1. I can wear clothes that don't match (mismatched patterns, sneakers with a dress, pajamas in the daytime) and people will perceive this as an expression of my style rather than thinking that I don't know any better, or that my parents or guardians aren't taking good care of me.
2. I can go outside with messy hair, messy clothes, or a half-grown beard, and people will perceive this as an expression of my style, or lack of caring, rather than thinking that I don't know any better, or that my parents or guardians aren't taking good care of me.
3. If I am perceived as female and I don't shave, people will perceive this as an expression of my politics, or lack of caring, or gender expression, rather than thinking that I don't know any better, or that my parents or guardians aren't taking good care of me.
4. If I have a "childish" hairstyle (pigtails or braids, very long hair, a big cloud of curly hair) or if I wear clothes with children's cartoons on them, people will perceive this as an expression of my sense of humor, aesthetics, or interests, rather than thinking that I am like a child, or that my parents or guardians want me to be a child.
5. If I dress extremely nicely and formally, I don't feel like this is something I have to do to compensate for my disability.
(ETA: can someone explain lol_meme to me? I'm so confused right now.)
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Yes yes yes yes.
ReplyDeleteYOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS FOR
ReplyDeletewhen are we starting??
gosh okay can I just tell you about #4. this was something I heard an aide say about a nonverbal 9-year-old boy who had a Jewfro. that his mother obviously wanted him to be a little kid forever and she should cut his hair in a more age-appropriate way.
ReplyDeletelike, please tell that to 25% of the men at my school.
Yes, so much!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if anything like this made it onto Bev's Neurotypical (I know you don't like that word) Privilege Checklist, but it totally belongs there.
Ooh! Also! This might be more of a mental-illness-related thing than a developmental-disability thing, but several of the not-caring items you list above (beard growth, messy hair, unshaven legs, etc.) are considered personal choices if you aren't mentally ill, but symptoms of your mental illness (and potential signs that you are not able to care for yourself and shouldn't live on your own) if you are.
ReplyDeleteoh yeah, I definitely meant to include mental illness as well, hence "good brains" instead of a more specific term.
ReplyDeleteWow, why would that aide say that? Aggh.
ReplyDeleteWe should start really really soon. I just don't know how. And I think wordpress costs money? Neep.
I don't think it does, I have a wordpress account and it doesn't cost money. actually I think I got it because my professor wanted our class to have a wordpress blog so she set us up to get accounts? so I don't know firsthand if it costs money.
ReplyDeleteThis so much. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, you still want stuff for The Passing Project (or whatever it's become)?