Should People With Autism Have Their Own Private Space?
I don't mean an exclusionary and exclusive space necessarily. but more so, a place where people with certain differences would feel at home.
2025-08-12 · 9 months ago
5 Comments ↓
🚀 RubyMaelstrom · 2025-08-13 at 04:18:
I think they call that place "home", hehe. No, really! My wife is autistic, and she just wants to be home, preferably alone and in a quiet place. If you told her that somebody had made an autistic safe space that she could go to, where there might be *other people around*, I think she'd look at you like you had grown an extra head while you were talking. :)
🚀 stack · 2025-08-13 at 15:32:
Also, autism covers a lot of ground, and sometimes interests are extremely specialized, like freight train locomotives or 6809 computers, or miniatures -- better served by existing communities. And many autistic people are severely autistic in ways that make virtual spaces completely inappropriate
💎 pista · 2025-08-13 at 17:38:
@stack How could you mention trains and not mention dinosaurs? 🦖 🦕
🐙 norayr [mod] · 2025-08-15 at 20:57:
yes i guess just regular common public spaces (both online and offline) should be aware that there are autistic people among them, including those who don't even know they are autistic.
also if i understand correctly, while some autistic people need protection and understanding, some others can be aggressive, and better be kept away.
as well as non autistic people can be aggressive.
so i guess that means moderation is very responsible and important work. plus we all should be aware and be careful to not harm each other.
and on spaces like gemini i think proportion of autistic people is much higher than in common internet places.
🐙 norayr [mod] · 2025-08-15 at 21:00:
i think i know an xmpp troll, i think that person is autistic, and that person attacks other autistic people. i am one of them, i believe i am targeted specifically.
a couple of days ago one chatroom was made members only to keep that person away and protect others.