I want a renaissance to shine a light
Be the change we want to set things right
We've been waiting in the dark for so long
Hi everyone, I'm Amythest
And let's talk about Autism Acceptance Month.
Well, here we are again.
April is almost upon us.
And as many in the autism community know
April is when Autism Speaks comes out with a vengeance
with their autism awareness campaigns
the Light it Up Blue campaign, in which people purchase blue lightbulbs
and worldwide monuments are lit up blue
and of course this is supposed to raise awareness for autism
and then to raise funds from that awareness.
April means those sad and negative and really pessimistic campaigns about autism
those terrible commercials, Light It Up Blue, all of the Autism Speaks rhetoric
cure culture going on.
All this focus on the suffering of allistic parents of autistic people
all this focus on "we need to find a cure"
and comparing autism to a disease, an epidemic.
It is all very negative and frankly it gives me a headache too.
What is an autistic and our allies to do?
But something I love about the autism community
Autistic people and our family members and our loved ones and our allies
is that we can take this really negative Autism Speaks brand of awareness
and turn it around
I'll put a bunch of links in the video description.
So if you want to read up on the history of Autism Acceptance Month, please do.
But basically the idea of Autism Acceptance Month
is to combat and also to complete Autism Awareness Month.
Because awareness, in theory, is great.
People should be aware that Autistic people exist.
The problem is when awareness happens without acceptance
to balance it out or without real education.
And sadly, in the case of organizations like Autism Speaks,
and other non-autistic or parent-led organizations
their awareness is often misinformation.
So while I think most people who light it up blue
or who wear autism awareness shirts
or who support Autism Speaks
are coming from a place of love
and a place of wanting a better world and a better future for their children,
it's really going about it the wrong way.
Because what this awareness has done is made people aware of autism, all right
aware of how they should be scared of it
aware of how having an autistic child will destroy marriages
and tear families apart
and people are certainly aware of what
non-autistic people think about Autistic people.
That we're sick, we're kidnapped, we're missing, we're broken.
That we're suffocating under this layer of autism that parents
somehow have to fight and combat
and all that's really negative
and all that's untrue
And this is what's happening
is that this awareness
without real education
and without any love or acceptance
is actually contributing to the stigma and fear of Autistic people
This culture of cure, this negativity, this Autism Speaks rhetoric
actually hurts the autistic community
and instead of generating what should be
acceptance and awareness
you get awareness and fear
or awareness and anxiety
and when absolutely everything you hear in the media and on the news
and from Autism Speaks
is about how tragic autism is
and how autism devastates families
and how autistic people will never lead fulfilling lives
and that we can't love
and that we're absent and we'll never connect with people in a meaningful way
that actually contributes to the abuse against autistic people
it contributes to and kind of justifies
the mistreatment of autistic people
and it really does justify
these really awful, not scientifically-sanctioned
therapies and treatments that people use to try to "cure" autism
because the message that comes out during Autism Awareness Month
is really that autism is worse than death
that having an autistic child is one of the worst things that can happen to you
and that's why we need to find a cure.
Autism Acceptance Month combats that
by giving a much more balanced
and much more holistic picture of autism
and what it is.
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is involved in Autism Acceptance Month.
And their goal is to spread real education
what autism really is
and what people with autism spectrum disorders are like
and what it is that our goals are.
For example most parents I know
want their children to be able to get an education.
They want equal education opportunities for their children.
Awareness? Not gonna bring us there.
In fact, awareness, in and on its own
with that fear and that misinformation that's getting spread
might actually hinder autistic people's attempts to integrate into society
and to be accepted
because there's the awareness
without the acceptance.
Autism Acceptance Month is also a great time to actually highlight Autistic people
rather than non-autistic people talking about us without us.
So in April, for Autism Acceptance Month
lots of our allies and our parents and other autistic people
more and more every year
are taking to social media
like Facebook and Twitter and their blogs
and they're pointing people in the direction of actual Autistic people.
Who are speaking about their experiences
and organizations led by autistic people
like the Autistic Self Advocacy Network
and the Autism Women's Network
and in doing this, in amplifying the voices of actual autistic people
and giving them a platform to share their experiences
you're spreading not just awareness that autism exists
but you're enabling people to see autism from an autistic person's point of view
to understand us and to realize that
we are full, whole people
that we possess full personhood
that we deserve the same rights
and opportunities as everyone else
that we have feelings and we have thoughts and we have motivations
that non-speaking autistics,
while they might not be able to communicate with their mouth parts
they are communicating via AAC
there are non-speaking autistics
who have blogs on the internet
There are non-speaking autistic advocates
who are campaigning for a better
more inclusive, more accepting society for autistic people.
You can give people an opportunity to get to know Autistic people.
Because the way it is now,
it's a lot of non-autistic people
talking about us without us
thinking that they need to speak for us
and that's really not the case
autistic people, whether they can talk with their mouth parts or not
need to have the opportunity to speak for themselves
and they should
so Autism Acceptance Month is a great opportunity to highlight
actual autistic people
to spread our writings
to share our voices
and to let people get to know us
So you want to support Autistic people
and you want to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month?
What can you do?
Well, you can go to the Autism Acceptance Month website
which gives lots of resources on what autism is,
why acceptance, ideas for activities or events you can put on
during Autism Acceptance Month
You can use the opportunity of April and Autism Acceptance Month
to share the voices and writings and views
of actual Autistic people.
You can find out if there's an ASAN chapter in your area
because they might be hosting an event or doing something fun
for Autism Acceptance Month
and you can donate to your local autism organization
not Autism Speaks
keep the money local and help actual autistic people
and families of autistic people in your area
or you can donate to Autistic-led organizations.
I'll link to a few below but some include
the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Autism Women's Network
and there's a cool research group
which partners with autistic adults
and does actually really good research
that benefits the Autistic community
that's called AASPIRE.
So these are just some ideas for how you can celebrate
Autism Acceptance Month
and support autistic people
to fight this negativity, this fear, this hate
and to promote acceptance and inclusion
and real understanding
'cause when it comes down to it
Isn't that what we all want?
for our autistic children
or our autistic friends
or our autistic loved ones
or ourselves?
To be accepted, to have the same opportunities for happiness
as everyone else?
That's what I want.
I'll be celebrating Autism Acceptance Month
this April, and for every April to come.
And I hope that you will join me.
Happy Autism Acceptance Month, everyone!
I want a renaissance to shine a light
Be the change we want to set things right
We've been waiting in the dark for so long
Subtitles by the Amara.org community