Monday, December 7, 2009

Autism Advocates Wanted


Wanted 
Autism self-advocates who normally spend their days attacking parents for helping their children who suffer from autism.

Job Description
As an autism advocate, you will have the opportunity to lead the fight against the prejudices that stop people with autism from reaching their full potential.  You will have a challenging time dealing with attitudes like this "question" posted at experience project -
What is less fake, autism or ADHD?
First world 'illnesses' for a lazy, good for nothing generation.
The world is full of people who believe that autism is nothing more than laziness or bad parenting.  The person who posted this question, thelone82, is apparently a teacher of some sort who would presumably have a hand is shaping the attitudes of future generations.

As a autism advocate, it is your responsibility to help educate people like this that autism is a real disorder - one that can make life challenging for all of those who are affected.  Whether you believe that autism is a disorder or  just a difference, it is important to help people understand the challenges faced by people with autism.

Benefits
You will make the world a better place for all people who suffer from autism.

To Apply
Click on the link and go to the experience project to submit your own answer to this absurd question.

6 comments:

  1. MJ: The problem with this is that autism self-advocates who preach the neurodiversity line really believe what the poster who you provided the link to says. I have been told by certain members of the ND movement that my impairments are not due to a neurologic condition but the fact that my mother taught me to hate myself and that I had a horrible domineering mother.

    I actually lived through the Bettelheim era (as did my parents) as a developmentally disabled child growing up in the 1960s, so my family and I already experienced this first hand.

    Neurodiversity autism self-advocates are the 21st century Bettelheims so you asking them to do this is pointless.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jonathan, you are probably right, but we can always hope.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I read the question and I believe this person is probably not educated enough to not ask such a question. It's too bad he probably only plays on the internet or never reads anything. I hate to be judgemental like that but my son has Asperger's and I have yet to find anyone who really knows what it is unless they are a doctor, psychologist or teacher. So anyone not in those fields not knowing is almost expected.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unfortunately I think the attitude that expressed by this thelone82 person is all too common, even in supposedly educated people. Not to single teachers out, but I have met some who dealt with young children who expressed a similar view - that autism is over diagnosed and an excuse for bad parenting.

    Fortunately, we have been lucky and all of the educators who have worked with our children have understand what the deal is.

    I think this is one area where there needs to be a greater awareness of what is involved with autism. It is important that people understand what it means when a child has a form of autism. I don't mean the "life is a nightmare" or the "autism is a gift" extremes but a more balanced perspective that helps people understand the good and the bad.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Clay, if you care to leave a comment about something I have written, you may do so.

    What you may not do is leave rude comments about other commentors or make personal attacks against them.

    ReplyDelete