(1/5) I’ve had parents say my petition to ban autism meltdowns on YouTube is an effort to “erase severely autistic kids” from public view. This really got me thinking: do these parents believe the only way to have visibility of “severely autistic kids” (I say high support needs)
(2/5) is to post their moments of complete & total distress? Are we capable of advocacy that is respectful to these individuals while maintaining visibility? Fuck yeah, we are. I personally strongly believe visibility for all autistics must be represented.
(3/5) But visibility does NOT mean posting public videos of autistics melting down on YouTube WITHOUT their consent. This is not ethical education or ethical advocacy in any way, shape or form. Your job is to protect your child.
(4/5) I understand using meltdown videos of your child for your Dr. or support team. But there is no reason why a random Fred or Susie from Georgia need to be watching YOUR child self harm while they gawk in horror. That’s not ethical education. That’s humiliation.
(5/5) My solution? I personally will be working towards creating a team of individuals to create an animated educational resource for educators/law enforcement/caregivers/the public etc on autism meltdowns; covering as many unique autistic experiences as possible.
