Me, autistic.
by Pierre Marcantonio
My name is Pierre Marcantonio. I was diagnosed with autism at 23, unfortunately late. France, the country where I come from, is still not better at accepting neurominorities like me, despite some political developments now in favour of a “scientific” approach. This country still remains imbued with a dangerous ideology that has ruined the lives of countless people, thus leading to legal scandals that have tarnished its reputation, namely the Rachel affair. These are the stories in particular that condemn children deemed “weird” to be separated from their mothers under the pretext that they are responsible for their autism. A sinister industry of irresponsible placement of children in psychiatric hospitals and other structures that degrade their development, coupled with an unsustainable “witch hunt”. This unfortunate trend is still common today, because of which many people still confuse psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy and especially the one whose name makes me vomit: psychoanalysis. It has been introduced throughout society for decades without strong resistance.
I did not escape this area as a child because simply not participating in group play with other children at nursery was enough to “set off the alarm” among members of staff. Also, my first year at school was not pleasant since I suffered, so to speak, from school harassment. Since then, I have been summoned with my family to launch a “special follow-up” in a day hospital and a medical/social centre, the result of which turned out to be disastrous. It took me a long time to express my discomfort with these structures. And yet, it was this feeling that was a crucial point for my future. Indeed, admitting it to my parents encouraged them to resume my schooling as it should have been from the start, especially for all the neurominorities that exist on Earth. It was not easy to “correct this error” because the people managing these establishments, with a deceptive “sympathy”, sought to keep me to finance their “personal interests”. Who knows what could have happened if I hadn’t expressed my feelings in time. So I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone.
When I returned to school, I developed my interests in school activities such as theatre and computers, then to communicate “safely”, I drew comics and was followed by a speech therapist. Progress finally presented itself. The certificate and baccalaureate were obtained. The 7th and 9th arts are ultimately the fields that have brought more stimulation to my existence. A few years after graduating from an animation film school and campaigning for autistic rights, I realised that cinema is a conducive universe for the overwhelming majority of neurominorities, another place that brings a certain comfort. Paradoxically, art has given meaning to my life.
However, as I write this article, full recognition of autistic people in France as citizens of equal value in the name of equality before the Constitution has still not been achieved. From my point of view, public money is wasted by segregation projects as well as by certain “cure” research as if they remain convinced that we are nothing more than pieces of the puzzle to be solved and that there is only one way to work. I consider this a denial of reality because genetics reminds us that diversity is the rule, not an exception. In conclusion, I hope that together we will create a world that is more stimulating and respectful than ever before, where the hierarchy between the members of the human species will no longer be obsessively attached, or even have no reason to exist.
Angoumoisin told you.
