Condescending Professionals

[SunnyDay16]

I strongly dislike it when "professionals" treat me like an incompetent child. Most of the time, it's professionals who are supposedly specialized in autism. It feels insulting to me because they just assume that I am a slow little girl (I'm almost 18) who needs to be babied and spoken to like a child because I'm on the spectrum. Many of us on the spectrum are very capable and actually very intelligent thank you very much. It just really irritates me.

I used to go to a program that taught social skills and many of the counselors were like this. Weirdly enough, it was mostly the female ones. There were two they really got under my skin, because they would speak to me like a baby even though I was articulate and clear. I try my best to be responsible and appear intelligent yet some people still treat me by my diagnosis.

 

[Progster]

I haven't had much experience of these professionals and the one that diagnosed me certainly didn't treat me like that, but once a psychologist I talked to, whom I told I had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, immediately said "oh, you must be high functioning" and I found that rather condescending and not very helpful.

 

[Judge]

Human ego. It's the one aspect of the diagnostic process that most concerns me. Where medical professionals make too many initial assumptions and/or become offended if the patient offers input in the process itself. Where even though their patient may be right, the doctor defaults to dismissing them out of hand.

With perhaps only one thing which could be far worse. When with all their academic training and experience, they still get it wrong. Enabled by multiple and sometimes competing medical protocols pertinent to autism.

 

[OkRad]

When I feel vulnerable, I actually prefer that to the harshness of being forced to behave like scary grown ups do. I am being serious, actually. When someone is gentle with me, I respond. When they are harsh, I close down.

Don't want to be babied, I get that. But gentleness is often confused with babying......not sure about all this. You made me think!

 

[Buzzerfly]

Amen.

Next time you are in front of one of these professionals try not to get tricked into going into your head and, on some level, buying what ******** they are selling about you. Even if it's to defend yourself. Instead, from behind your secret brain camera, look right at them. The majority of the time, you'll find a big old incompetent baby in front of you that someone/something gave a car, a house, and degrees to. Less often, you'll find a totally evil freak bent on destroying your soul. And rarely, you'll find someone acting superior to you out of habit, cause they don't know any better...but they're kinda cool and do respect you.