February 21, 2025 • 24 mins
The episode explores the complex realities of autism through the lens of faith and understanding, emphasizing the importance of seeing beyond labels and embracing the whole person. Conversations on brokenness, parenting, masking, and personal identity illustrate the journey toward self-acceptance while fostering compassion in our communities.
• The idea of autism as more than just a label
• Challenging the notion of brokenness in relation to disabilities
• The impact of masking on individuals with autism
• Importance of recognizing and nurturing personal identity in parenting
• Understanding differing perspectives through literature and personal stories
• The balance between self-acceptance and social norms
• Christian worldview on purpose and identity in the context of disabilities
• Encouragement to explore diverse perspectives for deeper understanding
For deeper dives and more information, visit www.indispensable-people.com and Amazon to purchase "The Indispensable Kid" and "Gospel Accessibility and Indispensable People."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to
Indispensable People.
I'm a wife, mom, teacher,pastor and missionary and I
believe that every person shouldhave the opportunity to know
Christ, grow in Him and serveHim with the gifts that he has
given, no matter their ability.
Over 65 million Americans havea disability.
That's 25% of the population.
(00:26):
However, over 80% of them arenot inside the walls of our
church.
Let's dive into those hardtopics biblical foundations,
perceptions and world-changingideas.
Hey, hey, and welcome to thisepisode of Indispensable People.
(00:50):
We are talking about autism andwe are going to dive deep into
a book called Unmasking Autism.
Now I want to give a very, very, very fair warning that when I
read books, I don't just choosebooks that I know that I will
(01:10):
agree with.
I choose books that willchallenge my thinking, that will
open my eyes to things thatmaybe I haven't seen and
hopefully, even if I don't agree, will teach me about another
person's perspective so I cansee outside of myself, and I
think all of those things areincredibly important and very
(01:30):
helpful in relationship building, and just knowing where someone
else, someone is coming fromand they're thinking and how
they're kind of developingthrough really aids in the why.
I've always lived upon thethought that, you know, everyone
(01:53):
has a story, there's somethingbehind their actions, reactions
and choices and all of that kindof stuff.
And you know, we're not justthe piece and parts of the
things we do or the things wesay, or maybe how we react or
handle things, but there arepieces and parts behind that and
that is incredibly helpful,especially when interacting with
(02:17):
individuals in the field ofdisability and whether it's
ministry in a school setting, ina clinical setting, however
that looks for you.
But I am only into theintroduction of this book and
there are lots of differentthoughts, red flags, ways of
(02:41):
thinking that I just wanted tokind of tool out with you guys,
because it impacts the way thatpeople perceive their diagnosis
of autism and also the way thatpeople interact with those with
autism.
(03:01):
Here's what I want everything toboil down to.
Every person's a person.
Okay, they're not just the sumtotal of their diagnosis.
Yes, their diagnoses impact whothey are, how they handle
themselves, how they act, all ofthat kind of thing.
But from a Christian worldview,the labels that we receive are
(03:31):
not our definer.
If we choose to follow ourcreator and our savior, he is
our definer, and we've talked alittle bit in previous episodes
about the difference between wewent from kind of learning about
person first language and beinga respecter that each person is
(03:55):
an individual and theirdisability is not their prime
label, and now we're in thiskind of pendulum shift into a I
accept my diagnosis and that isa part of who I am.
So I am an autistic person orwhatever the diagnosis is, and I
(04:19):
think there are benefits toboth.
I think that it is very hard tobe the person that God has
called you to be if you can'taccept all the parts that are a
part of you and that have comewith that.
I also think that it is achallenge when we only
(04:42):
capitalize on that piece thatdiagnoses, because it's not the
sum total of who you are.
So again, it's the extremes ofthe pendulum shift and wanting
to make sure that there is abalance in between.
So let's jump into this bookFirst.
(05:02):
Again, I already gave you alittle bit of a warning that not
every book that I read issomething that I agree with.
