Whenever the phrase "bullying someone for being autistic" is mentioned, people always imagine a child mocking a visibly autistic classmate.
And that's because adults love punishing children but hate holding themselves and other adults accountable.
When I hear the phrase "bullying someone for being autistic", this is what comes to mind:
Spanking your child for their tone, facial expression, or body language.
Adding hidden meanings to what someone says then reprimanding them for those hidden meanings you added.
Taking it as an argument when someone asks for a reason.
Assuming that someone is guilty of something because they can't maintain a straight face when denying it.
Labeling someone as "smart" because of one special talent and expecting them to be smart at everything else also.
Using "you did it before" as a reason to expect something, ignoring any possibility of the situation being different this time.
Expecting socializing to be as easy as "just talk to people".
Judging someone for doing something wrong without telling them specifically what they did wrong and what they should have done instead.
Requiring someone to pass an interview in order to get a job.
Judging someone for living with their parents as an adult.
Believing that someone is suspicious or on drugs because they're acting different.
Believing that using drugs is a moral failure deserving of punishment.
Abusive therapies that cause pain in order to force someone into hiding their differences.
Police literally murdering people for misinterpreting unclear orders (Philando Castile) or for something mistaken as a threat (Sonya Massey).
But that's not what most people think of. When adults bully, it's considered normal. It's considered a fact of life that people are supposed to just deal with. When they punish a child for being a bully, it's not because they're morally opposed to bullying and want to make society better. It's because they get a chance to feel righteous without having to be critical of their own actions.
