The Message You Want the World to Hear

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Hello WrongPlanet...I am stepping into the waters a bit deeper this year (figuratively speaking). So many of us here at WrongPlanet with autism have made it known that "we have a voice---we don't need others to speak for us." (You know what I am referencing to).

We all have our own challenges, needs, and feelings about our autism. Let me be honest and speak my beliefs before I go on:

*I consider my AS as a type of HFA.

*I have plenty of challenges (and so does everybody, autistic or not)---but I accept my challenges and have taken therapy for some issues.

*I consider my autism as a gift---with the challenges have come musical talent and interests.

*I do not consider my autism as a disorder---I consider my autism as a difference.

*I am anti-cure for me, but I am not against others who choose to take medications.

*I have an autistic son (also AS)---we attend meetings with a local autism support group.

*Most of the autistic individuals I have been in contact with are considered as AS, HFA, or PDD-NOS.

*I consider AS as part of the autism spectrum along with PDD-NOS---HFA is under the spectrum as we know.

*I believe autistic individuals have the potential to find his or her gifts and/or talents in autism.

*I believe the world thrives on diversity to make humanity progress forward---and autism is part of that needed diversity.

*I have feelings, though I may now always show them---I like to be treated with the respect and dignity that I try to treat others---and I apologize if I have ever not treated someone with that respect and dignity, for I am human.

*I have a mission to show others that autism in my life, and many others' lives, is not defective---but a difference---and we have a beneficial place in society (I say "many others" because I realize some may not see their autism as a difference).

Well, there are other beliefs that I could add, but this is a large part of who I am with my autism. Since my next scheduled engagement is about a month away, I have begun the process of outlining and detailing my program. My voice does not speak for everyone's voice as we all know. But I am a voice of autism that wants to be heard. I want to hear some of your voices about what you want the world to know. I will not quote individual quotes in my programs---that is your privacy---and you have a voice that needs to be heard. I am just asking to get a general feel from other autistics to see the common messages we have. Last year as I conducted my programs, I often felt like I was not necessarily representing the voices of autism.

My program is not large scale by any means. It is only local to my region. My average audience is around 50. I will let you know that this is part of a music ministry. I give testimony and I speak of autism in my life and how it has been a gift to me although there are challenges.

I know that many of you are not religious and may not believe in any deity. But we all have our own diversity---and my message of autism, whether it is in church or not, should be irrelevant to the voice you and I have. The people that attend churches are human beings---and they are part of the population that needs to be educated. And church people are very quick to talk to people that they know in their towns about what is going on. So the church is an excellent place to speak on an issue such as autism.

What do you want the world to know about your autism?

The message I want the world to say echoes yours and adds:

Women should be assessed more carefully.
Clinicans should be educated about the different presentation of autistic females.
With support, ASD girls may live happy lives, successful as defined by them.

The message I would like to deliver to the whole world is that I have Asperger's and there is nothing wrong with me. There is, however, something wrong with people who disrespect me because of my appearance, my manner of speech or lack of speech, my lack of social skills. Tolerance is a civic virtue. People who opine about society need to include those who seem odd. At the same time, they should resist the impulse to round us up in church basements to show us how very welcome we are. And as for throwing money at the problem, go right ahead, but give it the individuals, not the politicians.

I would say:
If you couldn't see one of the colors, but could see in ultraviolet/infra-red, would you call yourself disabled?
I see the world in the other way, other doesn't mean better/worse.

I do agree that church is an excellent place to spread ideas you want spread further, though I disagree with the rest of what goes on there, good use of the situation.

I would like people to stop assuming there is nothing going on in the heads of fully locked in LFA kids/adults.

They aren't mobile houseplants, they're people too, and I imagine they would love to be able to express themselves if given any opportunity or ability with which to do so.

Just because you see me as exploitable doesn't mean that you should exploit me, I may be socially awkward but to use that for your own ends does not make you better than me. I just want to be included sometimes, without ending up with people hurting me.

I am materialistically generous only because I am uncertain of how to maintain friendship, I'm just trying to be your friend in the only way I know, I find it so hard to emotionally reciprocate friendship I don't know how to do this any other way than with giving people gifts. Gifts please people, and happy people might like me more?

Autism and other forms of neurodiversity actually cause people to think completely differently than is “normal”. This is a GOOD thing. Without this diversity—the human race and our world wouldn’t be the same.

This same difference in thinking is often perceived as a bad thing. It’s usually excused in children, but seen as a negative in adults. If you don’t sink up with the rest of the herd, you are sometimes unjustly perceived as a threat. This is a very real and very challenging problem for people who were BORN with a type of difference you can adjust for, but can never “grow out of”.

Different doesn’t mean a person is: right, wrong, better, worse, good, bad, superior, inferior, or undeserving of the joys others without significant differences hold dear.

A reference to the Christian song “I then shall live” may hit a nice cord with your audience. One of the lines says “I will have the courage to see the world from someone else’s point of view” (or something close). I was shocked to find out the song was written like 200 years ago. This isn’t a new idea, but I don’t think the notion that someone else’s: experiences, thoughts, upbringing, and way of thinking may be different—before some people pass judgment or write someone off due to observed differences.

If even just a few people in your audience consider that someone “may just be a little different” instead of: crazy, weird, or a threat—then you will have done a great service.

Just my 2c.

Josh

My view:

I think autism is very much a spectrum and it's often not clear or relevant to say where someone is on that spectrum (Asperger's, HFA, LFA etc) or even if they are on the spectrum at all. I don't want to say that autism is not a problem. I call it a disorder, because at the end of the day it's the difficulties that define it, and it's caused me terrible anxiety which makes my life hard. It's caused my parents, and my friends and teachers problems. But I've never known (and never will know) any different. Autism is an integral part of who I am, and it's by no means only difficulties. I don't want to be normal; I want people to get over 'normal' and just accept diversity, and accept that some people need more help to be happy and successful. I think we can all learn from autism - we can all learn to be a little more honest, a little more accepting and a little more free to express who we are (eg. To say we like something that's 'odd', to say we find something difficult). I think if more people understood autism, it could have a large positive impact on society.

Thank you Kajjie for your voice---it will be heard. I can understand your view of autism as a disorder with the terrible anxiety. I get some anxiety, but I can usually find ways to manage it a bit. I am happy that you see diversity as an important voice of autism. I agree that the world needs to understand autism since it does have the potential to make a large impact on society. And I am happy to see others that don't want to be normal. Autism is all we have ever known. Thank you again for your voice.

i want the world to hear that aspergers is a label and people shouldnt use it as an excuse.