It is not something that Iutilize in my kind of
theological pathway.
However, it helps me tounderstand someone outside of my
(05:24):
own self.
So this book, not that all ofit isn't helpful, but there is a
lot of agendas in it and thereare some very clear cut
directions to those agendas,some very clear cut directions
(05:47):
to those agendas, and I'm justgoing to highlight some of the
things that I have come acrossso far that have enhanced my way
of thinking.
So the introduction tounmasking autism starts by
sharing this person's life andhow they had kind of gone
through some things but neverunderstood until they sat down
(06:08):
and had a conversation withanother person in their family
discussing that family member'sautism diagnosis, which then led
this person on to kind of awalk of self-discovery that that
might be the place that they'rein as well.
And so one of the firsthighlights that he talked about
was kind of interpersonalrelationships and he said how
(06:30):
could I go on connecting withothers when every effort was so
unsatisfying, which was one ofhis kind of social indicators
that autism might be in thatpathway.
But also we're going to spend alittle bit of time on the next
comment and it says beingautistic would mean I was broken
(06:51):
.
And here is the battle withthese kind of words and these
kinds of terminology and kind ofthe thinking of the past to the
thinking of the future is,first of all, we live in a
broken world.
From a Christian perspective,we have sin entering the world
(07:13):
with Adam and Eve, which brokewhat God had intended through
perfection into a marred world,into a marred world.
(07:37):
And so brokenness is a part ofthe world and through God
sending Jesus and a savior andhealing.
And the actual term of adisability, the definition is
going to define like barriersand difficulties to living daily
life, okay.
(07:58):
So when we consider the wordbroken, that doesn't mean
non-functioning, without purpose, it doesn't mean that unlivable
, okay.
So when we consider, forexample and this is something
(08:21):
that has been used, has beensaid for years, and it's really
the thought process that comeswith it, that's the problem.
And so when you might encountersomeone with a disability,
another person may say to you orask the question you know
(08:41):
what's wrong with them?
Okay.
The question you know what'swrong with them?
Okay.
And so from this new shift inthinking, it's not that the
thinking is saying there's notsomething wrong with them, it's
just a different way of beingOkay.
And again we're in that pathwayof going right.
(09:06):
Autism, in some respects, isbrings a different way of
thinking, a differentperspective, maybe a different
approach to things, and in somecases it leads to incredibly
creative thinking, solutions,great things.
(09:27):
However, that doesn't dismissthe difficulties and the
barriers that are experienced bythose with autism.
So it's not an if or it's aboth, and Because yes, because
of the disability, you live yourlife in such a way that maybe
(09:51):
requires you to think outside ofthe box and to experience
things in a different,preferential way.
However, that doesn't take awaythe difficulty and I say that
not to continue to highlight thedifficulty with disability.
But when we continually tellpeople that this is a disability
(10:12):
, is something to be celebrated,we minimize the struggles that
they go through and then weisolate that and then there's
lonesome isolation, all kinds ofissues that come about that.
But again, I would say that itis not just an if or it's a both
(10:33):
, and Great things that can comeout of those disabilities.
Right, and we know that,because God doesn't waste a
thing.
We know that there's a plan anda purpose behind each thing,
and if there's a plan and apurpose, then God will be
glorified through it.
So that might look like allkinds of different things.
It's not just let's celebratethis, but that there is purpose
(10:58):
in the pain, there is provisionthrough the difficulties and
that God has a plan through it.
Let's move on to some of thenext things.
And this statement is a littlehard for me.
It says as I grew up, I learnedto be less intense, less
(11:20):
embarrassing, less me.
So a good portion of thisintroduction of this book talks
about, I mean, the premise ofunmasking.
Okay, masking means you'recovering up who you are to
become more socially acceptable,right, and I struggle between.
