This autistic boy is making a difference in the ocean

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Why is Wrong Planet putting up an inspiration porn video endorsing ABA?

The issue feels closer to home after watching this video. Thanks.

The video is promoting keeping our oceans clean, calling for all of us (NT or autistic) to do our part. I don’t think it is promoting any specific therapy, Rio just mentions in passing the therapy that helped him with speaking. It’s part of his story.

I love the water and I'm glad I live on a peninsula. A lot of debris in the water is wind born. Ironically seagulls contribute some of it as well. They grab wrappers and bags etc that have leftover food on them or in them, which ends up on the shore and in the water.

The #IFICANDOITYOUCANTO hashtag is false and inspiration porn. I think posting articles about autistics having success is necessary, I post plenty of them myself. What the tag is IMHO an unintentional guilt tripping. It is saying if me a disabled autistic person can do it you can and if you if you don’t you are lazy. That is false, we are different people with different abilities and inabilities, that is the whole idea behind the Neurodiversity movement.

I am not blaming Rio I am glad he is doing something well and is apparently happy. I agree he was probably mentioning ABA in passing as something that he believes worked for him. But when the worlds largest Autistic based forum puts that up it is a de facto endorsement. It might not be intended as an endorsement, it is not the primary thing the video is endorsing but it is endorsing it.

I've read the article and I've enjoyed it. The boy's a real Sweet Pea for wanting to clean up the oceans.

I sort of see what you're saying in theory but he's just picking up trash in the ocean and saying that everyone should do their part. It honestly feels like you're reading way too much into it. If picking up trash was hard for people on the autism spectrum or part of our disability, I can see how that hashtag could be offensive. But I can imagine the same hashtag being used in a video with a kid who isn't disabled.

This is the kind of message that is offensive, because it has to do with his disability:


Can you see the difference here?

Inspiration Porn in part is not about the actual disability but assumed disabities that may or may not be true. In this case it is sending a message that autism makes it much more difficult to pick up trash. While sensory and executive functioning issues probably do make picking up trash at lot more difficult for some autistics that is certainly not true for all of us.

As for the standing up for the flag picture not only is it inspiration porn it is using a child to make a political statement.

Nah it don't. If anything it hints that Rio's autism helps him see the damage trash does that others don't see or ignore.

I think you are reading too much into this dude.

If you were going to make a video about Rio and his work , what points would you use or not use?

I would first and foremost ask Rio what he wants to say and if I have too much of a problem with what he wants too say I would let somebody else make the video.

I think Rio is doing a great thing. He is an inspiration to me.

I love seeing this awesome kid expressing his joy for the ocean and creating positive change in the world! You go for it man!

While "If I can do it, you can do it" doesn't make me feel great, it is an inspiring video. I wish I learned to swim, maybe I will someday. And while I don't like the ABA endorsement, I don't see any place to deny him for it either.

This inspirational video brought to you by The Grand Cayman tourist board.

If you look at who produced and posted the video on YouTube, the real message intent becomes clear. They are advocating...but for The Grand Cayman Experience primarily, not clean oceans or cute 9yo autistic boys. I feel badly for NTs that most of them will never understand how they are manipulated by wealthy people and their insatiable, pathological greed.

It would be nice to hear the Grand Cayman tourist board was giving generously to unbiased research into scientific understanding of the roots of biodiversity and ways that acceptance of biodiversity can help integrate and enhance a more just and equitable human civilization.

For now, I think they are just exploiting a child they see as means of attracting business. The boy is cool, as is his singular effort to clean up the waters he plays in. The ulterior motive ruins the humanistic message and is a huge turn off for me from ever visiting that place.

Also, the Caymans support brutal dictators and organized crime with their banking and corporate shell practices.

It looks amazing, dude