Autistic People Are Infatalised Too Often

The infantilisation of autistic people is a pervasive and damaging issue that many autistic individuals, including myself, find deeply frustrating and hurtful. Infantilisation means treating adults as if they are children, talking down to them, making decisions for them without their input, or assuming they lack maturity, intelligence, or autonomy simply because of their autism.

For many autistic adults, this treatment feels like a denial of our personhood. It erases the complexity of our identities and experiences, reducing us to stereotypes or caricatures of helplessness. This can happen in everyday situations, like being spoken to with an overly simplistic tone, or in institutional settings where our voices are ignored or dismissed. It’s not just annoying; it’s dehumanising.

One reason I hate infantilisation so much is that it assumes autism is a deficit or a permanent disability that makes someone incapable of responsibility or self-determination. That’s simply not true. Autism is a neurotype , a different way of experiencing and interacting with the world. While some autistic people may need support, that doesn’t mean we are incapable of growth, independence, or making our own choices.

Infantilising autistic people also harms how society views us more broadly. It fosters stigma and misunderstanding, making it harder for autistic adults to access appropriate opportunities, relationships, or respect. It can trap autistic people in systems designed for children, denying us the dignity of adult experiences.

Personally, being treated like a child when I am an adult feels invalidating. It ignores my hard work to understand myself and the world, my accomplishments, and my rights as a person. It makes it harder to be taken seriously and to advocate for what I need.

Ultimately, autistic adults deserve to be seen, heard, and respected as full, capable human beings. Fighting against infantilisation is about reclaiming autonomy and demanding the dignity that everyone deserves, no matter how our brains are wired.