Have you ever been infantilized- talked down to and treated condescendingly, as if you were younger than you actually are? Then you must be familiar with the frustration of feeling like you are never being taken seriously or even treated like an equal human being.
Autistic people face this infantilization to an extremely problematic degree- which is why we must take a stand against this treatment, even if it's a mishandled good intention.
Let’s start off with what infantilization looks like:
Changing speech patterns (speaking slower, louder, in a higher pitch or in a ‘baby voice’).
Using pet names in the context of an acquaintance.
Speaking for a person or directing questions to a parent or caregiver when they can speak for themselves.
Basically, treating someone who is NOT a child as a child.
Society’s view of disability is one of incapability, no matter what type of disability. Therefore, people with autism can often be seen as dependent upon others or ‘deserving of pity’; leading society to treat them in a patronizing way. Parents may be overprotective out of fear for what the world could do to them, it can feel safer to ensure they remain forever a perpetual child.
However, infantilization is damaging- it can erase their voice. Adults with autism may find themselves being ignored and dismissed based on the assumption that they ‘don’t understand the situation at hand’. Assuming a person cannot be independent can lead to that person becoming so dependent they cannot make their own choices.
How will an autistic individual ever gain independence when others always call the shots?
To combat infantilization try avoiding making references to metal age unless you’re specifically talking about them in a context where their skill level must be known and addressed. Secondly, ALWAYS presume competence. Do not think that because someone is nonverbal, they can’t understand what is going on, especially don’t assume that they can’t communicate at all.
Stop infantilizing autistic people.
Written by Zahra Peer Mohamed
Artwork by Zara Masood
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