(11:41):
I mean we all grow as childreninto adulthood and we learn
basically the social norms oflife, what's acceptable, what's
not acceptable in certainsettings that we experience.
You know what's acceptable athome, what's acceptable at
school, what's acceptable in theworkplace and all those kinds
of things.
And you struggle with.
(12:03):
You know God created you, hegave you God given personality
traits and we all havepreferences, we all have wants
and needs.
We all have preferences, we allhave wants and needs and I
always explain that a lot ofthings that we discuss that's
(12:23):
the difference between a personthat has a disability and a
person that doesn't have adisability is those preferences
that a person without adisability has are necessities
for a person with a disabilityare necessities for a person
with a disability.
And so I struggle with that,because is it wrong for me to
teach my child that you knowit's not okay to punch someone,
(12:44):
whether they have autism or theydon't have autism and I know
that's an extreme thing.
But also, you know someonewho's very bold and blunt in
their words.
Is it okay to hurt someoneelse's feelings?
Because, well, you're just boldand blunt and that's just a
part of who you are, you know.
(13:05):
So there is a balance to youknow the masking that they're
talking about.
You know what parts of it is.
You know who you are as apersonality and you want to
celebrate that, and that's OK.
And what parts of it are yourdisability, and you know you are
(13:30):
who you are, so you don't wantto hide that away.
You are, so you don't want tohide that away.
But then, in the same respects,then you're going to take away.
You might as well take awaysome of the therapies and the
other things that exist.
Again, I think it's not an if orLike.
Do I believe that people aremasking and covering up for
their disability 100%?
(13:53):
Do I live with a child wholives his life to kind of try to
blend in and cover for thethings that he doesn't want
extra people to notice.
Absolutely have we spent a goodpart of his life going?
It is okay to be you 100%, butdoes that mean that I am not
(14:15):
teaching him the appropriatenessof things to say and do in
situations?
However, if he needs to wearheadphones, noise-canceling
headphones that help him in anenvironment 100%, I don't care
what anybody thinks.
If that's what makes youcomfortable and that's what
makes you fit in that space, doit.
(14:35):
It's not hurting anyone else,it's not causing a distraction
for anyone else.
It is giving safety and peaceand calm in his body so that he
can participate in the spacethat he's in.
That's the difference.
Right, and I said this a littlebit earlier you can't be all
(14:55):
that God has called you to beuntil you accept who he's made
you to be and so.
But that doesn't mean that weall are not growing and
perfecting and working in thisline of sanctification where
we're becoming more like Christand we just live this.
(15:16):
We, just because we want to bewho we are, doesn't mean that we
get to live this life in aflippant way.
That doesn't matter whatanybody else thinks or feels or
does, or how our choices impacttheir environment.
And I'm not saying that that'swhat this book is doing.
(15:36):
But I think we have to have avery careful balance in between
the both of those things,because we want people to be who
they are God created them.
But that doesn't mean thatwe're not molding and shaping
and growing as people so thatGod can be glorified through our
(15:58):
actions and our behaviors andthe way that we love people and
the way that we handle eachother.
And here's one of the things inthe book points out and I think
it's an absolute valid thing isthat.
So he goes on to talk about thekind of covering up for his
(16:19):
autism all of his life.
And the next piece says I foundout that there were thousands of
autistics just like me whodiscovered their disability in
adulthood after years ofconfused self-loathing.
As children, these autisticfolks had been visibly awkward,
but they were mocked for itinstead of given help.
Like me, they developed copingstrategies to blend in.
(16:43):
To blend in Things likestarting at a person's forehead
to simulate eye contact ormemorizing conversational
scripts based on exchanges theysaw on TV.
And it says many of thesestealthy autistic people fell
back on their intellect or othertalents to gain acceptance.
Others became incrediblypassive because if they toned
(17:06):
down their personalities, theywouldn't have to risk being too
intense.
And it says, beneath theinoffensive professional veneers
, they had developed their lives.
Developed.
