Happy Autistic Pride Day to all my fellow Autistic people across the world! You are not broken, you are amazing!  Today is the day to celebrate our Autistic differences, embrace them! 

Inclusion during Autism Acceptance Month

During this Autism Acceptance Month let us not forget to welcome the formally diagnosed, the self-diagnosed, those who are questioning, or those that we might guess to also be on the Spectrum through our own observations.  Autistic-radar is a thing!  Let us extend the hand of friendship as it were: (please remember that there are those who do not wish to be touched unexpectedly so treat this as a figurative statement), to the out-casts, the lonely people, etc.  There is a vibrant support community of like-minded souls, whether you be out or still in closet as it were, on social media that is available for you to find and suggest that others seek out too.   

I have heard for years that online friends were not true friends, only those you know in the flesh are, but I beg to differ for many Autistics we are more at home online than our non-Autistic counterparts due to the fact that there is no need to attempt to decipher body language, tone of voice, etc. in order to communicate, there written word reigns supreme.  I have been chatting with people online since 1998 and have never looked back, I feel more at home there than anywhere else. 

I have never been one to talk about girlie things like fashion, hair, nails, celebrity crushes, etc. I cannot understand such interest/cannot relate, I on the other hand crave chats about nature, animals, politics, movies, tv shows, and books, the latter few tend to be of the sci-fi fantasy genres respectively.  Have always been more myself and more accepted talking with guys; they always are interested in such cool things.  Groups I tend to frequent are majority male, for me this is preferable.  I too have been an outcast sometimes even in groups that I have created, it is hard for me to get to know people/read people; unless things are blatant I miss things entirely.  I have trouble entering conversations even in a group of people I am familiar with if I come upon them already conversing, I do not know how to enter in their conversation, I tend to hang around the periphery and then just disappear.   

Many on the Autistic Spectrum struggle to read people and situations, subtleties are lost on us. This month above all others please try to welcome someone into your social group or gathering or online chat and be blatant about your desire for them to join you - someone who moves and acts like you do it will be appreciated.  Make a new friend, share a smile, include someone new, everyone appreciates being part of something bigger than themselves. 

In closing, please remember that Autism Acceptance is more than just you accepting your own Autism or that of your child, but more so as society as a whole accepting Autistic people stims and all on our terms, together we can make a better a more inclusive world for all.

Happy Autism Acceptance Month to one and all.

 

In praise of disability activism.

Many of us in the disability community take part in some sort of activism whether it be solely online or in-person or a combination of the two.  I applaud all of our efforts.  It really comes down to our level of comfort dealing with people en masse, a.k.a. the number of spoons we have available to us on any given day.  Many of us have comorbidities that impact our choices for activism, but that does not mean that the choice we make to take part and express ourselves should be deemed any less important than others are.  I for one feel more at home online and have been known to take part in many different protests via twitter and blog posts over the years.  Online activists/protesters do not have to hear verbal shouts of derision or face any form of physical violence in-person, that is not to say that one does not encounter violence of another sort where people feel more free to show disdain and spout vile hateful ableist rhetoric online, whatever comes into their minds all the while cowardly hiding behind the safety of their computer screens. Cyber-bullying is just as invasive and in many cases even more so than in-person bullying because when one is home and alone one can still be targeted and harassed no matter the distance away the “attacker” is in the physical world. Such attacks cause just as much PTSD as their in-person physical ones, but in many cases the pain and harm they cause is even deeper.  I do not like to invite such attacks so do not engage with individuals one on one online as others in my community to do on a regular basis, I could not take the self-hate and internalized ableism that would be a result of such attacks from awful people trolling the net for the sole purpose of creating havoc and leaving harm in their wake. Face it people many of these perpetrators spew their vitriol for their sheer entertainment and when we take the bait we are playing right into their hands. 

