Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Autism Acceptance

Technically April is the month of Autism Awareness, but there are problems with only striving for awareness.  Also, a recent post on Shakesville pointed out some problems with the Autism Awareness Community and how their events aren't always very accepting of people with Autism Spectrum Conditions.

I use the term Autism Spectrum Conditions over the other options for two reasons.  First, it is a spectrum that includes Asperger's, high or low functioning versions, and the exact definitions and classifications keep changing as doctors/psychologists learn more about the brain and Autism Spectrum.  Secondly, I use the term conditions because I also am neurologically atypical and I hate when my ADD or LDs are referred to as a disease or disability.  My brain, and the brains of people with Autism Spectrum do not always function in a "typical" manner.  This manifests itself in various conditions like disgraphia, sensitivity to loud noises, difficulty in reading facial expressions, shortened attention spans, inability to stand certain textures or sensations, hyperfocusing and various and myriad other ones.  But it does not automatically mean I or others who are neurologically atypical are sick or in need of a cure.  Certainly some people feel this way, but not all of us do, so I'm against anything being considered a disease or disability and therefore something bad and in need of curing when people with the actual condition disagree with the definition.

This is not to say that people with Autism Spectrum Conditions don't face difficulties in life that are unique to their situations.  However, many of these difficulties come not just from the conditions of being neurologically atypical, but how the priviledged majority in society treat people with Autism Spectrum.  For more on the priviledge of being Nueologically Typical in regards to Autism Spectrum see this list.

Originally this post was meant to be a book list, but it turns out I had more to write about Autism Acceptance than I thought.

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