Autistic supremacism

Autistic supremacism, also referred to as Aspie supremacism (in reference to Asperger syndrome), is an ideological school of thought followed within certain segments of the autism community, suggesting that individuals formerly diagnosed with Asperger syndrome possess superior traits compared to both neurotypical individuals and other autistic people. The ideology has been criticized by disability researchers and members of the autism community for perpetuating harmful hierarchies within the community and potentially reinforcing broader discriminatory attitudes.

Definition

According to the definition given by University of Amsterdam disability studies researcher Anna de Hooge, the fundamental idea of ​​autistic supremacism consists of defining a subcategory of autistic individuals (such as white-skinned men with Asperger syndrome who have a productive job) and differentiating it from other categories of autistic people and from people who are not autistic, by assigning to the category a superiority over all others.^[1]

Autistic community writer Fergus Murray described the ideology as typically emphasizing the cognitive abilities, logical thinking, and specific skills of certain autistic people as markers of superiority. He described the mindset as frequently intersecting with broader ideological positions regarding meritocracy and hierarchical social organizations.^[2]

History

Anna de Hooge studied autistic supremacism in a 2019 publication. She determined that the movement defined the superiority of individuals concerned on the basis of demographic factors which could include their race, gender, and economic value, linking the origins of this ideology to Hans Asperger's collaboration with the Nazi euthanasia program.^[1]

Autistic community writer and organizer Fergus Murray elaborated that while Asperger advocated positively for certain autistic individuals he deemed valuable to society, his approach generally reinforced problematic hierarchies among disabled people. He and The Independent Washington bureau chief Eric Garcia believed that the development of autism supremacist attitudes often stemmed from experiences of social exclusion and discrimination, with some autistic individuals potentially developing such beliefs as a coping mechanism in response to bullying or isolation. They noted that autistic supremacism found particular resonance within certain technology industry circles, where it sometimes aligns with "tech bro" mentalities that emphasize individual genius and technological solutions over collective approaches.^[2][3][4]

Criticism

Autism and disability researchers and writers have criticized the ideology for potentially reinforcing broader societal discrimination and exclusion. Many noted correlations between autism supremacy and other supremacist ideologies such as eugenics and scientific racism, engrained in common underlying patterns of hierarchical thinking.^[2][4][5][6]

For Virginia Tech disability researcher Paul Heilker, who cited the existence of Aspie supremacism in 2012, the ideology was originally an attempt to define an autistic identity specifically by whiteness.^[7] Autism researchers Sara Acevedo and Suzanne Stoltz linked the movement to the "misuses of neurodiversity", and argued that it has its roots in white supremacist ideology, colonialism, and capitalist systems that "reinforces the archetype of the productive, neoliberal citizen".^[8]

Hooge elaborated that the ideology was also related to Jean-François Lyotard's postmodernism.^[1] However, sociological and disability studies researchers claimed that the movement fails to justify the ideas it defends on a factual basis. Hooge and Jacky (Manidoomakwakwe) Ellis expressed that the idea of ​​a category of autistic people superior to others is not based on any objective medical basis, due to the notions of "high-functioning" and "low-functioning" autism being dynamic social categories, and not factual and fixed medical categories.^[1][9]

Manifestations

Hooge believed that contemporary media, in some cases, conveys ideas that are compatible with autistic or aspie supremacism. She cited the BBC television series Sherlock, in which an unofficial Asperger syndrome diagnosis is suggested for the protagonist, who also displays characteristic behavioral traits and regularly recalls his superiority over other individuals.^[1]

Twitter/X owner Elon Musk described a screen capture of a 4chan post that claimed that only “aneurotypical people” were able to think freely and be trusted with determining the objective truth as an "interesting observation". Writer Eric Garcia described his response as a representation of Musk's own descriptions of himself having Asperger syndrome and of facing social isolation and bullying as a result while growing up.^[4]

See also

• Controversies in autism
• Neurodiversity

References

1. Hooge, Anna N. de (2019-02-28). "Binary Boys: Autism, Aspie Supremacy and Post/Humanist Normativity". Disability Studies Quarterly. 39 (1). doi:10.18061/dsq.v39i1.6461. ISSN 2159-8371.
2. "We Need to Talk About Aspie Supremacists". Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
3. Marx, Paris (2022-08-08). "Elon Musk Is Convinced He's the Future. We Need to Look Beyond Him". TIME. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
4. "The toxic autism politics of Trump's second administration". The Independent. 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
5. "Discussion paper on eugenics and diversity". Monotropism. 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
6. "Autism test 'could hit maths skills'". 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
7. Heilker, Paul (2012-05-08), "Autism, Rhetoric, and Whiteness", On Whiteness, Brill, pp. 193–204, doi:10.1163/9781848881051_020, ISBN 978-1-84888-105-1, retrieved 2024-12-14
8. Acevedo, Sara M.; Stolz, Suzanne (2024-12-05). "On the Misuses of Neurodiversity: Critical Approaches and Counter-Narratives". Autism in Adulthood. doi:10.1089/aut.2024.0016. ISSN 2573-9581.
9. Ellis, Jacky (Manidoomakwakwe) (2023-09-01). "Imagining Neurodivergent Futures from the Belly of the Identity Machine: Neurodiversity, Biosociality, and Strategic Essentialism". Autism in Adulthood. 5 (3): 225–235. doi:10.1089/aut.2021.0075. ISSN 2573-9581. PMC 10468558. PMID 37663441.