I, Autistic but not Stupid

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http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/01/11 ... ot-stupid/

This article protests against portraying autistics in the media as dumb, stupid individuals in Singapore.

Just to note the point of this topic and the forementioned article is due to the fact that in Singapore, autistics are portrayed in the media as lower functioning and dumb. I believe this is an insult to all of wrongplaneters here?

Can you please provide some examples.

In this article for example. There are other portrayals too in Singapore Media but I can't find much as some of them are really old shows.

The character, Zou Jieming, is an autistic adult who has poor eye contact, looks on the floor. He also refers himself in third person and with primary school vocabulary and as he talks, shakes his hands.
An ignorant netizen commented: “Zou Jieming never fails to make me laugh. Do you know now everyone likes to imitate the way Zou Jieming speaks? It is really fun.

Judging from the way wrongplaneters speak here and also my ASpies friends in singapore, autistics certainly do not refer themselves in 3rd person and neither is their vocabulary knowledge that low. I have a pal who is my walking dictionary and novel writing advisor.

Well the thing is in challenging the perceptions of developmental disabilities where I live people think of developmental disabilities in general including autism as severe cognitive impairment. Currently I am challenging and in a very polite and mutually respectful matter the phraseology of "the kids in the work groups" in which people can be 50 -60 years old and not behave child like. Sometimes these issues should not be referred to as ignorance but a lack of understanding and awareness. It's a dignity issue and to call people ignorant is confrontational and leads to negative results.

Well I wasn't the one who wrote this article. But in an society as elitist as Singapore, for an NT to write to a online bulletin and speak up for us. It's a rare sign I must say.
Confrontational it maybe but it seems my fellow Singaporeans are not as unsympathetic as we thought. But majority are ignorant or apathetic to the special needs community.

I agree but the media continued to portray autistics as dumb and those friends of mine are trying to find work and it's very difficult. Singapore has no law to protect the disabled from job or insurance discrimination.

But I must mention that Singapore looks like a democracy but the media is tightly controlled as it were N. Korea in a way. There is a law that no public protests are allowed in the country.

True but his vocabulary?

The U.N intervenes in such matters? Singapore is just a small asian country at the tip of Malaysia, does the UN intervene in such matters like oppression of freedom of speech?

Singapore is about to have its general elections soon, the people were irate about the ruling party but the truling party is seeking to control the media and even the Temasek Review, alt. media is under attack.

Like I said, the writer of the article is not me. My group of aspies in Singapore were also surprised that an NT counseller chose to speak up about it in here instead of the local newspapers. BTW the local newspapers are also controlled by the government. This ain't the US. Basically they dun see Wrongplanet as a threat, if it does I bet they will ban access to this site too. Just recently one of alternative political sites was gazetted by the govt.

Plus in Singapore, there is discrimination against Aspies in the insurance policies and employment. Singapore is one of the only countries that have yet to sign the rights of disabled people by the UN or something. Also only 15% of aspies in Singapore are employed.

If you guys want to do something and tell the UN be my guest. If it can help Aspies discriminated in Singapore, I suppose no harm.... General elections in my home country is coming but the ruling party is moving to destroy the opposition parties one by one before they hold the elections which they "win".