#askdisability

Folkvar Kingdom: This kingdom has always been notoriously harsh to all peoples with disabilities, because Folkvaran culture places all of a person's worth into what they can do for others. Those who can work the hardest and provide the most for the tribe are glorified, and those who can't accomplish as much are shamed. How an autistic Folkvaran is treated depends on how much they can give back to everyone around them.

Autism is a wide spectrum and not everyone is a savant, so I imagine those with special talents are treated normally and those who struggle are considered a drain on society. Folkvaran culture is very harsh this way. There is no welfare system in place to take care of the needy in any capacity. This is a very bad place to be for most people with autism.

However, I will say that if an autistic person has a special interest in heavy weapons engineering (catapults, siege weapons, etc.) or anything military related, there are many job opportunities for them in this highly military-focused kingdom. A lot of autistic people do well in the military IRL because of the rigid structure it provides, and this is also the case in Folkvar Kingdom, as long as they can do all the tasks required of them.

Matuzu Kingdom: Matuzu has disability rights written into its High Kingdom Code. I would say this is the best place on Looming Gaia to have any kind of disability and/or neurodivergence, including autism. Many people on the spectrum are creatives with fresh ways of thinking, and there is nothing Matuzan culture loves more than the arts. Music, theatre, etc. are big business here and innovation is encouraged.

Autism often comes bundled with executive function difficulties which make it hard for many autistic people to earn a stable living, but for that, Matuzu Kingdom has a welfare system to help. This kingdom also prioritizes education, so the average citizen here isn't that ignorant about conditions like autism. Autism is pretty well accommodated for in big city centers, but less so in rural areas.

Lamai Nation: Lamai's attitude towards autism is very similar to Folkvar, except Lamai does not have a robust military. Their focus is more on religion (Serpentism). Lamaish culture stresses working hard and carrying your own weight, but it also stresses social cohesion and family togetherness. I think Lamaish people, in general, love their autistic kin and try their best to care for them, but they may act insensitive towards them by mistaking executive dysfunction for "laziness" or "lack of drive".

Autistic Lamaish citizens will either excel here (if their special interest aligns with Serpentism or crafting something specific like tools or drugs. In fact, a lot of Drogazama happen to be autistic because their unique ways of thinking are valued in this position!) or they will do very poorly, I don't think there is a middle ground. The lowest-functioning people are likely to be sacrificed to dragons if they run out of loved ones to advocate for them, because the concept of government welfare does not really exist in Lamai Nation.

I should mention that in cases like these, the sacrifice is not to shame or punish the disabled person for having a disability. It's considered an honorable religious ceremony to bless their soul and heal their affliction. The Serpentists believe that innocents who are eaten by dragons will be reborn as dragons, and dragons are a sacred beast in this culture. It sounds completely messed up to sacrifice a struggling person to a beast, but as far as the Lamaish are concerned, it is the honorable thing to do for them.

Yerim-Mor Kingdom: Life is brutal in this kingdom. It is the poorest, most dangerous, and most destitute of all the Great Kingdoms, so those who can't care for themselves are most often abandoned by their families at a young age. Since autism is such a wide spectrum, some are abandoned and others are not, and even those who are abandoned may go on to survive as street urchins. Unfortunately, many of those street urchins end up in the clutches of the Crescent Cult.

There is no room for error in Yerim-Mor. The slightest bit of sensory issues or executive dysfunction can easily cost a person their life. Even many people with no disabilities struggle to survive into middle age here. There is no welfare, no disability rights, and no social tolerance for weakness of any kind. The culture has been forced into an every-man-for-himself position.

Those with autism will have a very, very bad time here no matter which end of the spectrum they're on.

Zareen Empire: This empire has its own disability rights, but they are not as expansive as Matuzu's. Its welfare system is not as good as Matuzu's either, and those who rely on it are likely to struggle with homelessness. Zareenites know what autism is, and there are various therapies for autistic people available--some good and some bad, just like real life.