I in turn use general political, etc. hashtags and take part in #cripthevote or just speak my mind in my own personal twitter and also sign online petitions.  Those who do not engage others in-person but find it makes it easier to express yourselves online do not think that this diminishes the value of your activism; we too are fighting to make the world a better place for disabled people.  I applaud Autistics who do engage one on one ,on a regular basis, you are brave beyond any measure I can express because time and time again you go to battle with these trolls, lick your virtual wounds and there you are again back in the fray fighting another day.  Many of those who do go toe to toe with such hateful trolls find strength in the community and the fact that we do support their efforts knowing full well our own limitations and lack of spoons to do it ourselves, but as they say someone has too.  I applaud the TRUE Autistic warriors taking on non-Autistic trolls online who only like to bait and taunt us for their own enjoyment and care nothing of learning the truth about what life is like for #ActuallyAutistic people.  I thank you for your fighting.  Stand strong against adversity, with every demon vanquished another arrives in your path, let them not get you down, keep fighting, but also remember to look out for number 1 as they say, safe-care and knowing ones limits is paramount.  Also do not forget to ask for help and advice when you need it, others may be able to shoulder some of the burden when you are out of spoons. Don’t let anyone diminish your efforts with hate-speech. Fight the good fight.

In solidarity. 

Action Alert! Invisible disabilities under fire!

ATTENTION!  URGENT ACTION NEEDED!

 

In the last day or so, a discovery was shared on social media that a company in Colorado was issued the trademarked phrase: "invisible disabilities", the disability community is up in arms about it.  Invisible disabilities are a part of our identities and not something that should be branded as a consumer good.

I urge you to contact your congressman and senators.  I just telephoned my mine to bring the following issue to their attention: the phrase "invisible disabilities" has been trademark by Invisible Disabilities Association - US Trademark Registration No. 4315808, in April 2013.

Please contact your congressman and senators at: U.S. Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121.

 

Happy Autism Acceptance Month 2016 to one and all!

As you should already know, just a few short years ago I made a valuable contribution to Autistic History on the local level here in Virginia.  While I was on the board of the Autism Society of Northern Virginia I convinced a majority NT (neurotypical) board to shift April from being called Autism Awareness Month to being called Autism Acceptance Month.

Just after joining the board in 2011 I started talking to my fellow members about the importance of Autism Acceptance, many on the board were parents of Autistic children, both young and old.  I reminded them that what they wanted for their children was to be accepted not shunned, stims and all.  I added that society was already aware of Autism that what we now needed was to move toward Autism Acceptance.  I stressed that we as a board needed to help to forge a positive future for Autistics of all ages and to do so we must move away from awareness.  I kept talking about Autism Acceptance throughout that year and in November of 2011 my continued urging bore fruit, that majority NT board with its sole Autistic member (yours truly) voted unanimously to rename April in Northern Virginia - Autism Acceptance Month.  We celebrated our first Autism Acceptance Month in April of 2012. 

 

Autism Acceptance is not just something one does during the month of April it is instead something that one must do every day.  Autism Acceptance is an action, it takes effort and understanding, and it is achievable, not insurmountable. There are Autistics in your community whether you know it or not, they too need to be accepted as part of that community just like everyone else.  My hope is that one day an Autistic person stimming at a table in a coffee shop or covering their ears due to an uncomfortably loud unexpected sound will be common place and not seen as strange.  We are all one community and need to work together to make it a better one.  Autism Acceptance is an important part of that, not just for the Autistic children growing up today, but also for the Autistic adults who are already here both diagnosed and undiagnosed.  We need Acceptance.  Every Autistic contribution should be valued and none discounted, whether they be large are small all are important and valued.

 

What I have done other Autistics have yet to do; it is a great feat and needs to be remembered as part of our shared Autistic History.  I am very proud of my accomplishment and wish others to know it.

 

 

 

 

On our terms.

Able to talk face to face with scripts and certain topics anticipated.  Usual conversations make for happy companions that bloom and blossom like flowers reaching for the sun.  One on one I am content. 

Confusion arises when new topics are introduced; too many voices chiming in at once, outside noises also fighting to be heard.  No filter everything crashes in.  No time to consider words or thoughts, lost in the onslaught, meltdown cresting.  

Happier in silence only my fingers speaking on the keyboard, time is given to formulate thoughts and ideas appear on the screen before they are sent out into the world.  Happier on my own terms in an environment that I control.

Autistics speaking everyday online, in-person, on AAC, but always on our terms.   

ACCEPTANCE.

