Warning! Bad language!!
If you haven't seen the video you are out of luck-I refuse to link to it.
That being said:
I come home from work the other day, no kids, no husband and figured I'd catch up on the online community. To my utter disgust I see that Autism Speaks has struck again with their atrocious video "I am autism". To my complete dismay I also note that this horrid video has already aired to the world, further muddying the waters of understanding and acceptance of those who are autistic.
I am, on one hand, somewhat impressed. The video is quite well done (several clips merge together to depict a wide variety of persons who are autistic). On the other hand,the music plays much like the blairwitch project, leaving a bad taste in my mouth. The voice over narrative is quite disturbing-the voice itself deliberately unpleasant.
But that isn't even what has me sitting here going "what the fuck!". It's the narrative itself. (copied and pasted from a variety of websites already adding their thoughts on this dramatic piece) Narrative in blue. My thoughts on this gross misrepresentation in black.
man: I am autism. I'm visible in your children, but if I can help it, I am invisible to you until it's too late.
Ok... Lets look at this rationally shall we? First of all, you cannot SEE autism. You can notice the stims and behaviours but far as I know autism does not come with visual identifiers. No special birthmark, no physical characteristics where one can say "all persons who look like ________ or have this __________feature are autistic. All persons without these are not autistic". So please, autsism squeaks, stfu if you are going to spread such bullsh*t. Secondly... Until it's too late? Too late for what? How is it too late? for that matter, are you saying that autism masks itself to prevent being destroyed? How unsuprising that autism pipsqueaks use such fear mongering in their opening. Beware!! Before it's too late!! whatever...
I know where you live, and guess what? I live there too. I hover around all of you.
Last I checked, lines like that are considered stalking. Are we implying that some autism gremlin or spirit hovers in the air watching us, and if we are not vigilant BAM!! swoops into our children and takes them over? Does this remind anyone else of Hitler's propaganda? Not even through the first paragraph and already this has the flavour of discrimination-encouraging others to hate and fear someone for their label. (By the way, in my oh so jaded opinion, trying to make is sound like a person who is autistic can be summed up with the label autistic as if that is the whole of them is beyond ignorant)
I know no color barrier, no religion, no morality, no currency. I speak your language fluently, and with every voice I take away, I acquire yet another language.
Wow! Notice how the concept of not recognizing race or religion as identifiers (which is one of the ways to look at being non discriminating) is now lumped with having no morality! Nice job there. And no currency? WHAT? WTF does that mean exactly?
As for the speaking my language fluently, you sure the hell do not. You, Autism Speaks, only speak in the language of fear mongering, misrepresentation and degredation. Not my language at all.
And of course, let us not ignore the implication that all autistics are non verbal. Unfortunately I agree in part-only because thanks to organizations such as AS the voices of those who ARE autistic are being overwhelmed by the voices of asinine beliefs, propaganda, proffiteers and politicians.
I work very quickly. I work faster than pediatric AIDS, cancer, and diabetes combined.
Oh nice, I suppose they stole that line from AoA. Isnt that where one goes if one wishes to read the fantasy of autism being compared to fatal diseases?
I am not big on ill wishing, but I truly think some of the persons who like to throw around these implications that Autism should be compared with aids, cancer etc should have to live through dealing with having their beloved ones suffer through such things.
Faster than pediatric aids? Nice fear imagery. Completely innacurate mind you, but A+ on the drama. This infuriates me. Not once in my child's 11 years have I EVER thought of comparing autism with cancer, aids, diabetes...
And if you are happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails.
This is an incredibly stupid comment. Autism does not cause a marriage to fail. Neither does a child with autism cause a marriage to fail. Marriages fail when the persons in the marriage (the adult couple) can not work together. Period. Statistically LESS people with a child diagnosed with a disability end up divorced that persons with no children diagnosed with a disability. My marriage failed, but it was failing way before the little man was a concept. While the adults that tend to handle stress by becoming angry, accusatory etc may indeed find that their marriage does fall apart after finding out their child is autistic-it still is not the diagnosis or the child that wrecks the marriage. It is the adults in the relationship that trash said relationshiop. End of story.
Your money will fall into my hands, and I will bankrupt you for my own self-gain.
Finally some truth! If you decide to hand money over to organizations such as Autism pipsqueaks then yes! you most likely will be bankrupt! These organizations will encourage you to donate (only WE are doing the research that will SAVE your child!) to buy their products (the secrets to curing your child that your doctor wont tell you because we are full of shit!) go to their conferences and seminars (Because only through us can you cure your child!). If you fall for the "OMG your child is autistic??? Life is over!! Its TRAGIC, you have to WIN the FIGHT, be a WARRIOR MOM, GFCF, HBOT, LUPRON, CHELATION etc myths and scientifically proven UNSOUND nonsense (woo) then yup! You can expect to be financially devestated. (Not saying that the extra help does not cost way more than it should, or that insurance does not cover as much as it should, but the only people/organizations that are taking your money for self gain are the cons and quacks). My son has POPARD group, speech, social skills training, special help at school. So far mostly covered. Less expensive than putting him in hockey.
I don't sleep, so I make sure you don't either.
