Trigger Warning: Basically every kind of ableism you can think of, eugenics, murder, abuse, silencing.
I do a lot of writing, and I do a lot of explaining, and I do a lot of teaching. You might wonder how I find something to write about every day, even with the times that I give you something like fanfiction or essays I wrote for class. Here's the thing: There are more things that need writing about than I can find the time or energy to write about. If I had the time and the energy to do the writing, I could probably come up with five or six things that need addressing in the world of autism each day and write about them all. That's a conservative estimate. There's more, I'm sure. Politics of parent-run groups could use updating with some new things, though it might be enough new stuff to justify a new post. I'm not completely sure. Don't believe that there is more to talk about than I can cover? Here's a small sampling of things I see and hear:
"If you go looking for ableism, you'll find it."
"There's no such thing as autism- I would know, I meet the criteria for it."
"You're not like my child!"
"I don't see you as being autistic. I see you as having autism."
"But vaccines!"
"People with autism lack empathy. I know because they fail this empathy test, and I know it's an empathy test because people with autism fail it."
"Can't you act normal?"
"Quiet hands!"
"It's so inspiring that you've overcome your autism to be able to write like this."
"My brother with autism is perfect and I love him. Help me walk for a cure!"
"Don't you mean you're a person with autism?"
"You're so broken you don't even know you're broken."
"Of course you don't understand, you have autism."
"People with autism are perfect angels who would never hurt anyone on purpose."
"He has the mental capacity of an infant."
"Do YOU have a child with autism?"
"You're trying to keep low functioning people from being cured."
"If I knew my child were going to be like you, I'd get an abortion."
"What do you mean, it's not a compliment to say that you don't seem autistic?"
"Did you hear about that study that says some people with autism can recover?"
"But vaccines!"
"Look at coal!"
"If my child could write like you, I'd consider him cured."
"I can't be ableist because I'm autistic too!"
"I can't wait until DSM 5 comes out. Then you'll have to admit you're just a jerk."
"It's more common than pediatric AIDS, cancer, muscular dystrophy and diabetes combined."
"What do you mean, 1% of adults are autistic too?"
"You're so tragic."
"Everybody panic! AUTISM!"
"My child won't look me in the eye."
"Applied Behavioral Analysis is going to recover my child from autism."
"Autism stole my child."
"If you want us to include you when we talk about autism, you have to stop acting so autistic."
"Isn't Autistic culture an oxymoron?"
"People with autism don't know they have autism, so if you think you're autistic, you aren't."
"You can't call yourself Autistic, it's offensive [to people with autism.]"
"What do you mean, a person who can pass is going to have very different experiences from someone who can't?"
"My child will never..."
"Your autism doesn't define you."
"VACCINES!"
Yes, people find new and different ways to combine these, sometimes, but usually? Usually it's stuff I've seen before in combinations I've seen before, or in combinations that I've been warned about. (Don't say these things. You'll be wrong, and I reserve the right to answer you with a link to the reason you're wrong and then laugh at you.) Remember, not a note of this is new. We've danced this dance before, and I'm sure we will keep dancing it for some time yet.
P.S. Go watch this.
I do a lot of writing, and I do a lot of explaining, and I do a lot of teaching. You might wonder how I find something to write about every day, even with the times that I give you something like fanfiction or essays I wrote for class. Here's the thing: There are more things that need writing about than I can find the time or energy to write about. If I had the time and the energy to do the writing, I could probably come up with five or six things that need addressing in the world of autism each day and write about them all. That's a conservative estimate. There's more, I'm sure. Politics of parent-run groups could use updating with some new things, though it might be enough new stuff to justify a new post. I'm not completely sure. Don't believe that there is more to talk about than I can cover? Here's a small sampling of things I see and hear:
"If you go looking for ableism, you'll find it."
"There's no such thing as autism- I would know, I meet the criteria for it."
"You're not like my child!"
"I don't see you as being autistic. I see you as having autism."
"But vaccines!"
"People with autism lack empathy. I know because they fail this empathy test, and I know it's an empathy test because people with autism fail it."
"Can't you act normal?"
"Quiet hands!"
"It's so inspiring that you've overcome your autism to be able to write like this."
"My brother with autism is perfect and I love him. Help me walk for a cure!"
"Don't you mean you're a person with autism?"
"You're so broken you don't even know you're broken."
"Of course you don't understand, you have autism."
"People with autism are perfect angels who would never hurt anyone on purpose."
"He has the mental capacity of an infant."
"Do YOU have a child with autism?"
"You're trying to keep low functioning people from being cured."
"If I knew my child were going to be like you, I'd get an abortion."
"What do you mean, it's not a compliment to say that you don't seem autistic?"
"Did you hear about that study that says some people with autism can recover?"
"But vaccines!"
"Look at coal!"
"If my child could write like you, I'd consider him cured."
"I can't be ableist because I'm autistic too!"
"I can't wait until DSM 5 comes out. Then you'll have to admit you're just a jerk."
"It's more common than pediatric AIDS, cancer, muscular dystrophy and diabetes combined."
"What do you mean, 1% of adults are autistic too?"
"You're so tragic."
"Everybody panic! AUTISM!"
"My child won't look me in the eye."
"Applied Behavioral Analysis is going to recover my child from autism."
"Autism stole my child."
"If you want us to include you when we talk about autism, you have to stop acting so autistic."
"Isn't Autistic culture an oxymoron?"
"People with autism don't know they have autism, so if you think you're autistic, you aren't."
"You can't call yourself Autistic, it's offensive [to people with autism.]"
"What do you mean, a person who can pass is going to have very different experiences from someone who can't?"
"My child will never..."
"Your autism doesn't define you."
"VACCINES!"
Yes, people find new and different ways to combine these, sometimes, but usually? Usually it's stuff I've seen before in combinations I've seen before, or in combinations that I've been warned about. (Don't say these things. You'll be wrong, and I reserve the right to answer you with a link to the reason you're wrong and then laugh at you.) Remember, not a note of this is new. We've danced this dance before, and I'm sure we will keep dancing it for some time yet.
P.S. Go watch this.
That "just a jerk comment had me confused. Most autistic people I know are not jerks.
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