Reply to Autism Speaks and GRASP Articles of Understanding

Summary

A nonspeaking autistic woman critiques the portrayal of autism by organizations like Autism Speaks and their focus on functioning labels. She challenges misconceptions about 'low-functioning' autistics, emphasizing the harmful implications of equating functional differences with fewer rights. The woman expresses frustration with narratives that promote pity, cure-focused approaches, and the dehumanization of autistic individuals. She stresses that autistic self-advocates, regardless of functioning labels, oppose these narratives and deserve to have their voices heard and respected in discussions about autism.

Takeaways

• 🙂 The speaker identifies as a nonspeaking autistic woman and critiques the use of functioning labels, highlighting their harmfulness.
• 😔 People often misjudge her based on her inability to speak, assuming there's nothing 'inside' her, which she finds dehumanizing.
• 😡 The speaker condemns the sentiment that autistic individuals, particularly children, are less worthy or incapable, as portrayed in certain media.
• 😠 The speaker strongly opposes parents publicly expressing thoughts of harming their autistic children, as discussed in a national video.
• 🤔 She believes autistic self-advocates are often ignored or misrepresented, especially those labeled as 'low-functioning.'
• 💡 The comparison between 'high-functioning' and 'low-functioning' autism is misleading and creates harmful stereotypes, in the speaker's view.
• 🚫 The speaker opposes the idea that only 'high-functioning' autistic individuals oppose attempts to 'cure' autism.
• 🤨 The speaker feels that both Autism Speaks and GRASP promote misunderstandings rather than genuine understanding of autistic experiences.
• 😤 She argues that the perspectives of non-verbal or more severely disabled autistic individuals were absent from this discussion.
• 💪 The speaker reaffirms her existence and the existence of others like her, emphasizing that their voices and viewpoints matter.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's message?

The speaker, a nonspeaking autistic woman, is addressing misunderstandings and harmful narratives promoted in articles about autism, specifically by Autism Speaks and similar organizations.

Why does the speaker disagree with functioning labels?

The speaker believes that functioning labels like 'high functioning' or 'low functioning' are misleading and harmful. They fail to represent the diversity of autistic experiences and equate abilities with the amount of rights one deserves.

What criticism does the speaker have toward the portrayal of autistic people in the media?

The speaker criticizes how autistic people, especially those labeled 'low functioning,' are often portrayed as incapable or needing a cure. The speaker also condemns the narrative of parents considering extreme measures, like killing their autistic children, as justified or understandable.

What does the speaker say about their own experience with functioning labels?

The speaker shares that they were labeled 'low functioning' in the past, despite being a nonspeaking autistic person, and that others often fail to see their capabilities simply because they do not communicate in conventional ways.

How does the speaker respond to the suggestion that only 'high functioning' autistics oppose a cure?

The speaker firmly rejects this idea, stating that it is not only 'high functioning' autistic people who oppose a cure, but many others like the speaker who do not want to be 'fixed' or 'cured.'

What is the speaker's view on the depiction of autism in the articles mentioned?

The speaker feels that the articles promote misunderstanding by continuing to separate autistic people into simplistic categories of high versus low functioning, and happy versus needing a cure, without acknowledging the complexity of their lives.

What does the speaker want organizations like Autism Speaks to understand about the autistic community?

The speaker wants Autism Speaks and similar organizations to understand that autistic people, regardless of their functioning labels, deserve equal rights and representation. They are advocating for a more accurate, inclusive understanding of autistic experiences.

Why does the speaker criticize the notion that autistic people are 'happy in their own world'?

The speaker believes that the idea of autistic people being 'happy in their own world' is a misrepresentation, as it oversimplifies their experiences and reduces them to passive, detached individuals who do not deserve the same consideration and rights as others.

What specific issues does the speaker feel were avoided in the articles?

The speaker feels that the articles avoided addressing substantial issues like the harmful effects of functioning labels, the misrepresentation of autistic people's rights, and the opposition to the idea that all autistic people need to be cured.

What message does the speaker want to convey to the world?

The speaker wants to tell the world that they and other nonspeaking autistic people exist, that they deserve recognition, and that they oppose the narratives that suggest they are less capable or in need of a cure.