 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to the Autistic mothers and to the NT mothers of Autistics. We love you.

12 Myths about Autism

12 Myths about Autism

April 2014, by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. 

1. Autism is contagious.

Nope! You can’t catch Autism. Autism is something some people are born with, like blue eyes or red hair or a brain that is very good at some things and has more trouble with others.

 

2. Autism is caused by vaccines.

Vaccines do not cause Autism. Please make sure your kids get their shots.

 

3. Autism is a disease.

Nope! Autism is a developmental disability some people are born with, like dyslexia or Down Syndrome. It is not a disease. It is a difference, and a disability.

 

4. Autism is a tragedy.

Nope! With the right support, Autistic people can go to school, communicate, work, live in the community, have friends, get married, start families, vote, pursue
their interests, and anything else they might want to do.

 

5. Autistic people are eternal children.

Nope! Autistic people grow up. An Autistic 20 year old is not a toddler in a 20 year old’s body–they are an Autistic 20 year old.

 

6. You can grow out of Autism.

Nope! Autism is a life-long developmental disability. Autistic children grow up into Autistic adults. The same percentage of adults and children are Autistic.

 

7. Autism means not being able to speak.

Communication disability is a part of diagnostic criteria for Autism, but most Autistic people do develop the ability to talk. About 15-20% of Autistic people do
not develop oral speech. They can use Augmentative and Alternative Communication to speak for themselves.

 

8. Autism means intellectual disability.

About 15-25% of Autistic people also have an intellectual disability. Most Autistic people are not intellectually disabled. Intellectual disability is not a part of Autism,
but some people have both.

 

9. Autistic people lack empathy.

Nope! Autistic people feel empathy for other people. Autistic people are people, not robots.

 

10. All Autistic people are savants.

About 10% of Autistic people have savant skills like perfect pitch, photographic memory, or calendar calculation. Most Autistic people are not savants.

 

11. Autistic people suffer from Autism.

Autistic people suffer from prejudice and discrimination. Autistic people suffer when they do not get the support and accommodation they need, when they receive substandard or segregated education or living environments, when they are kept out of the community or kept unemployed, when their civil and human rights are violated, or when their access to communication and the right to make decisions about their lives, bodies, and futures are denied. Autistic people do not suffer from Autism.

 

12. Only boys are Autistic.

An Autistic woman wrote this factsheet.

Happy Autism Acceptance Month and Autism Acceptance Day!

 It is time to celebrate our Autistic differences.

Never be ashamed of who you are!

An Open Letter About Autism Acceptance to Pope Francis from Amy Sequenzia

January 12, 2015, by Autistic activist Amy Sequenzia, posted on the Autism Women’s Network site 

Dear Pope Francis: 

I think I am supposed to call you “Your Holiness”. I am here to teach you some important things about Autism, about being Autistic, and about Autism Speaks. 

You recently met with Suzanne Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks, and your lack of understanding about my neurology and about who I am makes it look like you don’t care about social justice. 

Yes, I am Autistic, Disabled and proud. 

I don’t want pity. 

I don’t need Ms. Wright’s hateful words. 

Autism Speaks does not speak for me. 

I will use her speech to teach you and show why cure and prevention of Autism go against my human rights. 

I will “translate” the speech, I will tell you the real meaning of Suzanne Wright’s words. 

First, you need to know what Autism Speaks really stands for: hate. 

Autism Speaks raises money by demonizing people like me, and by martyring parents, as if parenting Autistics is a burden, and a tragic living. 

Autism Speaks also ignores Autistic adults, people like me, very disabled and very proud of my neurology. 

Now, the speech. 

Suzanne Wright starts by saying Autism is a health crisis. 

Wrong. We are not diseased or Disordered. Autism is our identity, like the color of our skin. Is there a “black people health crisis”? An “Asian health crisis”? I think you get my point. 

She says that “Autism families” suffer. She can’t even use the correct words. Autism families are only a thing if all the members are Autistic. 

The only suffering comes through her hateful rhetoric and stigmatization. 

What she really meant was that in her distorted view of Autism, all Autistics cause suffering to non-Autistic family members. See how she does not see us as sentient beings? 

