Shiny autistic

Shiny autistic is a term used in the Autistic community to denote an individual who is held up as an example of 'what autistics should be'.

Most shiny autistics (also called shiny auties, shiny autists, or shiny aspies) are high-functioning individuals who become famous by writing a book or otherwise sharing their experience as an autistic. It is felt by other autistics that society at large generalizes the lives of the shiny autistics and expects all autistics to be the same or very similar.

Shiny autistic may also be used to refer to a high-functioning individual who believes that they are being discriminated against and do not need a cure, but believes that low-functioning autistics are all living 'tragic' lives and require a cure. In this usage the term is derogatory, whereas in the other usage it is not.
 
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