworkers, and many autistics lose their jobs because of it.

Schools find loopholes to discriminate against autistic children. 

Autistiscs have a higher risk of experiencing police brutality. 

Autistics are being murdered by their own caregivers, and the murderer is often given a lighter sentence because the victim was viewed as a burden.

Autistics suffer because they are not given effective medical care.

So, gee, that might be the problem. Not that autistic people just “feel” victimized.