#autism self advocacy

[autiebiographical]

Day 10 of Auctober!

There is a growing number of autistic self advocates online because we learned that if we don't advocate for ourselves no one will. Autistic people should be at the centre of autistic advocacy!

[canenotabeltofunction]

Some people will not like this.

Autistic people are the authority on how to support autistic people- not parents, not ABA therapists- autistic people

Acting like you know what is best for autistic people as a whole and speaking over autistic adults who try to help parents learn how they can support their kids is not advocating for your child.

Instead of supporting organizations like Autism Speaks try looking at places like the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (https://autisticadvocacy.org)

Autistic people regardless of their level of support needs deserve to be treated with respect and given the resources to communicate their needs themselves as best as possible. Sometimes that requires extra help from caregivers- it does not make you able to speak for the community

When autistic adults say something is more harmful than helpful it is not your place to tell us that we are wrong. :)

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Self Advocacy Scripts I Rely on as an Autistic Person…

Neurodivergent_lou

[inner-memoirs]

Self-diagnosis of autism is valid. Why is that?

The mental healthcare system, as well as the medical system in general, is still entrenched in misogyny, racism, and classism.

Women and gender minorities face difficulty and often aren't taken seriously whenever they seek care or voice health concerns. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with BPD, Bipolar disorder, depression, and/or anxiety before ever being considered for autism. Diagnoses like autism and ADHD are often seen as "boys' disorders".

People of color face similar difficulties, with many doctors still believing in racist medical myths and stereotypes.

As for classism, many low-income people and those in poor communities simply don't have the means to seek medical care or get tested for autism. Testing services may also be unavailable from a geographic standpoint, or practices may be grossly outdated (and biased), which leads to inaccurate results.

Getting late diagnosed is a whole other battle, as now you have to find a doctor willing to even look at you; most resources for Autistic people are aimed at children.

With all that being said, if someone looks into autism, does their research, weighs it against their lived experience and difficulties, and determines that they may well be Autistic... I believe them. And you should too.

"But what if they aren't REALLY Autistic? They're taking validity away from actual disabled people!"

For one, let's be honest: many of us disabled people aren't validated by society even if we do have a crisp piece of paper that says we've been medically diagnosed. Anyone who discredits one disabled person is willing to discredit the rest of us, too. I guarantee a lot of people look at me and see me as a "fake" Autistic person for XYZ reason, because I don't fit their image of what an Autistic person should be like.

For two, if someone finds community amongst Autistic people and gets information and resources that help them, what's wrong with that? Would you prefer that they go back to feeling lonely and miserable, just so you can feel vindicated and smug?

Let's keep in mind that if you're late diagnosed, you didn't go from "not being Autistic" to suddenly "being Autistic". You were always Autistic and always needed accommodations, now you just have a doctor that says so. Getting a late diagnosis, being misdiagnosed, or not getting any care at all comes with its own unique challenges and pain.

These people should not be shut out from the community just because their autism didn't fit a certain narrative, they were born with the "wrong" set of genitalia, or their parents were too poor (or uninformed) to get them screened.

[loud-sound]

disabled people: i don't wanna "use the disability card" to miss class today...

also disabled people: semi-conscious on the floor

[shaneyunfiltered]

I wish I knew this when I was a kid, not because I was duped into puritanical moral absolutism (I was actually a pretty rebellious little fucker, not much hax changed), but because I'm autistic, and I took honesty way too literally and would not only feel more guilt than I should have whenever I would lie, but I also got really confused when it came to lying for the sake of being polite.

Perhaps we need to do better about teaching moral grayness and critical thinking to neurodivergent kids (and all kids in general, of course) instead of poisoning their budding, impressionable minds with the same puritanical boomer bullshit our parents simultaneously follow religiously as well as hypocritically contradict with two-faced neurotypical nonsense.

"lying is wrong" what evangelical nonsense is this???

[disabled-planet]

Being anti-self diagnosis = being classist and perhaps other things as well. (Such as sexism and racism).

There I said it.

You cannot change my mind.

[ontheoutside-lookingin]

Clinical misdiagnosis is more common than self misdiagnosis. Just for the record, in case anyone is still skeptical of self diagnosis :) it’s not up for debate btw

[thecommunalfoolboy]

Say it with me now

DIAGNOSIS IS A PRIVILEGE

[snakeautistic]

I’m really bad at advocating for myself because I find my ability to communicate is extremely limited under stress. It’s frustrating because I will be struggling overstimulation or overwhelm that could be eased by simply going somewhere different, or asking a clarifying question, but while in this state I do not have the ability to communicate with people around me. Part of this is just the social effort of it all, but it also has to do with the shame I feel for asking for ‘special treatment’ or bothering people.

An example of this was recently when I was retaking my math test and the room was extremely noisy, making it hard to focus. Now, due to my accommodations I’m sure I would have been allowed to ask to be moved somewhere quieter, but at that time I wasn’t able to muster up the social energy communicate that. Another example is when I sometimes unfortunately break down in class, and begin to sob. I would feel a lot better if I went to the bathroom to cool down, but I am not in the state to communicate this and ask to leave , so I wait until an adult takes pity on me and tells me directly I should probably go cool off.

[bookquotesfrombooks]

“First the world says not to let autism ‘define you.’ Now, all of [a] sudden, when I need help, I have to prove to people that I am autistic.”

Kayla Smith

“I Wish I Wasn’t So Hard On Myself Back Then”

Published in Sincerly, Your Autistic Child

[neurospicyu]

Stimming is a natural and essential part of being neurodivergent. From rocking and hand flapping to fidgeting and vocal stims, these behaviors help with sensory regulation, emotional expression, and even creativity. Let’s break the stigma, celebrate stimming, and create spaces where everyone feels free to express themselves.

[pollen]

:0

[daughterofmalkavia]

[schar-aac]

"I am not a puzzle piece."

Image: the blue puzzle piece logo of the hate group Autism Speaks with a big red "X" in front of it, partially covering it.

[autville]

welcome autville, a community of autism acceptance! no need to mask your autism traits around these parts; we’re all autistic here! self-diagnosed and questioning folks are always welcome.

stay tuned and follow along for community bulletins and reports about general goings-on.

see ya around town!