[Content Warning – ABA]
As I sit in front of this laptop tonight punching out words it is with a level of frustration and anger that is quite elevated. My day today, in which I did manage to complete some worthwhile assignment work in my course of study, was punctuated with periods of interactions regarding silencing, ignoring or pathologising of autistics and autism.
I was engaged in commenting and responding to a bunch of ridiculous statements made in a few different settings. It all began as I faced a post from my home state’s peak autism body. Otherwise known as Amaze. It’s a good name as I am constantly amazed by them. If it is not their use of ableist language in flyers and their continual focus on social skills or skills for teacher programs it is, like today, their support, be it tacit or clear for ABA therapy.
I read their email which they pithily call the “espectrum” where they advertise a information session and training opportunities for ABA therapies. Of course when I asked them about via their social media channels I received no response. Telling isn’t it!
Countless Autisitcs have written of their devastating experiences with ABA. Well maybe not countless, but certainly enough for the so called Amaze to stop being Amazed and actually start listening to these actually autistic people.
Next today I was confronted by the
appalling situation that is the forthcoming APAC conference in Brisbane in September. I had not looked much into this conference as the costs are simply prohibitive for me to be able to participate in. As can be seen from the image here the cost to participate as an actually autistic person is $900 out of your own pocket.
It was certainly with dismay that I discovered today that there will be no interpreters or auslan provided for participants. No hearing loops or the like. Additionally I discovered that the promising Future Leaders has been scrapped for this conference and that it appears that actually autistic people were actively discouraged and silenced from the organisational phases of the conference.
Later today I see as I scrolled through my newsfeed on that all encompassing social network Facebook, yet another report of yet another piece of ridiculous research. This one claiming the rise (of which there is none) of Autistic diagnosis to be due to semantics. You can read it here. Perhaps it was a mistake, but I was unable to help it. I should no better but alas.
The comments on this post were in some respect the usual expected uninformed rhetoric. There was much a good tinfoil hat wearing conspiracist would be happy to see. The highlight was a particular poster maintaining that there was indeed a link between Autism and Vaccines. No amount of rationality would deter him from this path. Among the other tinfoil hattery he was possibly one of the more rational posters.
It really does never cease to amaze (no pun intended) how incredibly often it is that we the actually autistic must face this kind of rubbish. That we are ignored and silenced and pathologised.
It seems the writing is definitely on the wall. Our Australian Autism peaks have chosen their lie of the land and it is not with the actual autistic but with those that are more akin to the cure culture and change therapy agents.
It seems the writing is on the wall that we in Australia have been very busy as advocates speaking out about international issues but have neglected our own home fires. This needs to change. No we must not neglect the international campaigns such as BoycottAutismSpeaks and the like. But surely our first priority should be to stand up for our very own Autistic Rights.
It seems the writing is on the wall that we are lacking here in Australia any presence of some kind of unified and active advocacy strategy.
It seems the writing is on the wall, In the words of the late great Gof It’s Time.
It’s Time for us the Actually Autistic to stand tall, strong, loud and proud.
No More Ableism
No More Silencing
No More Crazy Research
No More Pathologising
No more Cure Culture
No More ABA.
It’s Time.
More Listening.
More Submissions.
More Positive Stories
More Actually Autistic In the News.
It’s Time.
Surprised you didn’t add in the other recent exchange with another ‘advocate’ who was full of ableism etc. Quite understand the frustration with much of what you have written.
I was surprised to learn (from your blog) that the future leaders programme wasn’t running this year – any reasons given?
We do have to use our ‘voices’ in whatever form that might take.
Silence no more.
It’s time, for sure, it’s time.
Here it feels like a growing undercurrent. Autism Speaks has a choke hold on so many voices. The people who are using their voices, Autistics and advocates for neurodiversity have to work that much harder for it. If we put all the money that they raise to “cure” into educating teachers and giving them supports in the classroom, removing public fluorescent lighting and about a billion other things that would create a more sensory friendly world, everyone would benefit. Instead we have to deal with the nutters. Hang in there. Every hurricane begins a gentle breeze.
Absolutely Trish. Thanks for your words of encouragement.
A lot of us Aussies lend our voices to Anti Autism Speaks stuff – which is really important and needed. Our own backyard needs attention to. It’s not a one or the other it’s a both and I think.
Agreed. We live on a small planet and we all deserve the right to enjoy our time on it, without being reduced to our simplest terms and most convenient definitions.
Very true.