Read on Twitter
When this first came across my TL, I was like "Autistic self-deprecation, you're going to fit right in," gave it a like and chucked it.
The second tweet was a little more mean-spirited, but coming from an autistic person was ok to my sensibilities.
1/ https://twitter.com/FernBrady/status/1347320094972653569
The second tweet was a little more mean-spirited, but coming from an autistic person was ok to my sensibilities.
1/ https://twitter.com/FernBrady/status/1347320094972653569
I did not understand the slang used in the third tweet at first, but after having it clarified, the meaning of the tweet seems to be, "Autistic advocates on here that talk about autism annoy me and I dont want to be like them."
That infuriated me, but I had an easy solution for this person: don't follow people that annoy you and don't be like them.
Now I recognize this as an overly defensive, pre-emptive lashing out. Another shame & vulnerability reaction.
Now I recognize this as an overly defensive, pre-emptive lashing out. Another shame & vulnerability reaction.
The person in question has a blue check and presumably has a following. The tweet has done the rounds and hurt autistic advocates. IMO, any self-advocate frankly gives far too much of themselves to make the world better for the rest of us.
My brief forays into public self-advocacy have been some of the hardest things I've ever done, I've never felt good about the trauma I exposed myself to afterwards, and these folks do it regularly. I admire that and wish I had the strength to follow their example.
I'm presuming that this person is going to get some incredible amount of flak for the comment (rightfully), but now recognizing it as a shame reaction, I'm also aware that nearly anything said will further entrench the views of the person.
I don't want to tone-police anyone. It should be called out. I'd like it to be called out substantively, but I know for NTs especially that criticism is only beneficial when it comes from a position of respect. For NDs, it could go either way.
This particular individual goes on to promote Tony Attwood and Simon Baron-Cohen in the thread, so they've already been poisoned against other autistic people.
Attwood I have not seen speak too frequently because everything is labeled "Asperger's" this and that, so I tend to avoid it (as is my preference with nazi crap). There are two immediate results that are giant red flags on looking into the fellow though:
Response from ASAN to Attwood requesting he disassociate himself from hate groups in 2009.Specifically, disassociate from FAAAS (Families of Adults Afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome) and Maxine Aston. https://autisticadvocacy.org/2009/06/asans-response-to-dr-tony-attwood/
Quick aside to be furious about that name ("afflicted with"?!)
And 
from an article by Karla Fisher on "Thinking Person's Guide to Autism" about a conference attended with Attwood running a session and mocking autistic people.
http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/2012/10/the-last-place-to-take-your-autistic.html?m=1
from an article by Karla Fisher on "Thinking Person's Guide to Autism" about a conference attended with Attwood running a session and mocking autistic people.http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/2012/10/the-last-place-to-take-your-autistic.html?m=1
I'm not going to get into SBC, because I'm already past the amount of venom I'm able to safely process in a day.
Anyway, the people dominating the conversation about autistic people are against us as humans with equal rights & it is far too easy for others to fall into their abyss—whether that is by proxy through their agents or through choosing the most popular sources of (mis)information.