Culturally, the Zareenites turn to technology to solve all their problems. This goes for autistic Zareenites as well, who take advantage of this high tech to deal with sensory issues, physical problems, and even social problems (robots are valid companions here!). Zareen Empire has a reputation for being loud and crowded, and Zareenites themselves can be quite abrasive. Autistic people don't do well in environments like this usually, but I think the tech helps them cope well enough. You can see autistic Zareenites walking around wearing industrial headphones and dark glasses to dampen sensory, and no one really bats an eye at this.

In fact, Zareen's tech appeals to many autistic individuals looking to get into the engineering, robotics, and logistics fields. Autistic foreigners move here specifically to snatch up these high-paying jobs where they can use their talents to their full potential.

Evangeline Kingdom: Evangelites don't know what autism is. In this kingdom, a disability is just a disability, and there is little differentiation between the nature of each one. If someone struggles to take care of themselves, their family will do their best to support them, because Evangelites really value family togetherness. But they will not make much effort to understand this disability, because the Lindist House of Humanity keeps Evangelites ignorant to these things on purpose. Knowledge is power, after all. And if disability is understood, then disability rights will be demanded next.

But Evangeline Kingdom doesn't have disability rights, and the government wants to keep it that way. High-functioning autistics are viewed as quirky individuals in this culture, and their struggles are written off as laziness or personal failure. Lower-functioning autistics are written off completely as disabled if they can't care for themselves, and the burden of their care usually falls on female relatives instead of the government. However, there are private institutions that families can pay to take care of disabled loves ones. But since autism is not understood, autistic residents of these facilities will not receive the unique care they need, they will just be treated in a standardized fashion.

Evangelite culture looks down upon creativity. It looks down upon critical thinking. It looks down upon uniqueness. It looks down upon everything that autistic people are. Overall, this kingdom is stuck in the Dark Ages as far as neurodivergence is concerned.

Mogdir Kingdom: Autism is an officially recognized condition in Mogidir Kingdom. But unlike the Zareenites, the Mogdiri prefer to accommodate it with magic instead of tech. Autistic people can go to special schools to learn echomancy and illusion spells specifically to care for their own sensory needs, dampening sound, light, and sensations.

The autistic mind tends to excel at the art of spellcrafting because it's one of the most tedious crafts on Gaia, requiring superhuman focus and attention to detail. Most neurotypicals just can't hack it, so it's no surprise that the most successful spellcrafters in Mogdiri Kingdom happen to be autistic. But this is only possible because the kingdom recognizes autism as a condition and accommodates it, unlike some other kingdoms that just write off their autistic citizens as useless and don't invest in them at all.

For people with more profound autism who can't function as well, Mogdir has a welfare system to help support them, though it's not very adequate. Families are still expected to step in and support them as much as possible, otherwise things don't turn out well. The average Mogdiri citizen has a solid understanding of autism though, so they can deal with challenging behaviors better than most.

Etios Nation: This kingdom is stuck in the stone age, both technologically and socially. They don't have any fancy technology. However, what the Etiosi do have is the strongest "herd mentality" of all Great Kingdom cultures. Their herd isn't just their immediate family, but their extended family, their neighborhood, their territory, and their countrymen at large.

The Etiosi government does not have an official welfare system, but it has never really needed one because communities here so tight-knit that everyone does a decent job taking care of everyone else. In the case of autism, the Etiosi discourage critical thinking and "going against the herd" (which neurodivergent people tend to do). However, they are also very stubborn about never leaving a herd member behind.

Overall, I will say the Etiosi can be similar to the Lamaish in that they're insensitive and ignorant about autistic traits. Strangely enough, higher-functioning autistics have a harder time in Etiosi society than the lower-functioning, because low-functioning individuals are perceived as having a weakness and needing extra care. The community rallies around them to protect them. A high-functioning autistic may be seen as "acting difficult on purpose" because their disability is not as obvious.

