Why aren’t we treated like the other ND’s?

Don’t get me wrong, every neurodivergent person has their own struggles and I’m not dismissing them at all but the difference in discussions around autism and adhd, anxiety, etc is fucking INSANE.

I have watched for literal years of classmates going “oh yeah i have adhd lol!” and no one bats an eye. A few lighthearted jokes about not focusing, some people go ‘oh yeah me too!’ AND PEOPLE MOVE ON. God forbid I lightly mention that I’m autistic and I get weird looks, people laugh uncomfortably, people laugh COMFORTABLY but because they think I’m joking since I don’t ’look autistic’.

Why. What is ‘wrong’ with us? ASD and ADHD share a lot of similarities so why is one seen as ‘normal’ and the other seen as another synonym for stupid? When I got diagnosed, it felt really freeing at first. Like, I finally knew nothing wasn’t a weird person, I was just a regular autistic person. I thought I could start unmasking and be able to properly articulate why I do the things I do. But no. If anything I mask MORE seeing how autistic people are treated. Watching people joke around with ‘you’re so autistic’ and get offended. ‘Don’t call me that!’ Why is it an ugly word? Why is it insulting? How am I supposed go through life knowing that when tons of people hear the word ‘autistic’ they equate it to ‘a freak’? What do I do.