Here's another thing that I say. When I was 23, I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. I met other people with ankylosing spondylitis, but didn't really connect with them. I've met other autistic people with ankylosing spondylitis and we have connected. And I have met many of my fellow autistics who also have physical disabilities.

You can be autistic and consider autism a disability and you can be autistic and have a physical ailment, as well. I consider my autism a different ability, but it also has challenges. I would not swap my autism for all the rice in Thailand. One of the reasons is I am happy with my autistic self. And another reason is, I would see it as validating a particular bully at school who said to me, "Imagine if you had a bump on the head and you changed?" and who DELIBERATELY aimed a ball at the back of my head one day in PE! Now, that's evil!