Their lives were falling apart,many of them suffering from
self-harm, eating disorders andalcoholism.
They were trapped in abusive orunfulfilling relationships with
(17:28):
no clue on how to feel, seenand appreciated.
Nearly all of them weredepressed, haunted by profound
sense of emptiness.
You should also know that theindividual who wrote this book
is a studied sociology, has aPhD, so they have a very heavy
(17:53):
perspective on that side ofthings.
And it says I'm now callingmasked autism a camouflaged
version of the disorder that'sstill widely neglected by
researchers, mental healthproviders and autism
organizations that aren't led byautistic people.
And so why are we talking aboutthis today?
(18:13):
Why is this important?
Simply because, first of all,you're going to receive parents
and children and teens andadults at all different levels
of need and all different areasof experience in the world of
autism, and you are going tocome up against different
(18:37):
perspectives, and we need afoundation of where we stand so
that we can help to lead them.
Now, I'm not saying that theyhave to think exactly the way
that I think to experience, findJesus, follow Jesus and all
that kind of stuff.
There is, again, a reason why Iread things that maybe I don't
(18:57):
fully agree with.
However, the things that I'veshared with you in this book
really highlight a perspectivethat if I approach someone, I
want to understand where they'recoming from.
I want to understand theirthinking.
This unmasking autism is a verybold way of thinking and
(19:17):
approaching and it's kind oflike approaching an unapologetic
way of saying this is who I am.
Take it or leave it, becauseI'm not going to hide who I am
and I'm not going to live thislife of isolation in such a way,
because I'm masking what I am.
And again, we can have a standof going be who you are.
(19:39):
God created you with God-giventalents and purpose and
personality, but also, in thesame sense, god gave us
direction and a model of whatbeing Christ-like looks like,
and we're all on a path tobecoming more like him if we're
(20:03):
following him.
And again this goes back toit's not not an if or it's a
both, and Because thatpersonality that God has given
you is there for a purpose andis a plan, and that plan will be
stifled if also the talents andthe gifts and the personality
(20:25):
is stifled.
Talents and the gifts and thepersonality is stifled.
But also none of us are perfectand we're all on a path to
sanctification.
So what will that look likelong-term?
How will that pan out in thegrowth of every individual right
, which is a natural progressionof life, whether or not you're
a Christian right, whether ornot you're just Christian right,
(20:46):
whether or not you're just um.
As a parent wants your child togrow up, to be a good person,
um, but especially on the pathof following Christ, um, and the
layer of um, working throughthe process of sanctification
for your whole life.
It is taking who you are,taking what God has given you
(21:12):
and made you to be, and thenworking on a path of
sanctification and perfectionthrough your whole life.
So it's not working againsteach other.
It's not working against eachother, it's working together and
that is going to heavily impactyour approach, your walk
(21:33):
through this life with someonewith autism.
Do I recommend this book?
I recommend coming up andreading into other people's
perspectives.
I recommend understanding whereother people are coming from.
(21:54):
I do think that it has to bevery carefully read Again.
I do believe that there aresome agendas that are in the
book that I didn't get intotoday and I'm probably not going
to get into because it's a verydifferent topic.
But to be unapologetically whoGod has made you to be, while
(22:20):
also in the process ofsanctification, is the message
that we want to send.
God has a plan, god has apurpose.
He created each person withintention and if that intention
is covered, is masked, we won'treach our full potential.
But if we accept who God hascreated us to be and work on
(22:43):
that path, following that modelof Christ in our path to
sanctification, he will beglorified, he will be made known
, he will not be covered up.
And the goals of all so thatChrist can be known, so that
others can know him and so thateach and every person can serve
(23:06):
him with the gifts and talentsthat they have been given that
is what God wants for each oneof us.
We don't become who we are forour promotion.
We become who we are for God'spromotion.
Do I know everything aboutdisability ministry?
Do I have all the answers?
