Autistic Culture Movement / Neurodiversity

[The Lizard Queen]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_rights_movement


A lot of you know about this group. Many of you have mentioned it in your posts, given the content on this forum. However, despite my best efforts I was unable to find a dedicated thread for it, when it so clearly needs one... So here goes...

The Autistic Culture Movement, or Autism Rights Movement --
At first glance you might look at something called the Autism Rights Movement and think, "Oh good. I want autistic people to have rights." However, this movement has nothing to do with the rights of the disabled, and more to do with a misguided notion that autistics don't have a problem in the first place.

As part of a campaign of "neurodiversity," these groups want to eliminate the notion that Autism is a disorder or a disability. They also want everyone to know that there's no reason to treat it or cure it. Heck, to them, the idea that Autism can be treated or cured is offensive.

The more extreme branches of the movement want Autistics to have their very own minority group, and require companies and schools to have mandatory Neurodiversity in the same way we currently are forced to have racial diversity.

One of the more curious aspects of the movement is their hatred for autistic oriented charity groups, especially the group "Autism Speaks," which is an autism advocacy organization that both seeks to help families with autistic children, and pours millions into research so that there might eventually be effective treatments or a cure. The movement compares the search for effective autism treatments to eugenics and genocide.
It's similar in many respects to other disability culture movements like blind and deaf culture groups, that actively campaign against cures for blindness and deafness, going so far as to deny treatments for their children who could be cured.

Strangely, the members of the Autistic Culture Movement don't seem to care much for the opinions of the caregivers, parents, and teachers who deal with autistics on a daily basis, and they never bother to mention that autism is a spectrum disorder, with some of the afflicted only slightly impaired, and others... well...

Spoiler: What happens when you let people who are clearly disabled make their own choices

Spoiler: A Cracked article written by members in the movement.

http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1516-6-strange-truths-about-life-with-autism.html
A highlight:
Chris:"According to their own internal audit, the organization only uses four percent or so of its money to actually help people who have autism live better lives, and over 30 percent of it researching the causes of autism so they can 'cure' it. This includes researching what causes autism in the womb. Meaning they are researching eugenics so that we can stop existing."

Spoiler: One of their main websites

http://www.brainhe.com/

Spoiler: An anti Autism Speaks page... written by an autistic.

http://web.archive.org/web/20071018031010/http://gettingthetruthout.org/pagea002.html

And here's a response to just about every argument the ACM has...

Spoiler: A rebuttal

 

[Stress Sigh]

Even if they are going about it in an autistic way I can understand why they may not want to be cured. It's a disease that affects the personality and brain a lot so it could be seen as trying to change who they are. Though this is assume that once a cure is found it would be forced on them which I doubt.

Plus AS is a little shady with their donations and it's a little unsettle for a charity called autism speaks they really don't have anyone on the spectrum speaking for them. I'm just saying these people are fools but a broken clock is right twice a day.

This is me showing my power level a bit but as someone with autism I struggle with the thought of curing myself like how much would it change me. Would I be the same person? Will my girlfriend miss some of my small quirks. Other times I really want to know what it's like to be normal. To know what other people are feeling and have a chance at understanding other people's points of view easier. Also it's a struggle debating if I want kids or not knowing they could have my disorder and it makes me cry sometimes when I'm discussing our future with my significant other when I bring up I rather adopt sometimes knowing how miserable having this makes me sometimes. Other times I want my children to be like me a little so they won't be put off my their freakish autistic dad.

And a final note its shitty how Autism Speaks goes about with their message no sane person wants to be autistic but they never separate the disease from the person like look at the video below all they seem to care about are the other people and not the person who has the illness. Like yes it will cause some family issues but that's all that matters not the young child banging his head struggling to function. Also they should spend some funds on helping living autistic people because us here are well aware there are some people that could use some charity be it in coping classes or other services. We should strive for a cure but lets not forget the people who are suffering right now. Like I'm lucky I can talk and function enough to have a normal life and I want to know others who weren't so lucky can get help instead of being seen as broken pieces to be picked up later if a cure is found.

 

[Yaks]

To be fair to them, Autism Speaks are kind of giant assholes and has someone on their board who is part of the anti-vaccine movement. (Check out this video they made, which has since been taken down from their original post in vimeo and a couple other places. The first part is the worst bit, honestly.)

Otherwise I don't understand why you wouldn't want your child to be able to function and live happy, disability free lives. Sure a lot on the spectrum can function in society, but what about the ones who can't talk or fend for themselves at all? I've heard a few of them on the tumblrs discuss being the future of the human race and being superior in da mind.

 

[Gensdupays]

Being autistic isn't something to be proud of. It's not a curse, but it's something that you do have to live with and it will affect you every single day. It absolutely is something that should be cured and it is not an asset.

Too many people watching Rain Man, I think.

 

[Abethedemon]

I'm okay with this movement. Autism is a spectrum, and some people are more capable of taking care of themselves.
Edit: this also means that some people need more help and medical methods shouldn't be ignored. In addition, I don't want autism to be cured, it has it's ups and downs.

 

[Coldgrip]

Autistics shouldn't have rights.

 

[WireSponge]

I'm an autistic, and I would like it if I didn't have autism. I don't think I want to support this movement.

