Some reflections on Autism Miseducation Month

(This was originally titled reflections on Autism Hysteria Month, but someone pointed out the origins of hysteria as a word and that's no good, so now we're on miseducation. -K)

Thank $DIETY it's over.

This month in the public sphere, we had atrocities like PBS's Autism Now (which ignored autistic adults entirely as not important; only parents matter). We had atrocities like the NHL's Face Off Against Autism. We had the ridiculous Light It Up Blue thing. Blue is totally going to make people more educated, right? Everything was against autism or for awareness.

Still people are settling for 'awareness'. But awareness is not an end unto itself, or shouldn't be. Big Autism is happy if people are 'aware' that their tragedified version autism exists-that brings donations for cure research. I hypothesize that Big Autism doesn't want people actually educated on autism, for then they may determine that supports, not cure, are what is needed and what is ethical to fund.

In my real life, awareness has done nothing but harm this year. STOP telling me I am broken. STOP telling me that I am an exception, I'm not. I am not special in the autistic world, not really. We are all unique and yet we all share so much.

In my real life, "awareness" is leading to a teacher trying to force me out of a class. I have a 4.0 GPA, am a former high level athlete, and he is afraid I cannot handle rock climbing, because of "awareness". The fight I am forced into because of "awareness" is not something I have the bandwidth for, yet here I am doing it. I will probably collapse from burnout before it is over, as I am running on fumes and stubbornness right now.

Awareness doesn't cut it in 2011. It won't cut it in 2012. Educate people or shut the hell up-awareness as your whole goal does not help us. It hurts us. And contrary to what you think, you are hurting really real people with the fallout from your scare tactics.

Why I am ritually burning my favorite shirt.

I have a shirt that I love. It fits me well. It says "Schrodinger's cat is dead" on the front, and I'm sure you can figure out what the back says.

I love this shirt probably more than any other article of clothing I've ever had (except maybe the Bambi dress I had from ages 7-9 or so). It looks good, it feels good, I get compliments when I wear it.

So why am I burning it?

Autism Speaks, that's why.

They have cornered the market on getting donations. It sucks. It's unethical, given their fund distribution structure. It's even more unethical, given that they are spreading the tragedy model of autism and the whole "autistic people who have an opinion on autism aren't really autistic---until we need to count them for our scare numbers." It is un-fucking-acceptable.

Step in at my doctor's office. Whatever. I can write to them, they know more about autism than "THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!!".

But this, this is an invasion. Those there are MY PEOPLE. Or I thought ThinkGeek was my people.

Apparently I was wrong. By wearing a TG shirt I am advertising for...well, ThinkGeek.

I am not advertising for anyone who donates to an unethical group that wants to ignore and exterminate me, erase my existence and experience, that plagiarizes me (bonus points for trying to go over my head to an NT for use of a segment on self advocacy. FAIL FOREVER!), that has supporters who threaten me physically, that has private jets and ridiculous offices when so many autistic adults (oh wait, we don't exist) and so many families are barely getting by. I am not advertising for anyone who thinks that's a remotely acceptable group to donate to.

I suspect ThinkGeek really shat where they eat with this one-they likely have an awful lot of autistic customers who share my sentiments.

So, I will be burning my Schrodinger's Cat shirt, a Firefly shirt, a Pi By Numbers shirt, and my ThinkGeek catalog. "You shouldn't exist" is the message sent by donating to Autism Speaks, and the corollary is "we don't want your money."

Wish granted. Not another dime.