4 Reasons Why Online Autistic Spaces Are at Least as Challenging to Navigate Socially as the Allistic World

Having something in common doesn’t mean we’ll get along.

I am at a complete loss for words. I have no idea what’s going on here.

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When I first received my adult autism and ADHD diagnoses, multiple clinicians encouraged me to seek out like-minded people online. I soon discovered that just because I may share a (self)diagnosis with someone, it neither means that we will necessarily get along, nor share solidarity with each other’s plights. Of course, not every space is the same, but these are some broad trends I have noticed across different social media platforms:

1. Groupthink

I hate to say it, but we’re just as prone to it as allistics. We love a good old game of Us vs. Them too. Upon entering most online spaces, there are simply some sacrosanct stances you must hold, or else you will be mercilessly dogpiled into a swift internet ban, regardless of any extenuating circumstances or nuance in your opinion. You must hate Autism Speaks and consider them and anyone who once supported them 10 years ago and since changed their mind the worst thing since the Holocaust. It doesn’t matter if you propose an alternative way to address the situation, such as…