Leftism

Things that affect your way of life creep into your identity. Disabilities—including physical ones—change how you live, so they change how you view yourself and your relation to society (your identity). “A part of one’s identity” is maybe more fitting, but that’s pretty pedantic.

Also, I’m not sure you should suggest that someone’s identity is somehow less real than a mental condition. Both of them are integral functions of the mind that deeply and directly impact a person’s life. While I grant that many see identity as ‘less important’ or ‘more mutable’ (and thus less impactful) than diagnosable conditions, I’m not sure we should accept that without argument, and this comment inadvertently accepts it a priori.

ASD aka Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder not a mental health condition,

I am autistic (I also ascribe to the Asperger’s Syndrome label but that’s an intentionally hyperbolic stance of mine best discussed separate)

My brain is wired differently than my non-autistic peers, and has been developing differently in a measurable, significant way since I was a small child.

This leads to differences in what I eat, what I’m comfortable wearing, doing, what I do for fun, how I solve problems.

How could those changes not inform my identity? It affects what social circles I move in, what recreation I enjoy, the friendships I form and how I maintain them.

I’d argue that my autism is as important part of my identity as my regional origin, my religion, how much melatonin happens to be present in my skin.

If autism shouldn’t be considered part of my identity than neither should what sports team someone is a fan of, the religion they ascribe to, the culture they take part in, and I believe that would lead to a greyer, much more boring world.