(23:26):
Have I done everythingperfectly?
I have absolutely not, but weare going to continue this
conversation so that people ofall abilities can have the
opportunity to know Christ, growin Him and serve Him with the
gifts that he has given them.
For deeper dives into thesetopics and more, check out
(23:48):
indispensablepeoplecom and visitAmazon to purchase the books
the Indispensable Kid and Gospel.
Accessibility and theIndispensable People.
Hi, my name is Tracy Correll and welcome to
Indispensable People.
I'm a wife, mom, teacher,pastor and missionary and I
believe that every person shouldhave the opportunity to know
Christ, grow in Him and serveHim with the gifts that he has
given, no matter their ability.
Over 65 million Americans havea disability.
That's 25% of the population.
(00:26):
However, over 80% of them arenot inside the walls of our
church.
Let's dive into those hardtopics biblical foundations,
perceptions and world-changingideas.
Hey, hey, and welcome to thisepisode of Indispensable People.
(00:50):
We are talking about autism andwe are going to dive deep into
a book called Unmasking Autism.
Now I want to give a very, very, very fair warning that when I
read books, I don't just choosebooks that I know that I will
(01:10):
agree with.
I choose books that willchallenge my thinking, that will
open my eyes to things thatmaybe I haven't seen and
hopefully, even if I don't agree, will teach me about another
person's perspective so I cansee outside of myself, and I
think all of those things areincredibly important and very
(01:30):
helpful in relationship building, and just knowing where someone
else, someone is coming fromand they're thinking and how
they're kind of developingthrough really aids in the why.
I've always lived upon thethought that, you know, everyone
(01:53):
has a story, there's somethingbehind their actions, reactions
and choices and all of that kindof stuff.
And you know, we're not justthe piece and parts of the
things we do or the things wesay, or maybe how we react or
handle things, but there arepieces and parts behind that and
that is incredibly helpful,especially when interacting with
(02:17):
individuals in the field ofdisability and whether it's
ministry in a school setting, ina clinical setting, however
that looks for you.
But I am only into theintroduction of this book and
there are lots of differentthoughts, red flags, ways of
(02:41):
thinking that I just wanted tokind of tool out with you guys,
because it impacts the way thatpeople perceive their diagnosis
of autism and also the way thatpeople interact with those with
autism.
(03:01):
Here's what I want everything toboil down to.
Every person's a person.
Okay, they're not just the sumtotal of their diagnosis.
Yes, their diagnoses impact whothey are, how they handle
themselves, how they act, all ofthat kind of thing.
But from a Christian worldview,the labels that we receive are
(03:31):
not our definer.
If we choose to follow ourcreator and our savior, he is
our definer, and we've talked alittle bit in previous episodes
about the difference between wewent from kind of learning about
person first language and beinga respecter that each person is
(03:55):
an individual and theirdisability is not their prime
label, and now we're in thiskind of pendulum shift into a I
accept my diagnosis and that isa part of who I am.
So I am an autistic person orwhatever the diagnosis is, and I
(04:19):
think there are benefits toboth.
I think that it is very hard tobe the person that God has
called you to be if you can'taccept all the parts that are a
part of you and that have comewith that.
I also think that it is achallenge when we only
(04:42):
capitalize on that piece thatdiagnoses, because it's not the
sum total of who you are.
So again, it's the extremes ofthe pendulum shift and wanting
to make sure that there is abalance in between.
So let's jump into this bookFirst.
(05:02):
Again, I already gave you alittle bit of a warning that not
every book that I read issomething that I agree with.
It is not something that Iutilize in my kind of
theological pathway.
However, it helps me tounderstand someone outside of my
(05:24):
own self.
So this book, not that all ofit isn't helpful, but there is a
lot of agendas in it and thereare some very clear cut
directions to those agendas,some very clear cut directions
(05:47):
to those agendas, and I'm justgoing to highlight some of the
things that I have come acrossso far that have enhanced my way
of thinking.
