Today is Autism Day and April is the month for Autism awareness. However, everyday should be about spreading Autism Awareness. Last month some scientists as well as researchers from America and Europe talked about curing Autism. They are researching genetic therapies to treat and cure Autism. Some organizations like Autism Speaks have donated to this research. We in the Autistic Community do not need a cure we need acceptance.
Why no cure
While some are advocates for a cure majority of us in the Autism Community are against a cure. We see ourselves as a group of people, we see ourselves as a minority, and we see ourselves as wanting to contribute to society. Having a cure could lead to our community being wiped out. If a cure was ever discovered it could lead to countries forcing us to be cured. It could also lead to wiping out the Autism Community. Basically it could lead countries eradicating our community. We also feel like it is dehumanizing us saying we need to be cured so we can be more human and be part of society. In some countries people with conditions are dehumanized. In India people with chronic illnesses are often ran out of communities until they are cured. In other countries those that are chronically ill unless cured or sometimes executed. A few European Countries allow parents on the Autistic spectrum and other chronic health conditions to be euthanized if they cannot be cured. I share my concern with others that may happen to the Autism Community if a cure is discovered.
Why Acceptance is needed not a cure
We do not want a cure as I have stated. We want to be accepted into society as we are. We want society to see us as not people needing to be cured but as human beings. Despite more people knowing about Autism and knowing that they are several types we are often rejected in society. I was preparing a presentation that I will be presenting at an Autism conference and found some alarming statistics. According to studies done in 2012/2013 people with Autism are often the most discriminated against. Young adults with Autism 18-25 years of age have a 33% unemployment rate. After a person turns 25 the unemployment rate jumps to 50%. What I also found more alarming was that 60-70% of people on the spectrum had been fired form a job. Although more Autistic adults are going to college the percentage is fairly low. Only about 35% of people on the spectrum will attend college.
Schools are often hostile toward us with Autism. Most schools have what they call dungeon rooms. This is were they take an Autistic student and put him in these rooms until the child calms down. Often times these dungeon rooms are small, tight, and do not have the best lighting. Is that really helping the student? No it is making the student feel like they are not human and that they are a monster. Restraining is also sometimes done by the school this often leads to injury to the Autistic student. In addition many who are on the spectrum are not getting their accommodations they need due to common core. I have a friend, whose son is Autistic and is in the public school system. My friend told me that she asked why her son was not getting the accommodations he needed and was supposed to have. The school according to her responded that due to common core everybody goes at the same pace. My friend went on to tell me that the school stated that when they give standardized testing everybody has to be the same and that is why they cannot provide accommodations. If this is true and I have heard this from other parents of Autistic students that attend the public school then this may explain why so many Autistic Students do not go to college. Again though it shows how even in schools acceptance is needed.
This shows that a cure is not needed but acceptance is needed. We need society to accept us not try to change us. We are human beings it is time to stop treating us like we are subhumans. We need to be seen as a part of society. We that are Autistic can do great things and be productive members of society if we have the right conditions. Schools need to do away with the dungeon rooms, do away with restraining, do away with common core, and accept us. Employers also need to understand we are not monsters but we want to be productive. As I stated countries and organizations that want to cure us is basically saying we are not good enough as we are so we need to be fixed.
Why the backlash against the Autistic Community
I really blame Autism Speaks and the media for creating a backlash against those of us on the spectrum. A few years ago Autism Speaks ran a commercial that was kind of creepy. This commercial appeared on TV and radio stations. The narrator states how Autism can effect anyone and what it can do to your child. At the end the commercial says I’m the monster known as Autism. This commercial angered those of us in the community because we took it that Autism Speaks was saying Autism makes us a monster. It lead to backlash against Autistics. I know when this commercial came out I was even called a Monster.
In 2013 due to violent rampages that were done by young adults, who had mental problems, some in the media quickly brought up that they had been diagnosed as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder. What the media did not say was that these young adults also had psychopathic disorders that made them violent. Just about every major media network called those of us on the spectrum monsters waiting to snap and said we were prone to commit violent rampages. Even radio show hosts commented and also said some very bad things about our population. Michael Moore stated “These rampages really show how our mental health system is broken. Those that are on the spectrum or suffering from any other mental condition need to be permanently locked up and away from society”. Another radio host Rush Limbaugh said this “We need to lock up those on the spectrum so they do not commit violent acts. If the government would lock up those that have Autism or any other disorder we would not see these rampages”
Autism Speaks, the media, Michael Moore, Rush Limbaugh and others created fear and hate toward the Autistic Community. We are not monsters what the media and radio host failed to mention that while the adults who did the violent rampages may have been diagnosed with Autism. It was also discovered that they had psychopathic disorders as well. We are not a violent bunch despite what the media says. Despite the facts that others posted the media never apologized for it.
What ended up happening was people started demanding a cure for Autism to fix us. The media has really created fear among the general population toward us. As I have stated we are often discriminated against because we are not seen as normal. I was on a forum the other day and one parent posted she hoped there would be a cure for Autism so her child would be a normal human being. Many people replied that acceptance was needed.
We do not need a cure but acceptance
Cam
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