This was definitely an interesting article. At first, I was in disagreement with some points. Then I realised that the author was speaking of his own presentation, no one else's. And every individual on the Spectrum presents differently, no two are alike.
First, to be clear, the OP (
@Dario Western) is mistaken. Autism is, in no way, “the most crippling mental disorder”. Not even close. If that were the case, I would most likely not be posting this response. In fact, I do not consider myself to be crippled in any way. I may perceive the world differently than you, Mr. Western, but I am not crippled, no matter how you define that word.
As I wrote a rather lengthy response to this article, I realised that I was writing about autism, not naturism, and therefore not in keeping with the theme of this forum. So I began again, and this response will be much shorter, hopefully.
I intimately understand the author's need to not be judged. Unlike him, I grew up in a family where nudity was common and healthy body image was fostered from childhood. But one point he makes is something many people do not understand:
Autistic people tend to be extreme in their senses. Myself, I am kinaesthetic (actually olfactory, but psychologists treat that as kinaesthetic). I am extremely sensitive to touch and physical sensation, in a positive way. But very disturbed by auditory and visual signals: hypersensitive to them, in a negative way. As such, I like to (or perhaps, NEED to) be nude. My skin is my primary sensory organ. What touches my bare skin, communicates with my brain. What I see with my eyes, or hear with my ears, may or may not ever reach my brain, and when it does, it may be distorted, even catastrophically so. (A very common autism-related condition known as Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD, which also relates to sensitivity to touch, such as jeans against one's legs). Obviously, every autistic person is not this way. But for those of us who are kinaesthetic, it is very important to be unclothed as often as possible, to allow our environment to communicate with us through touch.
When I get anxious, my best calming refuge is to lie, naked, on the grass in our backyard/garden. I can feel the moisture in the ground, the tickling of the grass, the breeze blowing across me, the sun on my skin. And I can smell the ocean or the citrus trees. I can close my eyes, shutting out visual sensation (which is my most negative sensory input), and just feel the world around me. I have never been able to duplicate the same calming situation while dressed, with the sensations of the world insulated from my skin by fabric. Clothing to me, is the same as a blindfold for a visual person. It deadens my sensations of the world around me, makes it difficult to communicate or to understand.
This is a complex issue, one which society has been unable to reconcile to the strict norms of covering the skin as completely as possible. Society allows us, actually encourages us, to keep our eyes open, and to listen … but seems to forget that some of us communicate tactually.