This is something I've been thinking about a bit since I posted my status about Muppets, but a lot of autistic people really don't understand what "infantilizing" means - it has nothing to do with the aesthetic or pop culture of childhood, only the lack of liberties and trust. Someone being a Caillou superfan is not infantilizing themselves nor other autistic people, infantilizing someone with autism means expecting them to not be able to function on their own as adults, and if that expectation is motivated by said autistic person (or even a neurotypical person) carrying a plushie everywhere as opposed to the autism alone, that is still infantilization. If you want proof that someone can love Barney and still be a functioning adult... who do you think MADE Barney?
www.nintendolife.com