Then she talks about how everyone is tired of us, the extreme work for no reward. She does not sound too concerned with her faith. Doesn’t the Catholic Church teach that heaven is for the poor and humble? 

She mentions the lack of information about Autism, purposefully leaving out how Autism Speaks, under her guidance, misinforms the public. 

She briefly mentions her grandson, trying to paint him as pitiful. Well, I am an adult with a lot of needs and my friends say I am pretty awesome. 

Suzanne Wright not only diminishes Autistic people’s experiences of the world, she also shows her ableism toward people who have Hansen’s disease, referring to them as lepers. 

To her, we are to be viewed as undesirable, unapproachable, not to be touched, while our parents are saints, doing (according to her) the ultimate act of love a parent of an Autistic person can do: look at us. 

This is a very messed up statement, from a supposedly loving grandmother. 

To Suzanne Wright, Autistic people do not deserve appreciation or respect for just being. We are only to be valued if we can be, act and look “less Autistic”. 

Then, she calls us not human enough. She states that we don’t learn, worry, rejoice, live. She decided that our dreams and wishes are unimportant and not worthy of anyone’s attention. 

What Suzanne Wright says her organization does is simply a lie. The truth is that Autism Speaks uses only 3% of the donations it receives to help Autistics and their families. Autistics adults are not even considered by the organization. Most of the money raised is to enrich executives and to find a genetic marker, with this objective: selective abortions. And she brought St. Francis to the conversation. How can the Catholic Church reconcile it’s rejection of abortion, yet allow a speech from someone whose mission in life is to find a way to, through selective abortion, make sure people like me do not exist? 

The isolation, harassment, shame and disgrace she mentions should be spelled out as the mission statement of her organization, since that’s what Autism Speaks engages on with full force. 

The blue light she talks about? It magically turns into green dollars, used in propaganda that demonizes us, martyrs our families, and ignores our voices. Propaganda like her speech to you. 

The lies about how she really feels about us don’t change the reality of what her organization promotes: her “village” is not welcoming to, or safe for us, Autistics who just want to be, to exist. 

Suzanne Wright lacks humbleness. She believes that she is on a mission to rid the world of Autism, of Autistics. She does not listen to the many Autistics saying that our lives are worthy, that she is wrong and hurtful. But her goal of portraying Autism as a devastating disease, of portraying Autistics as less than useless human beings, is advanced by her savvy marketing skills. She uses fear to spread hate – packaged as compassion – and she uses her wealth to gain access. 

She gained access to you, dear Pope Francis. 

She spread her lies, disguised as a call to love.

You now know the truth, easily confirmed by how she directs her organization. 

I am Autistic, Disabled and proud. 

I know what Autism is. 

Your Holiness, are you going to silence me? Are you going to deny my wholeness, my perfect humanity, as imperfect as all humans are, still deserving of a life free from hateful attacks? 

Suzanne Wright has an agenda and it goes against my right to exist.

What are you going to do in support of my right to be, just as I am? 

What are you going to do about all Autistics right to exist, just like we are? 

Happy New Year!

2015 is fresh and new, let this be the year you welcome an Autistic person of any age into your circle of friends, we have much to offer and should be given a chance to share our unique view of the world with you.  Take some time to get to know us, we may just surprise you.  Let 2015 be a year of Acceptance!

Happy New Year from the Autism Acceptance Digest!

 

 

Let’s all turn fear into Acceptance.

At this time of year there is much talk of fear and being scared.  People seem to go out of their way to enjoy being scared by monsters from witches to vampires to zombies, but the rest of the year we Autistics are the ones who are feared.  Watching scary movies and going to haunted houses are done for the fun of it, but the fear of us is not.  No one gets any enjoyment from that sort of fear, neither us nor you, especially us.  Autistics are not monsters; we too are people and deserve to be treated as such. 

Time and time again the media has helped to add to the fear of Autistics by siding with murderous parents, misrepresenting Autism, leaving out Autistic perspectives/voices, etc.  With every new study and article that does not embrace the gifts of Autism, but only dwells on its negatives, in full Technicolor, more fiendish falsehoods are added to the arsenal of hate. 

We are not monsters.

