Other Autistic People Taught Me What Autism Means (Video)

Oh look a video.

Transcript, though captioned (fairly) accurately:

Rough transcript, captions should be listed at some point on the video.  I wrote in my own and it’s setting the timings?

This is an address to parents and people who care for and assist autistic people.

I have been feeling *more* autistic lately, if that makes sense – just using echoes more, realizing scripts more, thinking about things I do. I mean, I flapped at a cat for five minutes the other day.

To other Autistic people…

I stim more, I am more open… and I that’s because I follow so many people on Tumblr and talk on Facebook a lot with people.

Being around other Autistic people is important.

Being around other Autistic people lets you know you can do things with them and also on your own, when situations permit. It gives you almost an internal permission to let go. When I started the k-pagination blog, I was like “Will only write activism posts and reblog activism posts. Serious stuff.” And now it’s just… I need the joy of being Autistic. I will write posts that might seem a bit silly. I will start tagging with the echoes I always had in my head and never used.

Being around other Autistic people is important.

If you’re a parent or caregiver, reading this, let your autistic kids and adults (if you have legal guardianship or something), be around other Autistic people. Don’t isolate them from neurodivergence. That in of itself can be as harmful as a physical seclusion room.

This is not my usual, long and flowing eloquent and bit detached activism. This is an autistic person asking for people to respect lived experiences. I was like your child.

I climbed trees, I ran around shrieking and screaming all the time, and even if I did now, it wouldn’t make me less than. I did a lot of things in those alarmist documentaries. I am worthy of dignity and autonomy. So are your kids and relatives, whether nonspeaking or speaking or need aides and what level of supports they need.

And other Autistic people are the ones who taught me self advocacy and activism. It was just a label before I met Autistic people I talk to and call friends and acquaintances and respect. Though psychiatrists and psychologists can be useful, other Autistic people taught me what autism means, not them.

And to Autistic people watching this, you have the right to be around other Autistic people and talk and share your experiences, and have validation.

Response to Tumblr Ask on 9-12-14

http://k-pagination.tumblr.com/post/102451828204/do-you-oppose-research-for-cure-for-autism-or-do

Nov 12 2014

Do you oppose research for cure for autism? Or do you prefer to see kids being dysfunctional and unable to communicate?

— Asked by Anonymous

What is, exactly, your idea of functional? “Functioning” is a very, very arbitrary word that has been used to dehumanize us (and other disabled people) since its creation. Is this a quality of life judgment, where you’re going to tell us how much we suffer and that our lives must not be worth living if we’re Autistic, so cure us?

What is, exactly, your idea of communication? Because verbal speech is too emphasized in this society. It’s not the only way. Behavior is communication. I know people who have entire conversations without talking or typing.

Do you support the idea of curing children who haven’t had a chance to even figure out what their neurology even is, who may not have had a chance to escape the toxicity of the world around them that tells them their neurology is wrong to the point where they don’t know how to think otherwise?

Do you oppose the voices of Autistic people (those of us who talk with spoken words, those of us who don’t, the ones you say who wouldn’t be able to communicate, but are communicating right in front of you, via typing, text to speech, AAC, and behavior)?

Your ask is incredibly dehumanizing. Real question: Do you oppose us being humanized?

(Short answer: Yes, I oppose cure research.)