Is this movement a waste of time anyway?

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Is the neurodiversity movement a waste of time or what? I mean, no matter how much you try to educate and change people's minds, there will always be somebody who's a real bigot. Also, I don't want to be part of autism as a "civil rights movement". It kind of nauseates me. See things like black civil rights movements, for example.

I don't see why it would be your or anyone else's responsibility to take part in a movement, per se.

You're right; there will always be bigots. But I don't feel defeatist because of that fact or anything, personally. Rather, I (and anyone else) can move forward without worrying about the bigots (unless they're in my face or are actively trying to harm me), because hell, those people are going to b*tch anyway; if it isn't about autism it will be about something else. True bigots always show their colors eventually, are often notorious even among family members for being bigots and eventually become the butt of jokes and rolled eyes. I'm going to let someone like THAT make me feel bad? I feel worse for that person that I do for me.

As far as the ND "movement," I don't really see it anywhere other than online, it never impacts me (for good or for ill) IRL, people in my immediate surrounds are curious and ask questions and want to know about me and my sons as us specifically - IOW it's a case-by-case thing and that is manageable, that much I can bite off and chew.

Also while I see the point of this particular movement as far as some people wanting to embrace and not change their autism, I think there is a spectrum even within the ND movement itself, i.e. some people want acceptance but DO want to improve specific categories such as their social skills, etc. (From what I've seen, anyway. This may not be everyone's experience.) Which is pretty much what we're all doing anyway, isn't it - attempting to show that we should be accepted for who we are but at the same time, being the best we can be and improving while we can...just as NTs do, just as anyone does? So I guess I've never fully understood exactly the parameters of this idea anyway. I'm not saying it's a bogus idea, it may be fully applicable to some people, but not to every single autistic person so...shouldn't we have the choice to decide what to change and what not to change on a personal level? Maybe I want to change everything about myself, maybe I don't want to change one damned thing. Maybe I want to be accepted, maybe on other days acceptance just isn't that important to me and is something I don't even think about for days, or weeks or longer.

I think there's much more of a thing made of the "ND movement" online than anywhere else and it may seem bigger than it actually is because online communities can be very insular, even as large as any given one can be members-wise.

I subscribe much more to a lead by example, be the change you want to see in the world perspective than a marching-and-carrying-a-sign one...and that's when I even think about this subject at all.

Just my views and I in no way imagine I speak for anyone else. I personally don't think, OP, that you should "have to" join in the ND movement or that you have the responsibility to. Just don't worry about it.

I hope you won't feel like I am talking down to you when I say, at your age, you have not had time to see many "movements" come to fruition or effect social change. In my own lifetime, I have seen attitudes and opportunities change immensely for blacks, gays, trans people, women, the mentally ill, and also disabled people. In general, nobody gets their cause advanced without fighting for it. I have been a participant to lesser and greater degrees in some of these movements. So I do see a point to the neurodiversity movement, but I also know that change comes slowly.

There will always be bigots. Dispite it being the law of the land there are many people that bitterly oppose gay marriage and rights. Some oppose it openly many more subtlety. For a example there companies do not hire gays( and autistics) because they do not like gays but say that they did not hire that person because they were not a fit for the company culture. As much as some people hate it, if you are want to get married to a person of the same sex you can,and there is nothing they can do about it. If you feel a company is discriminating against you can sue. Even if a company has the best lawyers and can win discrimination lawsuits, discriminating will cost them a lot of money.

If everybody said it is hopeless people are going to be bigots no matter what, if you are gay and discriminated against they could do it in the open you would have no legal recourse. If you got married it would be illegal. At one time many gays were arrested for doing what came naturally, having sex with sombody who is not of a different gender. That people got arrested for doing what comes naturally seems preposterous in many parts of the world now
all is because some people said we are going to attempt to change things despite that some people will always be bigots.

As far as neurodiversity the accomplishments are so much less then other movements because Neurodiversity and autistic rights movements have much much much much much less money then those that feel autism is a burden that needs to be cured or failing that making autistics less autistic as possible. But the movement has had some success. There was The was the ransom notes campaign that was stopped, the combatting autism act was changed to a less hostile name, just this month autism daily news published an article "10 perks kids with autism get from bullying" http://www.autismdailynewscast.com/10-perks-kids-autism-get-bullying/32021/guest. If you click on the link you will notice the article is gone. As far as I know the successful campaign to remove the article was totally online, autism rights advocacy groups had nothing to do with it.

As an example of what?

Things that nauseate you? Things that have no point?

I don't understand what you are trying to say.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who took this meaning from the OP.

I hope he realizes that the world he lives in today is a direct result of the civil rights movements of the past. It wasn't too long ago that Jim Crow Laws were rampant.