I don't mean to offend but what is wrong with Autism Speaks? I've seen this before but I thought it was an Autism support network?
okay well this is incredibly important. especially this month. as u guys know it is april. and that is ‘ autism awareness month ‘. however, i, and many autistics dislike this term and find the entire month uncomfortable and upsetting – mostly due to a Certain organisation, the puzzle piece and a lot of blue – supposedly the colour of autism, populated by autism $peaks.
it’s hard for me, without getting v angry, to explain this clearly but i will try do it briefly since u asked. if u have any questions pls feel free to ask.
i’m going to show u some videos – autism everyday, i am autism. ppl should watch those and honestly if u can endorse or support that representation of my disorder then u can fuck off. a mother in the first video literally talks about a murder - suicide with her child, the only portrayal is screaming and distressed children clearly suffering from overload, the focus is on the impossible and unnecessary cure. the second video is creepy and it’s terrifying. it makes autism out to be a demon that will ruin u financially, physically and even ruin ur marriage and this is an awful and cruel representation.
to start with, in 2012 ( published online from their own non - profit tax exemption form ) only 4% of their v v expansive budget went on actually helping autistic ppl and their families. for a charity this is incredibly low. more went on salaries and even catering than on helping autistic people.
they propagate the rhetoric that autism is tragic, that there is no hope, that life becomes an eternal suffering. they use harsh terminology like ‘ epidemic ‘ ‘ crisis ‘ and ‘ battle ‘. they believe in a CURE and around 44% of their budget goes on this research. autism cannot be cured. it is a developmental disorder. a neurotype. the way you are born. their therapies, such as ABA can be v v harmful and merely suppress those traits that are natural in autistic youth and adults. there is not one single autistic person working and making decisions at autism $peaks in a position of significance. they have been known to block autistic people who speak out online, over twitter and so forth, and that completely defies the whole image they attempt to present but silencing autistic voices. also autism $peaks had no problem in allowing a board member to advertise her macabre wish to murder her autistic daughter, and when a parent actually murder an autistic child, autism $peaks “ understands ” the murderer ( blaming lack of services ) and demonises the victim ( “ he was so difficult to live with ” ). they act like heroes for ‘ dealing ‘ with autistic ppl. they all but ignore autistic adults. they partner with judge rotenberg center whose treatment methods have been condemned by the united nations as torture.
as for the LIGHT IT UP BLUE idea and the PUZZLE PIECE. ‘ the puzzle piece was created to represent how “ puzzling and confusing ” autism is for allistic to understand. it was also created to present how autistic people don’t “ fit in with society ” and how autistic people are the missing piece of a puzzle, meaning a complete puzzle would be a non autistic person. calling someone a missing piece or implying they are missing something is never okay. people aren’t missing anything, people are whole no matter what. people are people and not puzzle pieces. the puzzle piece is meant to say that autistic people are missing something because they aren’t neurotypical. ‘ the colour blue was used bc of the incorrect and popular statistic that autism is an almost - exclusively male condition due to their out - dated diagnosis criteria. most autistic individuals will prefer RED INSTEAD.
autism is not a disease. i do not need a cure. i am nobody’s puzzle piece. there is nothing missing from me. pls celebrate it as AUTISM ACCEPTANCE MONTH instead.
gracieabrams
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