Our adventures as we homeschool, travel, and explore our way through life... which was made more scenic by the additions of Asperger's, Parkinsonism, and Gluten Intolerance. Welcome to The Journey Unexpected!
You do realise that Autism Speaks is an organisation that bullies autistic people. They sympathise with parents who murder autistic children. They stigmatise autism and make it out to be this horrible thing that needs to just disappear. It also makes autistic people out to be subhuman, and unable to think or speak for themselves.
Most autistic people I know despise Autism Awareness Month for those reasons, as do I. And when people post all those puzzle piece things, and the "Autism Speaks" build-a-bears, and talk about not wanting to vaccinate because of not wanting an autistic child? That's hurtful.
We've all expressed our reasons for not wanting to support Autism Speaks, and yet allistic so-called "allies" still insist on getting those damn puzzle piece tattoos and other stuff, and posting Light It Up Blue crap, and getting those blue bears from Build-A-Bear. Yet we're the bullies, just for expressing that we don't feel like we're being supported by people who claim to be our allies.
And organisations like Autism Speaks, and those that have the same mentality, will not help your son. They will make your son experience insecurity and self-hatred, because there are people in the world that aren't happy with his neurotype and want to change him.
The effects Autism Speaks has on autistic people are a lot more long-lasting and serious than the effects of an autistic person calling you out for supporting an organisation that wishes they didn't exist.
Yes, I definitely realize all of that about Autism Speaks. They are the main organization that I referred to as “more celebrated organizations”. I also wrote: “To realize that they are an important group of individuals and are in NO way inferior to anyone else. One of my main focuses during April is to show others that being somewhere on the Autism Spectrum is NOT all gloom and doom. Yes, there are challenges. There are also characteristics that can be and ARE beneficial.” ~ Along with: “I genuinely strive for people to get to know individuals who are on the spectrum.”
I do not support Autism Speaks for those and many other reasons, but I DO support Autism awareness, understanding, and true acceptance.
If you read my previous post “Everyday is Autism Awareness in My World!”, you would also know that I believe “Autism does not need eliminated in order for those who are on the Autism Spectrum to be happy, successful, or considered "complete" in some way. They need others to realize that there is no need to see them with pity, fear, or confusion. They need others to see what they personally bring to the world and let them shine in their own ways.”
I totally agree with you regarding how hurtful it is when they continually go on about the vaccinations issue and not wanting an autistic child. As I say all of the time and even wrote again in my last post: “I would NEVER want to trade my son who is on the Autism Spectrum for anyone else!”
I understand your reasons for not wanting to support Autism Speaks and like I said... I do not support them either for the same reasons. And like anyone else I personally know, we have never received ANY benefit from them for my son...ever.
I also did not call you “the bullies”. I referred to this being yet another case where we all should try to get along... But not all of us “who claim to be (y)our allies” are focussing and/or wanting you all to be done away with. As I also wrote in my last post: “my plan (for Autism Awareness Month) is to assist others in understanding, acceptance, and learning about the many benefits of being a friend and/or family member of someone on the Autism Spectrum.”
I thank you for your comments and sincerely hope that someone reading it will also see how they may be contributing to the hurfulness that looking for a “cure” for Autism truly is.
You do realise that Autism Speaks is an organisation that bullies autistic people. They sympathise with parents who murder autistic children. They stigmatise autism and make it out to be this horrible thing that needs to just disappear. It also makes autistic people out to be subhuman, and unable to think or speak for themselves.
ReplyDeleteMost autistic people I know despise Autism Awareness Month for those reasons, as do I. And when people post all those puzzle piece things, and the "Autism Speaks" build-a-bears, and talk about not wanting to vaccinate because of not wanting an autistic child? That's hurtful.
We've all expressed our reasons for not wanting to support Autism Speaks, and yet allistic so-called "allies" still insist on getting those damn puzzle piece tattoos and other stuff, and posting Light It Up Blue crap, and getting those blue bears from Build-A-Bear. Yet we're the bullies, just for expressing that we don't feel like we're being supported by people who claim to be our allies.
And organisations like Autism Speaks, and those that have the same mentality, will not help your son. They will make your son experience insecurity and self-hatred, because there are people in the world that aren't happy with his neurotype and want to change him.
The effects Autism Speaks has on autistic people are a lot more long-lasting and serious than the effects of an autistic person calling you out for supporting an organisation that wishes they didn't exist.
Yes, I definitely realize all of that about Autism Speaks. They are the main organization that I referred to as “more celebrated organizations”. I also wrote: “To realize that they are an important group of individuals and are in NO way inferior to anyone else. One of my main focuses during April is to show others that being somewhere on the Autism Spectrum is NOT all gloom and doom. Yes, there are challenges. There are also characteristics that can be and ARE beneficial.” ~ Along with: “I genuinely strive for people to get to know individuals who are on the spectrum.”
ReplyDeleteI do not support Autism Speaks for those and many other reasons, but I DO support Autism awareness, understanding, and true acceptance.
If you read my previous post “Everyday is Autism Awareness in My World!”, you would also know that I believe “Autism does not need eliminated in order for those who are on the Autism Spectrum to be happy, successful, or considered "complete" in some way. They need others to realize that there is no need to see them with pity, fear, or confusion. They need others to see what they personally bring to the world and let them shine in their own ways.”
I totally agree with you regarding how hurtful it is when they continually go on about the vaccinations issue and not wanting an autistic child. As I say all of the time and even wrote again in my last post: “I would NEVER want to trade my son who is on the Autism Spectrum for anyone else!”
I understand your reasons for not wanting to support Autism Speaks and like I said... I do not support them either for the same reasons. And like anyone else I personally know, we have never received ANY benefit from them for my son...ever.
I also did not call you “the bullies”. I referred to this being yet another case where we all should try to get along... But not all of us “who claim to be (y)our allies” are focussing and/or wanting you all to be done away with. As I also wrote in my last post: “my plan (for Autism Awareness Month) is to assist others in understanding, acceptance, and learning about the many benefits of being a friend and/or family member of someone on the Autism Spectrum.”
I thank you for your comments and sincerely hope that someone reading it will also see how they may be contributing to the hurfulness that looking for a “cure” for Autism truly is.