Twenty-something lifestyle blogger
I found out that I was autistic about three and a half years ago. Before then, I knew very little about autism and how to address autistic people. I know there were definitely occasions where I said things that I shouldn’t have.
For some people, these things might be viewed as ableism, but I think it has more to do with ignorance and naivety in a society that forbids us from asking honest questions through fear of offending others.
The shops are full of last-minute advent calendars, and carols blare out in pubs; Starbucks has its red cups, and lights are outside the neighbour’s house. Christmas must be finally around the corner.
Ever since I was a little girl, I looked forward to the almost ritualistic rigmarole of wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, spotting the lights outside, glittering in the dark.
![How To Avoid Autistic Sensory Overload At Christmas. Whether you're responsible for supporting an autistic kid, have an autistic child or family member, or are actually autistic yourself, this guide on sensory overload could help to give you a more comprehensive understanding of how autistic sensory overload affects people at Christmas. [Image Description: A number of presents wrapped in red, brown, and white wrapping paper.]](http://rebekahgillian.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/christmas-presents.jpg)
If you haven’t heard of it before, ableism is a term used to describe discrimination or social prejudice against disabled people. It involves treating someone unfairly because of characteristics that directly relate to their disability.
You might be thinking it sounds similar to other things, like sexism and racism, and that’s because it is similar. The only difference is that ableism is the term used for disability discrimination as opposed to race or gender discrimination.