Fear breeds more fear, confusion, and misunderstanding.  Since the dawn of humankind man has feared what he truly does not understand. 

Don’t you think that it is time to set aside your fear and hatred, jettison your ignorance, and take the time to understand us on our terms?  Push back the dark veil of dread and let the full Spectrum enter the world.  We have much to share, verbal or nonverbal, and deserve to be given the chance to do so.  From understanding comes Acceptance and Acceptance will make a better world.  Let’s all turn fear into Acceptance.  We are not monsters, let us show you today.

Happy Halloween from the Autism Acceptance Digest!

Rally for Ratification of the CRPD!

On Tuesday July 29th there will be a rally in support for ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD (A.K.A. the “Disability Treaty”) in Washington, D.C.

People will gather at 12:15 pm on Tuesday, July 29th on 3rd Street NW between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Maryland Avenue SW. 

Also, do not forget to telephone your Senators to urge them to ratify the CRPD if you have not already.  (202) 224-3121

To learn more about the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities please click on the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRPD

Happy Autistic Pride Day!

Happy Autistic Pride Day to my fellow Autistics!  :)  Today is a day to celebrate our accomplishments no matter how small and to celebrate our differences.  Be Autistic and Proud!   :)

Happy Father's Day to Autistic Fathers!

 

Happy Father's Day to all fathers, especially Autistic ones!  They may be unconventional, but should also be appreciated!

Originally published on Autism Acceptance Digest Google+ on June 15, 2014

Happy Mother's Day to Autistic Mothers!

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers today, especially to Autistic mothers.  Autistic mothers are mothers who are Autistic, am not referring to Neurotypical mothers of Autistic children.  Contrary to lies that a certain “charity” spread about us, we Autistics can and do fall in love and have children.  We Autistics see the world differently and may parent our children differently than other mothers, mainly our NT counterparts, but that does not mean that what we are doing is wrong.  We too deserve respect and to be celebrated.  Happy Mother’s Day to our Autistic mothers!! 

Autism Acceptance Attacked, but NOT Defeated!

As you know in November of 2011 my board voted unanimously to call April in Northern Virginia Autism Acceptance Month at my suggestion, awareness is not enough. 

For our first celebration in April 2012 I made a sign for my front yard that stated “April is Autism Acceptance Month”, I decorated it with flowers, waterproofed it, taped it to an old yard sign and placed it in a flowerbed facing the street, every year since then it has spent the whole of April cheerily sharing my message with passersby that was until last evening. 

I was headed out to church when I noticed it lying on the front walk sans yard sign, I assumed that it had somehow come unstuck, the best case scenario I could dream up knowing full well I had made sure to tape it securely with duct tape to the yard sign.  After closer investigation I discovered that it had been cut off the yard sign and then tossed onto our front walk.  The covering had been slashed.  Fortunately the sign within had not been damaged.  I was angered and close to having a meltdown.  I quickly gathered it up and ran back into my house, I was fuming.  I showed it to my mother who was surprised that the sign had been attacked, but fortunately my mother knew the right thing to say to keep me from fully melting down, so off to church I went.

While I was at church she had been looking at the sign and noticed that the lettering had started to fade due to two Aprils worth of sunlight, she therefore suggested that I should touch up the letters and make it better than it was.  I in turn told her that I had concluded during church that the individual who had committed the act did not know what Acceptance was and that I would put my sign up again, showing the world that Acceptance cannot be so easily defeated.  It is now freshly re-erected.

I am Autistic and Proud and no one can take that away from me!

No Time Like the Present

“(Right now) Hey! It's your tomorrow. (Right now) Come on, it's everything. (Right now) Catch that magic moment. And do it right here and now. It means everything.” - Right Now by Van Halen – song excerpt

I have started this post with an excerpt from Van Halen’s song titled Right Now due to the fact that it is up to us to change this world for the better and make a world of Acceptance instead of one of fear and hate. 

