This will be a two part article: firstly, autistic attitudes towards those in authority, and secondly, how autistic people handle being in a position of authority.
I’ve written before about how autistic people often struggle to know how to act around authority figures. Actually, that’s not true– we don’t seem to care how we act around authority.
I think this is a vital distinction.
It’s not that we’re deficient, after all. It’s more that this authority business is a neurotypical notion that we don’t seem to share, and thus we tend to ignore it.
Let me give you an example.
Autistic children in school are somewhat notorious for finding it hard to adapt to the authority of teachers– some teachers more than others. This is not because they’re evil little ragamuffins, as some teachers would have it, but because their natural state is to assume equanimity. Autistic students (and I speak from long experience) will not bow to authority for authority’s sake.
They will respect it, if respect can be had, and they’ll do what they’re told— if it makes sense; but they won’t blindly accept authority. By this point, my teacher readers are wincing in pain as our main tool is automatically-accepted authority.
But what can I say? Autistic people are different! This is not a deficiency, in and of itself. I believe it’s an offshoot of our particular brand of empathy that we excel at. It is used to find the common ground between people, rather than the differences. I’m aware I may be romanticising autism a bit here, which is not my intention.
So when presented with an authority figure, autistic people seek out what makes us the same, and in doing so obliterates the arbitrary (to us at least) difference of their ‘authority.’
We automatically seek to be on a level with *everyone* we meet. This is subconscious and not controllable, unless we really need to. It occurs throughout our lives from childhood to old age. It makes us *really weird* to neurotypical people, who seem to accept authority happily.
So another example: an autistic person meets their company’s CEO. They know who they are, but they greet them as an equal. They say hi. They crack a Chandler-esque joke. They are relaxed and unfazed by the massive authority that is shrinking their peers down.
This may be great! The CEO might think, Wow! Here’s a go-getting individual, if they’re nice and positive. But they may also think, Who is this worm with no respect for my status?
Then, we’re screwed. Similarly, this trait can absolutely ruin us when the police are involved. Its bad enough in the UK, but being #AutisticWhileBlack in the USA can get you killed in altercations with the cops when this issue is occurring, and this is happening a lot.
So, to recap, autistic people– at least in my assessment– don’t recognise authority as a thing in and of itself. They will bow to greater expertise, experience, morality, and creativity, very happily, but not just to authority alone.
This is a very good and a very bad thing, because sadly, unearned authority is a big part of human existence. From police and the armed forces, whose authority is granted by an abstract “State,” to random adults in the street telling kids off– it’s everywhere. 
It’s imperative that these institutions need realise that there is a significant proportion of the population who will not accept blind authority, not because they’re baddies, or naughty, but because their brains are wired differently. This needs to be accepted now.
I’m not excusing autistic people of bad behaviour, by the way. There are always people willing to interpret my writing in the most negative possible light. I’m simply stating its a factor that needs to be understood.
Autistics in Authority
But what of part two? Of autistic people in authority? How does this work?
Well, here goes…
Firstly, unless you’re literally the Queen, there will always be further authority above you somewhere, so all the earlier stuff applies, but when it comes to dealing with our “subordinates” (I don’t even like using the word), we perhaps tend to be very accepting, reasonable, and fair. Is this a thing?
I know from my experience of being a manager/leader that I just wanted to let people do their job, and assumed they’d do it well. I wasn’t happy issuing diktats to them or punitive messages from higher up and tended to try to shield them from all that crap.
But this is not how managers are meant to behave. I couldn’t handle the “telling off” side of the job (like confronting people for being ill and absent- wtf!?), so I handed in my notice and went back to classroom teaching.
I feel that autistic people might struggle with the expectations of holding authority, but ironically that we would wield authority fairly and well.
- Autism and Responding to Authority - December 15, 2019
- How Can Autism Affect Your Health? - December 2, 2019
- 50 Reasons why an Autistic Adult may be in a Bad Mood - November 27, 2019
65 Responses
At https://greatpaper.co.uk/essay-help you can find the help of excellent experts in the field of custom essay writing. Any topic, complexity and deadlines will be fulfilled. Place an order and expect fulfillment exactly within the specified deadlines. You can always contact the support team and personal writers to solve all problems regarding the fulfillment. Follow the link and learn more about this excellent service.
