02/04/2022
Well folks, it's World Autism Acceptance Day, so here's your reminders to:
Listen to Autistic People
Don't listen to Autism $peaks, they are a literal hate group
Don't support ABA therapy aka autistic conversion therapy
Don't use the puzzle piece symbol, it was designed as a hate symbol to imply that autistic people are incomplete/less than human
Autism is not a disease and does not need to be, nor can be, cured
Autism is not a superpower either, just a different neurotype. This mentality leads to autistic people only being seen as valuable when they are useful, and then tossed aside when they're not.
The vast majority of people are aware of autism, but most are sorely misinformed about it thanks to billion dollar propaganda campaigns by companies like Autism $peaks intended to paint it in a negative light. We need proper information and acceptance more than mere awareness
The "autistic spectrum" doesn't mean that everyone is a little autistic, it means that those who are have wildly differing traits
Sometimes those traits make it harder to function in this world and may require special needs, and that's ok
Disabled is not a bad word
Only the autistic person gets to decide whether their conditions are disabling or not, no one else
Everybody would benefit if each individual persons special needs were accommodated for, disabled, neurodivergent or not
Respect the way that each unique brain works, and don't get upset when someone can't do/remember something exactly how you want them to
Respect everyone's personal identity, we're all out here doing the same thing, just trying to find the best possible way to get through this life and no one knows the perfect way to do so, including you
Autistic children are not inherently more or less difficult than any other child, just different.
High/Low functioning labels for autistic people are actually harmful. They're not the worst thing you can do, but they're not great either
This list could keep going on for quite a while, so we'll call it there for today. happy