@CBP: Since they haven't been named yet, I am taking the liberty of inventing them. I believe there are many differing levels even within the "high functioning" label, and different education strategies need to be tailored to those different levels.

"Theory of Mind" is a formal term in psychology meaning that a person who has it is capable of deducing another person's needs or desires. It forms a bright line between autistics who are capable of independent living and those who are not.

I'd call these belt ranks in autism: yellow belt to those who could speak and interact, green belt to those who could navigate through school without an IEP, brown belt to those able to work even with accomodations, and a black belt to those who have acheieved intimacy at least once. Second degree black belt for those who are parents, independent artisans, or employers.

I know the labels are arbitrary, but we have to start somewhere. We need our our university, our own Gallaudet, just like Deaf people have, and we need our own Autistic culture just like the Deaf have thier own. For people like us all over the spectrum, we need a place to congregate but because there are significant difference even within it we can still get hurt unless we could somehow signal in advance what each of us can and cannot do. Since it's a spectrum, maybe colored badges by belt rank, since belts are colored and spectrum is a colored?

So how do we start a grass-roots autism socialization movement?

@A MyAutismTeam Member: I am glad SOMEONE sees it. And yes, I tend to scare lots of people. I am Autism Speaks' worst nightmare.

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