I’m currently experimenting with designing my own clothing, and hoodies are my favorite item to customize. I started looking for tools that could show off my designs, and I found hoodies mockup on this site. The templates are really detailed, with shadows, textures, and everything you’d expect from real fabric. What’s cool is they also include customizable colors, so you can match the hoodie to your brand’s palette.
This perspective sheds light on how autistic individuals navigate social structures and expectations surrounding authority, offering valuable insights into their unique experiences and challenges in these contexts.
Thank you for an outstanding article. Your efforts in raising awareness about this facet of autistic life are truly appreciated. ISO 22301 Lead Auditor Training
I’m old enough to remember a time when a ‘good’ manager was expected to insulate people from ‘all that crap’. My special interest right now is trying to work out where it all went wrong.
Agree completely. This never used to be how managers were meant to behave. I personally blame the rise of managers that went straight from university to management, and thus, have no idea how things work, or when expectations are unrealistic. They also tend to more insecure, as they have been placed in charge of something they don’t understand, and tend to react in displays of entitled aggression towards any who question.
They may excel in creating structured environments where rules and expectations are transparent and applied consistently to everyone.
Autism is not a judgment, it’s just a different way of perceiving the world.
Your post provides a unique perspective on the topic, and I found it very interesting.
Great read helped me find a lot of clarity, I just wish you didn’t get political and show your opinion on police and military in a post about autism.
There’s nothing political about that. It’s pure objective fact.
Being autiatic myself, this is something that I don’t get about NTs: how can they ignore testable and provable facts that are obvious, just because it doesn’t fit into their ideology, and then say that facts are somehow political?
Autistic individuals may indeed struggle to navigate the hierarchical structures commonly found in schools and other institutions, where authority is often unquestioningly accepted. Instead, they may prioritize logical reasoning and a sense of fairness when deciding whether to comply with authority figures’ directives.
Understanding how individuals with autism respond to authority is crucial for creating inclusive environments. Many may have unique sensitivities or difficulties in interpreting social cues, which can affect their interactions with authority figures. By fostering understanding and adapting communication styles, we can better support individuals with autism in navigating various social contexts.
I believe this post highlights an important perspective on how autistic individuals might interact with hierarchical structures. It suggests that they may find it challenging to navigate environments where authority is accepted without question. Instead, their decisions are often guided by logical reasoning and a strong sense of fairness. This insight underscores the need for institutions to consider diverse ways of thinking and adapt their approaches to be more inclusive and understanding of different perspectives.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you as an Autist, I concur <3
I’ve been questioning whether I have Autism for a while and reading this was surreal as every time you went “but autistic people are different” and then explained something, I kept thinking “is that not what everyone does?”.
Spot on !!
From this vantage point, we can see how people with autism deal with authoritative figures and the social norms that surround them. papa’s games
1v1 LOL has given me a challenging and exciting gaming experience. The game requires not only shooting skills but also creativity in building structures and tactics. I feel very happy to be able to experiment and develop my strategies in each match.
Thank you for an outstanding article. Your post provides a unique perspective on the topic, and I found it very interesting.
Autistic students (and I speak from long experience) will not bow to authority for authority’s sake.
I’ve been questioning whether I have Autism for a while and reading this was surreal as every time you went “but autistic people are different” and then explained something, I kept thinking “is that not what everyone does?”.
Thanks for sharing the information with us.
I have been reading the autism stuff… but this one opened my head.
Explore Retro Bowl, the nostalgic 8-bit football simulation game that blends strategy and arcade-style fun. Discover tips, strategies,
and gameplay mechanics to build your dream team, dominate leagues, and enjoy the retro charm. Perfect for sports and gaming enthusiasts
alike, Retro Bowl offers hours of immersive gameplay with simple controls and endless excitement!Retro Bowl