So the introduction tounmasking autism starts by
sharing this person's life andhow they had kind of gone
through some things but neverunderstood until they sat down
(06:08):
and had a conversation withanother person in their family
discussing that family member'sautism diagnosis, which then led
this person on to kind of awalk of self-discovery that that
might be the place that they'rein as well.
And so one of the firsthighlights that he talked about
was kind of interpersonalrelationships and he said how
(06:30):
could I go on connecting withothers when every effort was so
unsatisfying, which was one ofhis kind of social indicators
that autism might be in thatpathway.
But also we're going to spend alittle bit of time on the next
comment and it says beingautistic would mean I was broken
(06:51):
.
And here is the battle withthese kind of words and these
kinds of terminology and kind ofthe thinking of the past to the
thinking of the future is,first of all, we live in a
broken world.
From a Christian perspective,we have sin entering the world
(07:13):
with Adam and Eve, which brokewhat God had intended through
perfection into a marred world,into a marred world.
(07:37):
And so brokenness is a part ofthe world and through God
sending Jesus and a savior andhealing.
And the actual term of adisability, the definition is
going to define like barriersand difficulties to living daily
life, okay.
(07:58):
So when we consider the wordbroken, that doesn't mean
non-functioning, without purpose, it doesn't mean that unlivable
, okay.
So when we consider, forexample and this is something
(08:21):
that has been used, has beensaid for years, and it's really
the thought process that comeswith it, that's the problem.
And so when you might encountersomeone with a disability,
another person may say to you orask the question you know
(08:41):
what's wrong with them?
Okay.
The question you know what'swrong with them?
Okay.
And so from this new shift inthinking, it's not that the
thinking is saying there's notsomething wrong with them, it's
just a different way of beingOkay.
And again we're in that pathwayof going right.
(09:06):
Autism, in some respects, isbrings a different way of
thinking, a differentperspective, maybe a different
approach to things, and in somecases it leads to incredibly
creative thinking, solutions,great things.
(09:27):
However, that doesn't dismissthe difficulties and the
barriers that are experienced bythose with autism.
So it's not an if or it's aboth, and Because yes, because
of the disability, you live yourlife in such a way that maybe
(09:51):
requires you to think outside ofthe box and to experience
things in a different,preferential way.
However, that doesn't take awaythe difficulty and I say that
not to continue to highlight thedifficulty with disability.
But when we continually tellpeople that this is a disability
(10:12):
, is something to be celebrated,we minimize the struggles that
they go through and then weisolate that and then there's
lonesome isolation, all kinds ofissues that come about that.
But again, I would say that itis not just an if or it's a both
(10:33):
, and Great things that can comeout of those disabilities.
Right, and we know that,because God doesn't waste a
thing.
We know that there's a plan anda purpose behind each thing,
and if there's a plan and apurpose, then God will be
glorified through it.
So that might look like allkinds of different things.
It's not just let's celebratethis, but that there is purpose
(10:58):
in the pain, there is provisionthrough the difficulties and
that God has a plan through it.
Let's move on to some of thenext things.
And this statement is a littlehard for me.
It says as I grew up, I learnedto be less intense, less
(11:20):
embarrassing, less me.
So a good portion of thisintroduction of this book talks
about, I mean, the premise ofunmasking.
Okay, masking means you'recovering up who you are to
become more socially acceptable,right, and I struggle between.
(11:41):
I mean we all grow as childreninto adulthood and we learn
basically the social norms oflife, what's acceptable, what's
not acceptable in certainsettings that we experience.
You know what's acceptable athome, what's acceptable at
school, what's acceptable in theworkplace and all those kinds
of things.
And you struggle with.
(12:03):
You know God created you, hegave you God given personality
traits and we all havepreferences, we all have wants
and needs.
