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Are we at war?

Peter

Consider the way, as a people group, society treats autistic people. Think about some of the stories you've heard on this website over the years. What does society subject us to?

  • Our children taken away by the government.
  • As children locked in prisons called schools that fail both to educate and protect us.
  • As adults denied the chance to participate in important parts of public life such as military service.
  • The right to marry or decide whats best for their own bodies striped from so many.
  • Pushed out of the workplace not for a lack of skill but for not speaking the same unspoken language as the rest of society.
  • Criminalised or excluded because the way we talk and act alarms those around us who are afraid of anything different or weird.
  • Institutionalised with minimal recourse to the law.

If this was happening to a race, an ethnicity, a skin colour, there would be riots. Blood would flow just as it did last year when floyd was killed. Whether you espouse the pacifism of MLK or the 'self defence' of Malcom X the question remains why are we as a group so dossal? Is it because there is no common tongue, no common culture to unite us in our feelings of persecution? To remind us that they are not just persecuting me, myself and I but us collectively as a group? Is that why we do not reach out to each other and unite in activism? Or are we the the infantilised beings they claim us to be, unable to speak for ourselves?

Doing things together in unison perhaps does not come easily to us but isn't it time we rose up together with one voice to say 'this has to end?'

Parents

  • I read both your interesting post and the lovely Plastic's reply and I believe the truth is in the middle. Like Plastic I came from humble beginnings and I am increasingly recognising how I've capitalised on my strengths to succeed against the odds. But some aren't so lucky and I'm vulnerable at this point In my life. The support is lacking to find individual strengths, avoid the pitfalls and find alternative paths to the same life goodies the rest of society enjoys. To the points above:

    • Children should only ever be taken away from an autistic parent for the same reason they are from other parents: deliberate neglect or abuse. If there are other detriments the right support ought to keep the family together
    • We all need to go to school, but we need to get the right schooling for us. I certainly wish my games teachers had known and given me something more appropriate to do than try and play rounders - because I can't and don't want to be screamed at for failing
    • Adults need to be helped to identify the career that suits their strengths and go for that and the benefit services need to understand that job seekers with autism might only be able to hold the right job down. They need to work WITH them to do that. But all of our strengths are different. No one should be denied a job just because they are autistic, what one can't do, another may find they can.
    • Everyone has a right to marry and control their body. It would be an outrage to deny anyone that.
    • If your role isn't public facing, maybe it's the work place and other people's attitude that needs to change. We're employed to get the job done, not discuss footie by the water cooler, after all.
    • Criminal behaviour is criminal behaviour and a danger to society, but are we doing enough to identify people who may have ASC in the system, help them understand it and prevent future occurrences? Are we doing enough with personnel of the criminal justice system to help them recognise odd behaviours which are harmless but might be mistaken for criminal?
    • Yes, absolutely, no society is civilised unless EVERY individual has the right and means to challenge decisions made about them under the law.

    We can't BE the same as others, but we can be allowed an alternative means to achieve our potential, be provided support when needed, celebrate our gifts and promote understanding.

  • in reply to Dawn

    I think the outcomes are soooooo dependant of being recognised early and getting the correct support - from people who actually understand autism - not just well-meaning workers having completed a 2-hr course.

    The problem is the ones who slip through the net - like a lot of us on here - figuring it out in middle age. Smiley

  • in reply to Plastic

    Sadly, yeah! 

    It's finding the right support now that is key.

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