Autism ACTUALLY Speaking: Denying The Agency Of Autistic Activists

This week I discuss the problematic nature of denying an Autistic their agency when they express an opinion.

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[RamonSelove]

It is True! It is True! Nathan had passionate disagreements with his teachers where he appropriately and convincingly made use of real evidence before he could pronounce his "r"s. To their everlasting credit, most of his teachers appreciated that about him. However, their were some who simply could never concede a point to a disabled child no matter how obvious it was that he was right and they were wrong.

[wandah]

First time listening. You're singing my song! I'm fed up with the crap we get out there in the world. Really, I'm 64, so for a long time there wasnt a word for what I am. And although I check all the boxes, I'm not a social outcast nor was I when I was young. So i brushed off the autistic moniker. Knowing I am autistic meant about as much to me as being told I'm a Pisces.
Finding out my grand niece is autistic made me confront it directly. I'm amazed at the shame, depression, they felt.
I piped up, "But I'm Autistic!"
"She flunked kindergarten."
"Yeah, so did I. That teacher was mean, but nobody asked me my side of it."
Because the general attitude is, if the autistic has an opinion we will ignore it, because after all, we're DISABLED.
IMPAIRED.
We need to organize. Get a cool AUTISTIC NATION T shirt, bumper sticker, flag. We need to demonstrate, comment on this and other forums and generally get in everybody's face.
Rant on brother!!!!

[loopduplicate]

Thanks Nathan, for your continued honesty and your nice clear videos.
1) Always alliterate! It's great.
2) Strong opinions, for sure. Sorry when mine aren't nice. Oops.
3) The need to value people sharing their thoughts. It is better to let it out, even if that means sometimes people let me know when I'm not making sense.

[wristdisabledwriter]

My mom Annoys me every time she says look what people without arms can do so why can’t you just do I want you to do

[thehopesystem]

Thank you so much. I'm trying really hard lately, when I come across problematic arguments on the internet to address them as calmly as possible. My friend tells me every time that I bring it up, that she would just get mad, and I don't blame her for that. I personally try to start as though the person I'm talking to genuinely doesn't know, or was pointed to bad information by mistake. I usually give up when they start throwing functioning labels at me, and how their experience with ABA is different, and miraculous, and good, and I can't I don't like giving up as often as I do, because I think the discussion is important, but I think the argument is best had with someone face to face so it's not some internet stranger telling them that they are raising their kid wrong.... I wouldn't respond well to that.... but... ugh... I want to do things that help, but I feel so small.

[hippity_hopp]

I have to say thank you for your vlogs. All of your videos help me get ideas for my next blog posts when I get writers block and it’s also helped feel a little less crazy.

[nakyer]

I'm still royally annoyed about that clown that called her "mentally ill". You made me laugh, tho', with the part about how "opinionated" we can be. There's NO doubt we very much can think for ourselves.

As for someone on the spectrum trying to tear someone else down because THEY'RE on the spectrum, I don't understand that. Anyone who does something like that is just shooting themselves in the foot.

[nikolateslaize]

I just rewatched the other video. On a typical day, there are only few comments. Like we were chatting by ourselves. You mentioned her and climate change, boom everybody started to comment. And some comments really drove me nuts. I dropped out in first grade (I was 5) because of an argument with our teacher :) Then I returned back only after teacher and my family assured me. Final words, I have a t-shirt: "i'm not opinionated i'm just always right"

[SilentReports]

I'm proud of autism and to be autistic.

[NuriaLuna]

Great video!!!! :) I completely agree.
By the way, you could do more comic things as an actor xD

[roughwoof]

*Yay! No more microphone!* GREAT joke btw!

[tlrlml]

The statement (I made at least), is that she IS being used... not because she is an activist, not because she has an opinion she is expressing, and NOT because I want to rob her of her "agency". BECAUSE, she has been artificially risen to a position that she can make her activism and opinion know to the world (the U.N....) BECAUSE her youth and "disability" are as important to those that did the lifting as her activism and opinion - maybe more so.


They are in short, parading her "disability" like it's Wonka's golden ticket. (They could have, as easily, put her out front WITH NO MENTION of her "disability" (as most of the western world makes provision that disabilities are a private matter), that the so willingly didn't do this (in fact did the opposite) demonstrates a "usage".)

I never disagreed with her (though I do) in what I said, I never said she couldn't have her opinion or express it (I have and I often do myself). Had I said the first I have a very well research tirade I could have gone into, but I didn't, because it had nothing to do with what I said. I simply said people, who think they can benefit from her (by putting her out front, or by demeaning her), are doing so knowingly and happily. That is exploitation.

Let the discussion begin.