We all have preferences, we allhave wants and needs and I
always explain that a lot ofthings that we discuss that's
(12:23):
the difference between a personthat has a disability and a
person that doesn't have adisability is those preferences
that a person without adisability has are necessities
for a person with a disabilityare necessities for a person
with a disability.
And so I struggle with that,because is it wrong for me to
teach my child that you knowit's not okay to punch someone,
(12:44):
whether they have autism or theydon't have autism and I know
that's an extreme thing.
But also, you know someonewho's very bold and blunt in
their words.
Is it okay to hurt someoneelse's feelings?
Because, well, you're just boldand blunt and that's just a
part of who you are, you know.
(13:05):
So there is a balance to youknow the masking that they're
talking about.
You know what parts of it is.
You know who you are as apersonality and you want to
celebrate that, and that's OK.
And what parts of it are yourdisability, and you know you are
(13:30):
who you are, so you don't wantto hide that away.
You are, so you don't want tohide that away.
But then, in the same respects,then you're going to take away.
You might as well take awaysome of the therapies and the
other things that exist.
Again, I think it's not an if orLike.
Do I believe that people aremasking and covering up for
their disability 100%?
(13:53):
Do I live with a child wholives his life to kind of try to
blend in and cover for thethings that he doesn't want
extra people to notice.
Absolutely have we spent a goodpart of his life going?
It is okay to be you 100%, butdoes that mean that I am not
(14:15):
teaching him the appropriatenessof things to say and do in
situations?
However, if he needs to wearheadphones, noise-canceling
headphones that help him in anenvironment 100%, I don't care
what anybody thinks.
If that's what makes youcomfortable and that's what
makes you fit in that space, doit.
(14:35):
It's not hurting anyone else,it's not causing a distraction
for anyone else.
It is giving safety and peaceand calm in his body so that he
can participate in the spacethat he's in.
That's the difference.
Right, and I said this a littlebit earlier you can't be all
(14:55):
that God has called you to beuntil you accept who he's made
you to be and so.
But that doesn't mean that weall are not growing and
perfecting and working in thisline of sanctification where
we're becoming more like Christand we just live this.
(15:16):
We, just because we want to bewho we are, doesn't mean that we
get to live this life in aflippant way.
That doesn't matter whatanybody else thinks or feels or
does, or how our choices impacttheir environment.
And I'm not saying that that'swhat this book is doing.
(15:36):
But I think we have to have avery careful balance in between
the both of those things,because we want people to be who
they are God created them.
But that doesn't mean thatwe're not molding and shaping
and growing as people so thatGod can be glorified through our
(15:58):
actions and our behaviors andthe way that we love people and
the way that we handle eachother.
And here's one of the things inthe book points out and I think
it's an absolute valid thing isthat.
So he goes on to talk about thekind of covering up for his
(16:19):
autism all of his life.
And the next piece says I foundout that there were thousands of
autistics just like me whodiscovered their disability in
adulthood after years ofconfused self-loathing.
As children, these autisticfolks had been visibly awkward,
but they were mocked for itinstead of given help.
Like me, they developed copingstrategies to blend in.
(16:43):
To blend in Things likestarting at a person's forehead
to simulate eye contact ormemorizing conversational
scripts based on exchanges theysaw on TV.
And it says many of thesestealthy autistic people fell
back on their intellect or othertalents to gain acceptance.
Others became incrediblypassive because if they toned
(17:06):
down their personalities, theywouldn't have to risk being too
intense.
And it says, beneath theinoffensive professional veneers
, they had developed their lives.
Developed.
Their lives were falling apart,many of them suffering from
self-harm, eating disorders andalcoholism.
They were trapped in abusive orunfulfilling relationships with
(17:28):
no clue on how to feel, seenand appreciated.
Nearly all of them weredepressed, haunted by profound
sense of emptiness.
You should also know that theindividual who wrote this book
is a studied sociology, has aPhD, so they have a very heavy
(17:53):
perspective on that side ofthings.
