Tag Archives: Autism

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Autism Self-Diagnosis is not Special Snowflake Syndrome

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Recently, 4chan-flavored trolls invaded the #autchat hashtag. For the uninitiated, Autchat is a bi-weekly discussion group for Autistic people. Past topics have included friendship, autistic representation in media and strategies for coping with executive dysfunction. The community is usually warm, welcoming and a great place to learn. Instead, participants were told to commit suicide or drink bleach to ‘cure’ autism. The source of their ire? An Autchat regular and middle-aged mother of two described herself as ‘informally diagnosed.’ Autism self-diagnosis is a topic that can evoke strong feelings in many people. It isn’t unusual for adults to self-diagnose. It also isn’t unusual to get a lot of push back or even violent threats for self-diagnosis. Why does self-diagnosis make people so angry? More importantly, why do people self-diagnose in the first place? The hostility directed at self-diagnosis is, fundamentally, based in ignorance of what factors lead to its existence: Healthcare … Continue Reading ››
Autism, Sesame Street

I See Amazing Potential in Sesame Street

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This week, Sesame Workshop launched a campaign, ‘See Amazing,’ to help educate their audience about autism. A new puppet, Julia, helps beloved characters Elmo and Abby Cadabby model how to interact positively with autistic children in a digital storybook. Parents and siblings of autistic children share their experiences and provide a glimpse into their lives. A new music video, The Amazing Song, stresses that people communicate differently and that’s OK. All children are amazing in their own way. The ‘See Amazing’ campaign is heartwarming and accepting. Full disclosure, I cried (in a good way) the first time I saw the video for The Amazing Song. Instead of asserting that alternative forms of communication and expression, like hand flapping, are wrong or pathological, they’re presented as simple difference. In videos that feature real people, autistic children communicate using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices … Continue Reading ››
Autism

What It’s Like to Be David

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This is an image of a person holding a sign. Their face and legs are out of the frame. The sign reads, "Nothing About Us Without Us."
This is your intrepid author.
Last weekend, I protested an Autism Speaks rally at the National Mall. A handful of us, mostly Autistic, stood and watched as thousands of people went to raise money for the biggest autism organization in the United States. Upbeat music blared from an enormous stage. Cheerful college students and families with young children packed the sidewalks, despite the dismal weather. Some people wore homemade t-shirts and hoodies with their autistic relatives’ smiling faces emblazoned across the front. These people are, for the most part, good people. They care about their families. They care about their communities. They love the autistic people in their lives and want to do … Continue Reading ››
Autism, communication

Screen Backlash is a Disability Issue

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A mother, a father and two children are looking at their cell phones and tablets while sitting together at the dinner table. It seems like hardly a week passes without some pearl-clutching thinkpiece bemoaning how social media is destroying meaningful human interaction. People are looking at their screens instead of making eye contact. We aren't using our mouths to talk to each other. Instead of telling each other how we feel in detail, we click the “like” button to express approval. We sit next to each other in cafes and don’t look up. This phenomenon has been described as the end of intimacy. However, it’s the exact opposite. As an Autistic person, I’ve never felt more understood or free. I’ve always felt more comfortable communicating in text. In high school, I had a lot of difficulty making friends. I was bullied. I’d happily expound … Continue Reading ››