Thread by @shannonrosa

I am still beyond honored to have an essay in this collection. Mine's a short piece, so I’ll give you the highlights of how I moved from #AutismAwareness to #AutismAcceptance. However the rest of the essay are the meat of the #neurodiversity matter. 1/

https://twitter.com/thinkingautism/status/1245833542656917505

All Done #AutismAwareness: There’s a saying we overuse in my household: “All done, [X]!” We’ve actually swiped the saying from our son Leo, who is Autistic, as “all done” is what he proclaims when he is completely fed up with the activity or person at hand. 2/

Personally, I am “all done #AutismAwareness.” I don’t think ‘awareness’ is useful. If my loud, handsome #autistic son is in the room, you’ll probably be aware that he’s there — but that awareness doesn’t place you under any obligation to support or understand him. 3/

Yet support and understanding are what my #autistic son needs. He does not NEED your awareness. 4/

#AutismAwarenessDay
#AutismAcceptanceDay

#AutismAwareness soaks up the color and slant of any #autism agenda, positive or negative, in a socially acceptable and often self-congratulatory fashion but without pressure to create real change to help #autistic people.
#Neurodiversity 5/

Not every #AutismAwareness promoter behaves badly or disingenuously, of course — but I’ve seen too many people and organizations use #AutismAwareness as a fear-laden sledgehammer to scare people into donating money to dubious causes. 6/

#AutismAwareness campaigns also imply passivity, and so are mildly helpful at best, infuriating at worst. 7/

Instead of #AutismAwareness, I prefer #AutismAcceptance — it galvanizes the positive aspects of Autism Awareness, and cements them into an unequivocal statement of action.

#Neurodiversity 8/

#AutismAcceptance means valuing my #autistic son’s rights as a person, as well as the rights of his spectrum-mates. 9/

#AutismAcceptance means understanding that my fierce mama bear love, protectiveness, and defensiveness about my son’s #autism should not overpower #autistic voices on autism issues and policy. 10/

#AutismAcceptance means acknowledging that I am by definition an outsider in my #autistic son’s world, and must rely on the courtesy of autistics to help me understand what being Autistic means, what it’s like to be a person like Leo in a world made for people like me. 11/

I did not start out from a place of #AutismAcceptance. As a disability community outsider and a fairly non-intuitive person, I lacked the context, experience, and insight to see past our society’s too-prevalent #autism stereotypes of pity and parental burdens. 12/

Before I had an #autistic child, I never knew anyone who identified as Autistic, never realized the full variation of the Autistic experience, never considered that #autism did not have to preclude my son from living a full and happy life. #AutismAcceptanceDay
13/

Thankfully, the online and offline worlds are alight with autism acceptance trailblazers — Autistic people of course, but professionals and parents too (and some who fit into two or all of those categories). #AutismAcceptance 14/

Those #AutismAcceptance trailblazers have not only shown me the way, but have shown incredible patience ALONG the way (I’m not always the best listener). And I remain mindful that I still have much to learn about autism & that much of that learning will come from Leo himself. 15/

#AutismAcceptance does not mean surrender—quite the opposite. I accept my son *&* am also a human blunderbuss when it comes to demanding the supports Leo needs to be a successful, happy person. I will continue to demand that society accept him & his spectrum-mates, as well. 16/16