It would be beneficial to all parties if we learn to walk with these autistic individuals and not walk away from them. Think of the overall mental and emotional advancement/improvement of our society as a whole. I don’t understand how it is damn near impossible to co-exist with another human. Autistic children and adults are not animals or undeserving of a fulfilling lifestyles.
This issue started with the leadership of parents and has now expanded to those of teachers. Teachers are next in line to play their role in adequate autism awareness. A teacher’s role is vital because it will ensure the growth of the child, as well as help the child’s peers become better at grasping what we know as autism. The lessons on autism to children of those without the disorder is imperative and should start as early as possible. Instead of building fences to exclude children on the playground, teachers should take the time to inform themselves and take courses so that they know how to deal with these special students.
SUPPORTERS CONDEMN PBS NEWSHOUR'S "AUTISM NOW" PROGRAM FOR IGNORANT REMARKS
Robert MacNeil claims needs and perspectives of Autistic adults today not an “urgent issue”
WASHINGTON, DC (April 27th, 2011) - An outpouring of widespread anger emerged from the Autistic adult community last night as journalist Robert MacNeil of PBS NewsHour claimed that issues facing…
2 years ago - 
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13 | Uninformed: | Wow, I'm finally starting to wrap my head around this whole autism thing. |
|---|---|
| Informed: | You say "thing", as if it isn't so much more than that. |
| Uniformed: | I mean, I get it...isn't that enough. |
| Informed: | No, that isn't nearly enough. An abecedarian must embrace action. |
| Uninformed: | Well, what else is there to do? |
| Informed: | You're not quite ready yet. How about you check out some movies on the issue of autism acceptance in order to get a more in depth/vivid look into the issue. |
| Uniformed: | That's a good idea! What do you suggest? |
| Informed: | You could start with "I Am Sam", "Radio" or "Forest Gump". The choice is yours but ALL three are must see movies... |
| Uniformed: | Thanks. I'll let you know how I feel when I'm done with them all. |
I. Demand. Acceptance. Now!
In our society, what is not understood is not accepted. This applies to everything, from the unique clothing trends we skeptically embrace to the foods we decide to digest in our very own system. I’m sure it is possible to date back to our earliest civilizations and prove this to be fact. Thankfully, life is all about progression. Therefore, we slowly but surely tend to stray away from what is considered the norm. My only question is, “Who is to decide what the norm really is?” Regardless, acceptance is still very much a big part of our society in this day and age. Even though there are many things that are controllable differences, what happens when you are different and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it? Is that a reason significant enough to demand acceptance from those around you? I believe it is and I know for a fact that I am not alone.
Many people think that because we need support to do just about everything, we don’t deserve to live a normal life with friends and freedom to make our own decisions. We do need help, but we love the same things you do. We want to live in our own house or apartment and do productive work or attend school, and be surrounded by peers who love and respect us as friends and intellectual equals who just need a little help… - Sue Rubin (low functioning autistic advocator & doctor)
*click on photo for more on Sue Rubin*
An Autistic ♥ vs. A Human ♥
I titled my work/research this because I think the irony in it is beautiful and very meaningful. I say “verses” when, in fact, it is impossible to put the two up against each other. There is no difference in a person with autism and a person without. We are all God’s children and are born equally & we are all very much capable of the same things in life. We have the same potential, emotions and dreams. Once we’ve successful sought out equality…unity and acceptance will be a lot easier to come by.
The one thing that I’ve noticed about autism awareness is that it seen as voluntary. The time has arrived for us to demand autism educational lessons, from the early years of elementary school up until the end of high school. Why shouldn’t this be an issue that is known through and through? Autism Awareness Month just scratches the surface of an issue that is extremely too deep to not explore. In order for those with autism to receive the support and understanding that they need, we must first possess the insight to what it’s really like to be with autism, whether it’s the parents and family or individual themselves. Even in reference to my survey on this issue, a majority of those who took the survey knew when Autism Awareness Month was, however, there were still some that were way off.
Autism doesn’t just affect the individual with the disorder, it also affects their families just the same…if not greater. This story’s main focus is on how a San Marcos, California community harassed a family that moved in because they had a 4 year old child with autism. Spencer’s parents had many run ins with police and neighbors. Neighbors claimed that it was only a matter of time before little Spencer had a firearm and tried their hardest to restrict he, his parents, and sister to the house & driveway. They call Child Protective Services on the nearby family. When this was later taken to court, the Trussle family was reimbursed $12,000 in legal fees by their neighbors. However, that was the least of their concern. They had hopes on a mandatory Autism Awareness Walk or autism education class that would allow neighbors to be more empathetic to their family’s situation. Watching the YouTube video is frustrating to even see that any adult could be that ignorant to an issue that is so prominent in our county.
What Is Discrimination?
For as long as civilization has been established, there has also been a simultaneous establishment of discrimination. This is a direct result of many differences in our cultures and individuals in those cultures. Instead of forming a level of respect for the many differences in society, people are quick to shun and act negatively to what is considered to be out of the norm. However, ostracizing a specific group or individual should not be an option in this day and age. We’ve come too far as a society to allow this to happen any longer. Webster’s Dictionary defines discrimination as the ability to see distinctions and differences. Although the connotation of the word, as we know it, is extremely negative, it doesn’t always have to be. Discrimination can also be “in favor of”. The idea of a positive form of discrimination is called reverse discrimination. If anything, I have the highest of hopes in promoting a sense of reverse discrimination. If you want to make autistic individuals feel uncomfortable, do it because you are giving them more love and attention than the average person.
Imagine the mind acting as a bank. The mind serves as the location in which all individuals deposit experiences, withdraws knowledge, and request loans of insight. Every bank has a vault that holds its customers most valuable assets. Only select individuals are allowed access into this vault because they are given the lucky numbers to utilize the combination. All patrons should have something of greater importance to place in the vault. That one thing is understanding. You use your knowledge to twist the lock until you’ve open the vault and become able to grasp your own understanding. So you see, theoretically, the same concept applies to what it will ultimately take to acquire acceptance towards autism.
What Is Autism?
Autism is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as a developmental disorder that appears in the first years of life and is variable in expression. It is recognized and diagnosed by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, communicate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns. This is a genetic disorder and is in no way, shape or form chosen by the affected child and/or their parents. Autism affects 1 of every 110 children (1:80 males) in The United States of America. Though we may view it as something abnormal, those numbers make it far too prominent in our communities to not demand drastic measures to ensure that they feel the same love and acceptance that we all long for.