Never sleep huh. My son sleeps. So do I. Again beautiful work to be sure that ALL persons on the Autism Spectrum are lumped together as ALL having sleep disorders. I lost more sleep with my second child who was colicky than I did with little man.
I will make it virtually impossible for your family to easily attend a temple, a birthday party, a public park, without a struggle, without embarrassment, without pain.
FUCK you Autism Squeaks! It is impossible to have children and to not have them behave inappropriately at some time. While some children (be they autistic or ODD or a zillion other things) struggle more with public excursions, many autistic children are well able to go on such outings-when their needs are understood and accomodated. My own son needs to have warning (such as a schedule), an understanding of what the outing is about and what is expected of him, adequate snacks and water to last the outing and realistic expectations from the adults with him. I practice understanding the need for some stimming and he practices understanding that the stimming needs to appropriate for the location (no walking in circles in the parking lot please).
So what? A little bit of planning and understanding, oh noes!
You have no cure for me.
Duh, autism isnt a disease, or an illness. It is a neurological difference.
Your scientists don't have the resources, and I relish their desperation.
Sigh. Now autism also has feelings, goals and what not. What to personify!
Also, the scientific community lacks resources for much of the needed research for many things. But they are making progress at identifying the genetic implications-check out the autism science foundation for the long list of research etc.
Your neighbors are happier to pretend that I don't exist, of course, until it's their child.
My neighbours adore my son. He is honest, earnest and endearing. Mind you, if organizations such as Autism Pipsqueaks continues to misrepresent autism on such a gross scale, usimg their fear and hateful propaganda with public announcements such as this nasty video, I am sure people are going to want to run and hide! What a pile of crap.
I am autism. I have no interest in right or wrong.
This really offends me. This is the number one line on my hate list for this video. Excuse me?? Are they actually implying that being autistic means having no morals? My child thrives on rules. He gets the school's citizenship award every term, as he is not only understanding right vs wrong, but upholds his very strict moral code. So long as the rule is explained to him. (yes he does need to be given the information, from what the rule is to why it is). I know more adults who are nt than autistics that are morally decrepit.
I derive great pleasure out of your loneliness. I will fight to take away your hope. I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams. I will make sure that every day you wake up, you will cry, wondering 'who will take care of my child after I die?' And the truth is, I am still winning, and you are scared, and you should be. I am autism. You ignored me. That was a mistake.
Again, beautiful dramatization implying that the evil spirit autism just thrives on fear, anguish etc. AS and AOA and SM all work very hard to take away our hope, to maintain a level of anxiety, fear and terror in parents whose children are diagnosed ASD-this is how they make their money. And wrap up the opening narritive with a threatening tone, awesome. (not)
Now this next part is great! Parents demonstrating their maturity by tossing some threats of their own at the evil spirit autism. They will not sleep! They will fight!!
What are they fighting ?? Autism! go go warrior parents! fight the label! Fight the diagnosis! Make your child feel unloved, unworthy, unvalued. GO GO!!
woman: And to autism, I say...
man: I am a father...
woman: A mother...
woman: A grandparent...
man: A brother...
woman: A sister...
man: We will spend every waking hour trying to weaken you.
woman: We don't need sleep, because we will not rest until you do.
woman: Family can be much stronger than autism ever anticipated, and we will not be intimidated by you...
woman: ...nor will the love and strength of my community.
man: I am a parent riding toward you, and you can push me off this horse time and time again, but I will get up, climb back on, and ride on with the message.
woman: Autism? You forget who we are. You forget who you are dealing with. You forget the spirit of mothers...
all: ...and daughters, and fathers, and sons...
(crosstalk: several people calling out "We are" and the names of different countries)
all: We are the United Nations.
man: We are coming together in all climates.
woman: We call on all faiths.
woman: We search with technology...
woman: ...and voodoo...
See? promised they would show their true colors! They are searching with voodoo!!
woman: ...prayer and...
man: ...herbs...
man: ...genetic studies...
woman: ...and a growing awareness you never anticipated.
man: We have had challenges, but we are the best when overcoming them.
woman: We speak the only language that matters:
all: Love for our children.
woman: Our capacity to love is greater than your capacity to overwhelm.
woman: Autism is naive.
woman: You are alone.
man: We are a community of warriors.
all: We have a voice.
woman: You think that because some of our children cannot speak, we cannot hear them. That is autism's weakness.
woman: You think that because my child lives behind a wall, I am afraid to knock it down with my bare hands.
man: You have not properly been introduced to this community...
all: ...of parents and grandparents, of siblings and friends and schoolteachers, therapists, pediatricians, and scientists.
woman: Autism, if you are not scared, you should be.
man: When you came for my child, you forgot:
When you came for my child?? wtf! I have to say the cadence is nice though. The monster vs the parents, and because we love our children we will fight the good fight. I get it, but it just so does not apply.
Autism is not a bogey man. It is a word that represents the neurological differences between a two groups of people. It loosely represents at that!
Autism is the label you fight for so that the services your child will need in order to reach their maximum potential will be available. It is just a word though. Your child is still there, still needing your love. He / she still has hopes, dreams, fears, worries, thoughts and feelings. Their behaviours may seem unexpected at times, but this is not evil! what the (stream of curses) are the A.squeaks people thinking?
all: You came for me.
woman: Autism: Are you listening?