And it says I'm now callingmasked autism a camouflaged
version of the disorder that'sstill widely neglected by
researchers, mental healthproviders and autism
organizations that aren't led byautistic people.
And so why are we talking aboutthis today?
(18:13):
Why is this important?
Simply because, first of all,you're going to receive parents
and children and teens andadults at all different levels
of need and all different areasof experience in the world of
autism, and you are going tocome up against different
(18:37):
perspectives, and we need afoundation of where we stand so
that we can help to lead them.
Now, I'm not saying that theyhave to think exactly the way
that I think to experience, findJesus, follow Jesus and all
that kind of stuff.
There is, again, a reason why Iread things that maybe I don't
(18:57):
fully agree with.
However, the things that I'veshared with you in this book
really highlight a perspectivethat if I approach someone, I
want to understand where they'recoming from.
I want to understand theirthinking.
This unmasking autism is a verybold way of thinking and
(19:17):
approaching and it's kind oflike approaching an unapologetic
way of saying this is who I am.
Take it or leave it, becauseI'm not going to hide who I am
and I'm not going to live thislife of isolation in such a way,
because I'm masking what I am.
And again, we can have a standof going be who you are.
(19:39):
God created you with God-giventalents and purpose and
personality, but also, in thesame sense, god gave us
direction and a model of whatbeing Christ-like looks like,
and we're all on a path tobecoming more like him if we're
(20:03):
following him.
And again this goes back toit's not not an if or it's a
both, and Because thatpersonality that God has given
you is there for a purpose andis a plan, and that plan will be
stifled if also the talents andthe gifts and the personality
(20:25):
is stifled.
Talents and the gifts and thepersonality is stifled.
But also none of us are perfectand we're all on a path to
sanctification.
So what will that look likelong-term?
How will that pan out in thegrowth of every individual right
, which is a natural progressionof life, whether or not you're
a Christian right, whether ornot you're just Christian right,
(20:46):
whether or not you're just um.
As a parent wants your child togrow up, to be a good person,
um, but especially on the pathof following Christ, um, and the
layer of um, working throughthe process of sanctification
for your whole life.
It is taking who you are,taking what God has given you
(21:12):
and made you to be, and thenworking on a path of
sanctification and perfectionthrough your whole life.
So it's not working againsteach other.
It's not working against eachother, it's working together and
that is going to heavily impactyour approach, your walk
(21:33):
through this life with someonewith autism.
Do I recommend this book?
I recommend coming up andreading into other people's
perspectives.
I recommend understanding whereother people are coming from.
(21:54):
I do think that it has to bevery carefully read Again.
I do believe that there aresome agendas that are in the
book that I didn't get intotoday and I'm probably not going
to get into because it's a verydifferent topic.
But to be unapologetically whoGod has made you to be, while
(22:20):
also in the process ofsanctification, is the message
that we want to send.
God has a plan, god has apurpose.
He created each person withintention and if that intention
is covered, is masked, we won'treach our full potential.
But if we accept who God hascreated us to be and work on
(22:43):
that path, following that modelof Christ in our path to
sanctification, he will beglorified, he will be made known
, he will not be covered up.
And the goals of all so thatChrist can be known, so that
others can know him and so thateach and every person can serve
(23:06):
him with the gifts and talentsthat they have been given that
is what God wants for each oneof us.
We don't become who we are forour promotion.
We become who we are for God'spromotion.
Do I know everything aboutdisability ministry?
Do I have all the answers?
(23:26):
Have I done everythingperfectly?
I have absolutely not, but weare going to continue this
conversation so that people ofall abilities can have the
opportunity to know Christ, growin Him and serve Him with the
gifts that he has given them.
For deeper dives into thesetopics and more, check out
(23:48):
indispensablepeoplecom and visitAmazon to purchase the books
the Indispensable Kid and Gospel.
Accessibility and theIndispensable People.
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