This was originally posted on my personal/professional blog. It has been adapted for the use on The Hopeless Autistic. Edited on November 11th.
Before I get mislabeled in the comments, I just want to put some level of scrutiny outside the 603 area code in terms of advocacy and autism.
You’ve heard about the anger of the advocates on Autism Speaks already and what they have done. I want to take this on another level and question why they act so arrogantly that there is nothing wrong with them and why mitigating their odd behaviors (different from a full fledged “cure”) may not be a bad idea.
I do blame the autistic community themselves also to create firey riots, but they do it in the packetwaves and in the ether – known as the Web.
I’ve never heard of “#ActuallyAutistic” until the April Autism Acceptance Month, and to this day I have no idea what the hell does that mean. Did someone say they weren’t autistic? Why are you wasting your time and resources to claim you’re really autistic? Because it sounds like you had an identity theft of your emotional and social makeup so you need to basically prove yourself. But if you really have to prove yourself, then why is it so rosey? Then to counter Autism Speaks’ blue color, they suggested to “walk in red”… whatever that means… Red can come off as many as a negative color, by the way.
Sorry autism can’t be glory all day long, nor can it be all gloomy ether. However advocacy should only be done when its the last resort (in my case I’ve been written up by my local police department, telling people to not Light it Up Blue in April for that same dude to retweet LIUB within an hour after the encounter. I for a lack of a better word “played the autism card” when I knew I was vulnerable.) More details on that subject by searching on the site.
To me that’s where advocacy should be, honest, serious, objective, fair (without attacking – like threatenings one’s ID, life or property to themselves or to others) and do it only when there is a need to do so. And not be so angry amongst a group, and be rational. Most of the super high functioning autistics are beyond rational that maybe they should be institutionalized – not because they’re autistic, but being radical moonbat lefists. But I have PDD-NOS so I must be retarded and I’m too simpleton.
Advocacy should be like WSVN’s news format
If it bleeds, it leads.
* * *
Positivity in terms of addressing special needs have really gone no where, and no listens when someone that appears to be able-bodied but can’t explain why they need assistance. Focusing on the negatives goes as far back as the dawn of time.
The other thing that irritates me is the hyper political nature of the super high functioning autistics. They’ll claim Autism Speaks are bullies, but why are they so insistent to continue a couple years old “Twitter bomb” known as #BoycottAutismSpeaks, which the brats will spam and harass people and organizations who follow Autism Speaks on Twitter. If they hate them so much as if they are dead, then why are they keep brining up the dead? It’s no dramatic than some daytime soap opera on the networks (the few that are still on.)
And also, if you have Aspergers like autism, I’m not saying you’re not autistic, the problem is do you know the real spectrum also includes the ones that can’t speak for themselves? Do you also know that being all happy about your autism will offend parents of non verbal, and very “slow” adult children? And people like me who are too stupid to go to college? (Lets not bring up the ex friend from Lowell who calls anyone outside of Aspeger’s “retards.”)
I see a lot of advocacy and noise against the big cities, but never the little towns. In NH, the Council on ASD has a seat open for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, but there is no representation, Why? Because these people come off as extreme liberals, too-cool-for little ol NH, they think its so far away from Boston, that there is no need to represent. They also want their trains and buses and they want walkable cities (they are too cool to drive) and they loathe republicans. (I’m not saying Republicans are perfect, but children die in Boston under excessive government control that these “Aspies” pray upon as their religion.)
While I am on ASAN, they’ll attack Autism Speaks for not allowing autistics to speak, but ASAN will not allow anyone other than an autistic to speak on the issue (so paras, doctors, alleged “experts” are basically shut up) its an exclusive club and it’s racist – or dare I say ableist – in its own way. So they complain about Autism Speaks to not allow autistics to speak, but they won’t let anyone outside of an autistic disorder to work for them or have outside perspectives?
Double Standards perhaps?
* * *
My ideal autism organization should advocate people both genders (transgendered is not appropriate for the general autism population for representation), early childhood to elderly, and focus on a wide variety of problems and hold everyone accountable, not just the evil ol Republicans and Autism Speaks.
Let’s see if anyone will expose Jim Watkins and Lauren Thierry to the point they can’t be in broadcast journalism ever again. But the problem is Aspergers or Super High Functioning types hate local commercial TV, so they have no idea what those two people were behind (the Autism Everyday film) and they don’t care about bridges, so they won’t mention the largest throfare in the East Coast, so don’t expect them to mention the George Washington Bridge by name.
The other problem is high functioning autistics are not innovative and they are very repetitive, so its not a total surprise they do the “Autism Speaks won’t allow autistics to speak and Autism Speaks produced a film where mother talked about driving off a bridge” instead of saying “Autism Speaks is lead by a former, clueless media exec who lacks strong communication skills and allowed a film to be produced by couple big market journalists who were well liked in their respective markets and allowed barbaric statements to be said.” Most people who follow business or worked in the media or communications business would know Bob Wright and many people in Boston, Philadelphia or New York who lived there for the time Watkins (and Thierry) worked at such stations would understand. Maybe there should be more research and teach the simple people something or people they can relate to (like a former host of Boston’s Evening Magazine)?
I am really giving the advocacy community the recipe without the patent fees. I’m giving you so many ideas but you choose to be stubborn and attack, attack and attack and force everyone upon will that you must like autistics because you’re special and you think everyone will like you. And in fact your lack of communication skills – I mean effective communication, will make your credibility more questionable.
*