Once again it is the start of Autism Acceptance Month here in Northern Virginia, our 3rd celebration thanks to my urging in 2011, this time right on the heels of the CDC’s latest statistical release which will of course add tinder to the fire for the supposed “Autism crisis”, we are now 1 in 68.  The masses have already begun to sound the outcry.  There is no crisis, there never was, people are confusing access with crisis, we have always been here, it is just that people are having more access to information sharing and access to diagnosticians, etc.  The internet has played a big part in this exchange for example.  There is no reason for hysteria that leads to the proverbial men wielding torches trying to run all us out of town, very much like what was depicted in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. 

We are not monsters to be feared or to be used for exploitation so that a major Autism “charity” can make more money for their inflated salaries, etc.  We are individuals who are all unique and deserve respect and love. 

The propaganda machine at Autism Speaks churns out misinformation and lies like butter and the unsuspecting masses “eat it up with a spoon” never realizing that they are buying into hate and ignorance instead of working toward Acceptance and understanding.  On April 2^nd they held their annual Light It Up Blue campaign, just one such rallying scheme that Aut$peaks has dreamed up.  They coaxed people all over the world to take part in the “exciting” blue puzzle wave, from Antarctica to Sydney to New York to you name it people turned on blue lights.  The masses joined in without realizing that they too were a part of the problem and aided in spreading hate. 

Autism Speaks is a scary Autism “charity” in that they make you think they are doing something helpful, but in reality only 3% of money raised actually goes to services for us, there are no Autistics on their board, their executives have 6-figure salaries, etc., etc.  They exploit Autistics to fill their coffers from pity fund-raising to you name it and have even been known to steal and use Autistics’ words for their own nefarious purposes.  I will not go on about them, you can find many sites on the web that decry them, have a look and you too will understand why I will never jump on the Light It Up Blue bandwagon. 

Hate and fear do not move things forward they keep things where there are, stagnant, building a wall around positive thought, barring the world from the light of reason and inspiration, in many cases it turns the cycle in reverse.

What is needed is real Acceptance for Autistics, in our families, in our communities, in our schools, and in our workplaces, etc.  From understanding us on our terms, as in actually taking the time to listen to us, even if we are nonverbal, the true seeds of Acceptance will be sown and encouraged to grow, fostering new generations to recognize and Accept the many talents and differences of those who make up humanity. 

We need to work toward Acceptance for all Autistics, ourselves, our children, our family members, our friends, colleagues, etc.  Acceptance starts with you, it is up to you to move away from “cures”, “fixes”, “trying to be normal”, etc., encouraging others to do so as well and move toward a world where differences are just another part of what makes us human.  Autism is a Spectrum; learn to embrace its many hues of brilliant color. 

Even Bob Marley has something that will inspire you to action with an excerpt from his song titled Get Up, Stand Up: “Hey, get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight. Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight”.  It is when we quit trying, fighting, and standing up for what we truly believe in: our Autistic Rights, the rights of your Autistic children, etc., that we become complacent and lose a bit of ourselves more and more each day. 

We are fighting for such things as the right to not be bullied (not at school, online, at work, at the store or anywhere for that matter) for just being and acting as our Autistic selves – stimming, rocking, etc.; the right to get accommodations that help us; the right to have a voice in the conversation about us and not to be excluded from it; etc., etc.  If you want to make the right world filled with Autism Acceptance you have to work and fight for it.  Talk to everyone you know, even people who do not agree with you, explain your case for Acceptance, you will run into naysayers and it may dishearten you, but do not give up, keep trying, in time those naysayers will understand your message and join the cause.  Acceptance benefits all, not just we Autistics.  We can make a better world for all Autistics.  This is something worth fighting for and to claim for future generations, what we do now will effect the world they will live in and do we not want to give them something better than what we have, my answer and yours should as well be a resounding YES! 

Please remember that Autism Acceptance is so much more than you accepting your Autistic diagnosis or your child’s, it is about society as a whole accepting Autistics for who we are, verbal or nonverbal, stims and all.

So go forth during this Autism Acceptance Month and every month hereafter spreading the word about Acceptance, do your part!  To echo Bob Marley and Van Halen respectively, “Hey, get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight” and “Catch that magic moment and do it right here and now. It means everything.”  Every movement starts with a spark, now is your chance to be that spark! 

There is no time like the present to make a better world! 

As ever, I hope that you and your families have a good Autism Acceptance Month!  :)