 

[AnOminous]

One of the more curious aspects of the movement is their hatred for autistic oriented charity groups, especially the group "Autism Speaks," which is an autism advocacy organization that both seeks to help families with autistic children, and pours millions into research so that there might eventually be effective treatments or a cure. AS joined forces in 2007 with "Cure Autism Now" another research organization with similar goals.

Autism Speaks spent years promoting the completely fraudulent antivax movement, including pseudoscientific claims that vaccines cause autism.

It continued doing so until literally just a few months ago, only doing so after a measles outbreak caused by fools following this nonsense.

There are a number of other things wrong with it, but that utterly unforgivable stupidity renders it an organization that should never be trusted by anyone, ever, about anything.

 

[AnimuGinger]

This thread isn't totally going to blow up and become a giant shitshow.

edit: Can we also not totally powerlevel this one, given how close our community is to this kind of stuff?

 

[The Lizard Queen]

Autism Speaks spent years promoting the completely fraudulent antivax movement, including pseudoscientific claims that vaccines cause autism.

It continued doing so until literally just a few months ago, only doing so after a measles outbreak caused by fools following this nonsense.

There are a number of other things wrong with it, but that utterly unforgivable stupidity renders it an organization that should never be trusted by anyone, ever, about anything.

The inclusion of Autism Speaks in this post has less to do with the integrity of the charity itself, and more to do with the Autistic Culture Movement hating it because it wants to cure them.
The movement is not attacking AS because of its anti-vax status, but because they think AS wants to stop them from existing... which is true, but it's not exactly a bad thing.
Autism is not a superpower. It's clearly a disorder, and affects the quality of life of those who suffer from it. It's not a condition to strive for, unless you're on Tumblr.
Personally, I've yet to have a single expectant parent tell me, "Gosh golly gee, I sure hope my little tyke doesn't learn how to speak until age 12, stacks cans obsessively, and develops an unhealthy fixation with Sonic the Hedgehog!"

There are plenty of charities trying to cure all sorts of disorders, ranging from depression to schizophrenia, but I doubt there's a bunch of depressed people marching around and protesting against Alliance Of Hope saying it's their right to be depressed and kill themselves if they want to.
Then again, with Tumblr around...

 

[AnOminous]

The inclusion of Autism Speaks in this post has less to do with the integrity of the movement itself, and more to do with the Autistic Culture Movement hating it because it wants to cure them.

They have a whole laundry list of reasons for hating them, and many of them are actually valid. It's sort of like if you don't like Charles Manson because he's a murderer, but also because you don't like his hair. The latter one may be a questionable reason, but Charles Manson still a shit.

 

[LordDarkrai]

I can definitely agree with Autism Speaks being a problem due to them not being trustworthy at all. The whole getting rid of the idea that autism being a disability is something I can't agree with. I know for a fact that its not the most pleasant thing to deal with every single day. Even myself, there's times I'm not really proud about it at all. Honestly, I think people should be more concerned on making sure parents actually raise their kids with enough services and treatment available(I'm still on the fence about a cure to be honest), then just pretending that autism has no problems at all.

Yeah, I don't think I be supporting this.

 

[Connor Bible]

Really, guys? We're really going after autistics as a whole? Individuals on the spectrum are people as well. Just because some wires in the brain are fucked up doesn't make them any less of a sentient, breathing human being. To be honest, I actually forget I have a spectrum disorder ninety-nine percent of the time. It doesn't define me. Any one who thinks otherwise can go fuck themselves.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

Really, guys? We're really going after autistics as a whole? Individuals on the spectrum are people as well. Just because some wires in the brain are fucked up doesn't make them any less of a sentient, breathing human being. To be honest, I actually forget I have a spectrum disorder ninety-nine percent of the time. It doesn't define me. Any one who thinks otherwise can go fuck themselves.

*Sigh*

Connor......

Con......

Just.......

.....Fucking Connor.....

 

[SP 199]

Really, guys? We're really going after autistics as a whole?

Yep because we're child eating monsters.

Hail to Aryan race

 

[Connor Bible]

What are you, the denizens of Kiwi Farms, going to do about autism? Answer me that.

 

[Rin]

What are you, the denizens of Kiwi Farms, going to do about autism? Answer me that.

Point and laugh, probably.

 

[Philosophy Zombie]

I'm not sure if we should go so far as to say that this movement is a lolcow per se. While I don't necessarily agree with everything the movement is claiming, it is a two-sided issue and there are people I respect like Temple Grandin who support this concept so I really don't know.

Ideally if some miracle cure were to be found, then the choice would be left to people with autism whether they would like to receive it. However, it's more plausible that solutions will be in the form of prevention or prenatal tests. That's where the concerns about "eugenics" are coming in.

 

[Frank Rizzo]

What are you, the denizens of Kiwi Farms, going to do about autism? Answer me that.

We could always prevent forest fires....

 

[Lola]

Really, guys? We're really going after autistics as a whole? Individuals on the spectrum are people as well. Just because some wires in the brain are fucked up doesn't make them any less of a sentient, breathing human being. To be honest, I actually forget I have a spectrum disorder ninety-nine percent of the time. It doesn't define me. Any one who thinks otherwise can go fuck themselves.

I'm new. Can I rate this autistic AND dumb?