fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2659 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2659 ⌋

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The thing about autism is that it's such a huge spectrum. There are some people with it who are high-functioning and others who bang their heads on the floor to self-stimulate and cannot take care of themselves. People who are against Autism speaks talk about how they don't like how the group is against eradicating or "curing" autism. They are in the high-functioning group. But why wouldn't you want to cure those who are in the low functioning group?

I actually saw someone say that Autism Speaks' goal of one day eradicating autism means they want to kill all autistic people. Uh...I could be wrong, but somehow I really, really doubt that's what they have in mind.

...and of course I'm not the anon you replied to, because they weren't anon. Sheesh. *Facepalms*

Maybe those people don't want to be "cured"? It's not a fucking disease.

It's a disorder that hinders social interaction.

I don't see what benefits not improving upon lack of social skills could provide.

but anon! then they wouldn't be a special snowflake anymore, they'd be just like everyone else! don't you understand, they're better than all of those neurotypicals because see the world in ways that normal people can't possibly comprehend. the neurotypicals just want to cure them because they're jealous.

yes, this is legit shit i have seen people say.

Technically, it is.

1. a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.

In this case, the incorrectly functioning organ is your brain. The parts that should be lighting up in an MRI scan don't do so in a way the average brain would.

...but what about the ones that do?

No, it's not a disease. But do you really think the individuals who are so profoundly autistic that they cannot even take care of themselves are leading happy lives? REALLY?

I'm all for empowering those with disabilities (including myself), but those who scream they don't want any help for themselves aren't thinking about those who cannot function. At all.

Those are the ones who need help, and I think it's cruel to try and keep someone in a sub-standard of living due to ignorance of those on the higher functioning end of the spectrum.

More importantly, why wouldn't you want to cure anyone who WANTED to be cured? I really, really hate the attitude some people have towards disabilities and how they're not really disabilities, they're something that make you ~special~ and ~unique.~

Fuck that. My disability does not make me either one of those things, it's a pain in the ass and it affects large portions of my life and if I could fix it I would do so in half a second. It's not a gift, it's something that's physically fucking wrong with me and I want to punch everyone who buys into the whole "differently abled" bullshit. I'm not a mutant. I don't have awesome special powers, I just have a health problem that leaves me with constant pain and fatigue. There is nothing positive about it whatsoever.

Autism Speaks is terrible, regardless.

No one, regardless of symptoms, benefits from 'awareness' campaigns that increase stigma. No one benefits from AS's repeated refusals to speak up for autistic people and their families who face discrimination in schools and elsewhere. No one benefits from their sponsorship of the Judge Rotenberg Center, which punishes minor offenses with electric shocks and is being investigated for torture.

And honestly, no one is really benefitting from the degree to which they're focused on 'cure' (which judging on the direction research is going will probably look more like prenatal testing/prevention anyway). They talk a lot about lack of services, but only 3-4% of their budget goes to service provision. There are educational interventions and therapies and assistive technologies that already exist and that are research-proven to help- if they would just reallocate some of their funds from that area and from meaningless light-buildings-up-blue publicity stunts they could be helping so many people right now, but they seem content for that to be the responsibility of the small, local disability orgs.

Original anon- Now I think these are legitimate issues. Unfortunately, I haven't seen much criticism of these things because instead some people are just saying "Well, I'm autistic (high-functioning) and I don't need/want help!" which is ignoring people on the lower end of the spectrum.

Huh, and that's the majority of the criticism I've encountered.

I see it primarily from autistic advocates and parent advocates who are opposed to cure, sure, but most of them use (or need/want) help for themselves or their children, and they've typically been very intent on advocating in favor of services and treatments for people with all ranges of abilities. I've come across one or two people like you describe, but they're usually a lot younger than the other type and not that actively invested in their criticism.

Different circles, I suppose.

[ SECRET POST #2659 ]

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

NAYRT

Re: NAYRT

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.

Re: Autism Activism? I think I'm missing something, here.