Empire of Damijana: Quite the opposite of Etios Nation, Damijana is an extremely high-tech, lonely, and competitive society. Because of it's heavy focus on the tech industry, high-functioning autistics can (and do) excel here with their logical brains and attention to detail. Ojio Paramonimos is an example of this. Autism is a recognized health condition, but only individuals on the severe end of the spectrum will get a diagnosis. What we used to call "Aspergers Syndrome" or "Level 1 ASD" in the real world is considered a "fussy personality" in Damijana and is not recognized as a legitimate condition. These people will not be accommodated for.

Lower-functioning individuals are classified as "defectives" and are shunned by society. This was shown extensively in the story "The Forgotten Brothers". Once labeled a defective and deemed unfit to work, citizens are eligible to receive a welfare stipend. However, the amount is very small, and this leads to the disabled people being homeless or being forced to live in government-run institutions...where their blood and organs are harvested to replenish the supply for non-defectives.

Damijana is a horrible place for disabled people in general, autistic folks included. Even the highest-functioning individuals are at a high risk of burning out due to the insane work culture pushed upon them.

Seelie Court: This kingdom has a notorious habit of ignoring its dysfunction. Anything difficult to deal with (like poverty, mental illness, and disability) is swept under the rug and ignored. Autism is a recognized condition, but it's not accommodated for at all. Seelie culture views it as a problem to be "corrected" with brutal therapies and toxic positivity.

Seelie autistics are under a lot of pressure to present themselves the "proper" way to fit in. Many try, but few succeed. Those who can't mask well enough are shunned by their families (who become embarrassed by them) and usually find themselves hanging out in shady places, oftentimes with the kobolds and pixies, whose differences are not appreciated either.

Seelie culture is one of the most uptight and snotty on Gaia. Autistic people have a very hard time fitting in here, but can find some refuge in the monster districts sometimes. There is a weak welfare system, so more disabled individuals must rely mostly on family and friends for care.

Unseelie Court: This kingdom has no official welfare system at all. However, the Unseelie are very good at creating their own mutual aid systems in their communities. There are so few laws in the Unseelie Court that foreigners believe it must be some kind of crazy free-for-all where everyone is killing eachother, and while some Unseelie territories are like that, many of them are actually pretty peaceful.

Unseelie Culture reveres freedom and being different, so those with uncommon neurotypes like autism are often respected and even idolized for their unique traits. Things that most cultures find "weird" or "offbeat" are considered very cool to the Unseelie. Whether high or low functioning, Unseelie people find autistic folks fascinating and want to understand them. Autism is a well-understood condition in this kingdom and there are therapies and accommodations available, but it highly depends on the territory.

Territories with strong community leaders tend to have better education and standard of living for all citizens, including autistics. They want to keep the peace in a kingdom that has the potential to be total anarchy. But other leaders embrace the anarchy, and this may or may not benefit certain autistic people with more chaotic personalities. Overall, Unseelie culture lacks the rigidity of most other cultures, so it can be more accommodating to autistics...but it can also be total hell for them because the lack of law enforcement means autistics can be victimized more easily. It depends on the circle of family and friends an autistic person has around them to advocate for them.

Aquarian Alliance: Mr. Ocean is a good example of how autistic people are treated under Sovereign's rule. The answer is...badly. Sovereign (High King of the Aquarian Alliance) is a eugenicist who views such conditions as flaws to be eradicated. He has banished all of his own disabled children from his kingdom because he believes they make it weaker. Autistic people struggle to follow social norms, and this irritates Sovereign a lot. He values total obedience from his people. He does not provide welfare for disabled citizens and believes it is more merciful to let them die. In his mind, he is a hero who cares about them and wants what is best. In reality, he's a selfish monster.

Sovereign will not allow "defectives" to be accommodated for, because he does not want to encourage their presence in his kingdom. Families must take on the burden of care all by themselves, which puts them under pressure to banish their own disabled relatives if they can't handle it.

Ironically, what this has done is create several communities exclusively made up of disabled people (many of which are autistic) who found refuge with each other outside Sovereign's territory. They care for each other and respect their differences. These communities are quite poor, but they do the best with what they have, and autistic members are vital in coming up with creative solutions to problems they face.

(This post took several days to put together, so please be patient while I address the next part of your question, it may take a while! Thanks!)

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Questions/Comments?

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