I am sad, and I am disgusted, and I wish I could say I was surprised but I'm not and the fact that this isn't surprising but rather pretty much status quo makes it all the worse.
Someone made a comment about autism that I'm not actually going to quote here, because I make a conscious decision not to swear here, hoping that keeps me from getting filtered and blocked from some folks who might need to hear an Autistic adult telling that the way they are is OK. (Yes it is terrible that I need to weigh that sort of choice, but given the world we live in it's reality, and I have enough control over my written language that I can find alternatives. Choosing not to is just as acceptable, this is my choice.)
And once I knew about the statement, I couldn't just leave it there unanswered. (Or even just unanswered by me, plenty of other actual neurodiversity people were showing up to explain what was wrong with the statement.)
Because no, calling autism terrible is not in line with neurodiversity. Thinking society is terrible a lot of the time? Yeah, that can work. Even calling autism terrible some of the time, at the worst of times, is not in line with neurodiversity. It's just not. And no one ever said parenting, was all sunshine and rainbows. No one ever said autism was all sunshine and rainbows. No one ever said any neurology was all sunshine and rainbows. Everyone gets frustrated sometimes. Neurodiversity doesn't mean never being frustrated. It means knowing where the blame lies, those times when ableism is to blame.
And that bit about where if you never thought autism was terrible you aren't human? There are definitely autistic people who've never thought their own autism was terrible, there are definitely autistic people who think that calling our neurology terrible amounts to calling us terrible, I know I'm not the only one in either of those categories. So there's going to be Autistic people who that's calling not-actually-human. Changeling myths of old and modern rhetoric calling us not-really-people are both things, adding to that, even unintentionally, is really, really bad. Like, contributes to us getting murdered level of bad, because if we're not really people it doesn't matter. So um that's a problem.
And of course, hating the entire way a person's brain is put together? Not neurodiversity. Kind of the opposite, really.
Someone made a comment about autism that I'm not actually going to quote here, because I make a conscious decision not to swear here, hoping that keeps me from getting filtered and blocked from some folks who might need to hear an Autistic adult telling that the way they are is OK. (Yes it is terrible that I need to weigh that sort of choice, but given the world we live in it's reality, and I have enough control over my written language that I can find alternatives. Choosing not to is just as acceptable, this is my choice.)
And once I knew about the statement, I couldn't just leave it there unanswered. (Or even just unanswered by me, plenty of other actual neurodiversity people were showing up to explain what was wrong with the statement.)
Because no, calling autism terrible is not in line with neurodiversity. Thinking society is terrible a lot of the time? Yeah, that can work. Even calling autism terrible some of the time, at the worst of times, is not in line with neurodiversity. It's just not. And no one ever said parenting, was all sunshine and rainbows. No one ever said autism was all sunshine and rainbows. No one ever said any neurology was all sunshine and rainbows. Everyone gets frustrated sometimes. Neurodiversity doesn't mean never being frustrated. It means knowing where the blame lies, those times when ableism is to blame.
And that bit about where if you never thought autism was terrible you aren't human? There are definitely autistic people who've never thought their own autism was terrible, there are definitely autistic people who think that calling our neurology terrible amounts to calling us terrible, I know I'm not the only one in either of those categories. So there's going to be Autistic people who that's calling not-actually-human. Changeling myths of old and modern rhetoric calling us not-really-people are both things, adding to that, even unintentionally, is really, really bad. Like, contributes to us getting murdered level of bad, because if we're not really people it doesn't matter. So um that's a problem.
And of course, hating the entire way a person's brain is put together? Not neurodiversity. Kind of the opposite, really.
? What happened? I'm not clear....did you get trolled? Or was someone posting ignorant abusive statements? I dislike drama, but now I will wonder what happened only because usually this is one of my "go to" places to get clear information and help.
ReplyDeletePartially I'm venting about a thing that happened, partially I'm trying to explain why "everyone's thought autism is terrible at some point and if you haven't you aren't human" is a horrible thing to say.
ReplyDeleteIt was said by a pretty popular parent blogger who says she's for neurodiversity stuff, don't really want to specify further than that because reasons.
It sounds like you believe disabling aspects of autism are all because of ableism, or result of social structure of world, other people not understanding? That autism itself, independent of outside influences, can not be terrible all on its own?
ReplyDeleteI am never terrible person. Self occasionally can thinks so, but am always wrong. My autism though it can sometimes be terrible. It can be horrific worst nightmare imaginable agonizingly painful strictly from self-own brain, without any "help" from others. That is absolutely true for self.
If neurodiversity people think that is bad? Can not understand why. May be "less severe" versions of autism are only disabling due to social reasons, is only reason can think of for this.
(Note: am not intending criticizing, in any way. Genuinely trying to understand. Feel free to delete comment or ignore if not appropriate, will not be offended promise will not.)
Also sorry for using "less severe" but can not find right words to describe any better hope is understood.
ReplyDelete