Why Autism Acceptance Day rather than Autism Awareness? Well, Autism Acceptance Month is here to show positive aspects and accurate information on the Autism Spectrum, because the spectrum is not a disease, contrary to what some sources say. Autism Awareness, on the other hand, isn't actually BAD... in fact, people should be aware that it exists! However, the problem I have with Autism Awareness is that it treats the Autism Spectrum as more or so a disability rather than a condition, and that can be quite misleading.
Anyway, because April is the month of Autism Acceptance, I will be doing one post every week relating to the Autism Spectrum!
And before you ask... YES, I am on the spectrum (Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS for short) to be specific), and I will be talking more about my condition and experiences on the spectrum, but that's for another post.
Today, I will be focusing on the most well known (and my least favorite) Autism organization (the one that started "Autism Awareness Month"): Autism Speaks!
They may listen to each other, but will they ever listen to me?
Oh, where do I begin here? Probably with their general philosophy. This is what is on the actual website for the organization (unedited! Really, this was unedited) :
Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Their longtime friend Bernie Marcus donated $25 million to help financially launch the organization. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We are proud of what we've been able to accomplish and look forward to continued successes in the years ahead.
Now, there is a huge problem with their dedications: They are trying to prevent autism and cure people on the Autism Spectrum. What they fail to understand is that AUTISM IS NOT A DISEASE! As I mentioned before, it's a condition, and it's not one that has to (or can) be cured. Yes, some people do need therapy in order to improve their social or motor skills... but just because they have to do that doesn't mean that us on the Spectrum need to be "cured" of our flaws.... if there is no way to cure other mental conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, then what makes them think that Autism can be cured?
Now, let's talk about their board. Older sources may say that Autism Speaks has never had an Autistic person on their board, but now that's not true. The organization has two people (as of April 2016) that are on the spectrum, which is good, right?
Well, what if it took the organization 10 years or criticism of not actually including them on their board to do so? Because it took 10 YEARS for there to be at least some Autistic representation on the board.
I wish I was kidding. Oh, and the people that were accepted onto the board? They're PhD-wielding successful people that, from what I'm aware, are only mildly Autistic. I feel so spoken for now. Yaaaaayyy.
Oh, and don't get me started on their PSAs! I was unable to find my least-favorite one to rip apart (the bastards probably deleted it), but I did find a similar one:
And, before you ask: No, Tommy Hilfiger is not on the spectrum, but his kid is "affected" by it.
Now, I wouldn't have many problems with these kinds of PSAs if they had the theme of "Even if your kid/relative/etc. is on the spectrum, they can do great things!". In fact, I would love for there to be a PSA with that theme, because people on the spectrum can lead successful lives. And if you don't believe me, I'll name a few:
- Satoshi Tajiri: Creator of Pokemon. (Asperger's Syndrome)
- Dan Aykroyd: One of the writers of Ghostbusters (Asperger's Syndrome)
- Susan Boyle: Singer (Asperger's Syndrome... Yeah, most of the people I could find had Asperger's. I tried digging deeper but only got one result:)
-Haley Moss: Artist and advocate (High-functioning Autism)
(And no, I am not counting Tim Burton since he does not have a formal diagnosis).
Unfortunately, Autism Speaks went the wrong way and used famous people...why? Why use celebrities in the first place if they have nothing to do with your message? Because this video has a celebrity that has nothing to do with your message!
This one...is weak. So, kid has issues playing and speaking, but we actually don't see any of the issues he has and how he calms down (I guess the latter is by watching Teletubbies, but we'll never know).
Also, it assumes that all Autistic kids have issues with playing and speaking. That's not false, but the thing is is that different kids on the spectrum have different strengths and weaknesses in speaking, motor skills, etc.
And then, there's the notorious one: I am Autism. I would dig into this one, but I found a video on Youtube (while looking for the PSAs) that basically describes my opinion about it (done by guy with Asperger's!):
If you're unable to watch the videos for any reason, this is basically I am Autism: Ever seen one of those 1950s Homosexuality PSAs (back when it was considered a disease)? Take that and change out "Homosexual" for "Autistic".
Pretty fucked up if you ask me.
And, one more thing before I end this:
WHAT NEW STUDY? IF THE CDC STILL SAYS IT'S 1 IN 68, THEN IT'S PROBABLY STILL 1 IN 68! IF YOU ARE PRESENTING NEW INFORMATION, FUCKING ELABORATE!
Anyway... I am not fond of Autism Speaks. At all.
And now you know why.
If you really do want to support people on the spectrum today, ditch that blue shirt and opt for a red one instead.
The people in red are the ones supporting us with ASDs. :)
#LightitupRed
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