shannonrosa.bsky.social Profile picture
Sep 30, 2020 7 tweets 4 min read Read on X
Autistic distress behavior is then perceived as non-compliance & the kids get punished for "misbehaving." And THEN the parents publicly complain about the kids, focusing on how awful autism is for the parents—rather than on the tragedy of autistic kids' needs being overlooked. 6/
I can't blame parents of autistic children for being pissed off in general, because our kids' and families' rights, supports, and services needs are rarely sufficiently addressed: We ALL feel disenfranchised, because we ARE all disenfranchised. 7/
But this sorry state of autism & family supports is also why, as non-disabled parent, I look to developmental disability organizations like @autselfadvocacy and @TheArcUS for their insider disability experience and knowledge about how to address disability disenfranchisement. 8/
@autselfadvocacy @TheArcUS I am grateful to these organizations for how long and hard they have been fighting for rights and services for autistic and other disabled people of all ages and abilities, and in ways that we non-disabled parents need to recognize, respect, and get behind. 9/
@autselfadvocacy @TheArcUS It’s important to note that autistic self-advocates don't claim to be able to "fix" anyone or everything. What they do want is to ensure that every autistic and disabled person who needs accommodations for their brains gets those accommodation from day ONE. 10/
@autselfadvocacy @TheArcUS Self-advocates want basic rights for all, with the full understanding that some autistic people may still be self-injurious, or remain non-speaking—even with the most understanding parents and all of the accommodations possible. And even when things are hard for everyone. 11/
@autselfadvocacy @TheArcUS Parenting is never going to be a pony party, no matter how easygoing kids are. But the baseline is that, whether our autistic kids have intensive support needs or not, *we parents need to be on our autistic kids’ sides*.

Fin.

12/12

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with shannonrosa.bsky.social

shannonrosa.bsky.social Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @shannonrosa

May 14, 2023
For Mother's Day here in the United States, I want all you other moms of autistic kids to know that I see you, and that you are not alone.

Thread from:

squidalicious.com/2019/05/dear-o… #autism #Neurodiversity #parenting 1/
I see your joys, and I see your sorrows.

I see you when you are having a tough day yet still manage to interact with your child with respect and kindness.

2/
I see you when you keep your voice calm during crises, because you know your autistic child is extra-sensitive to emotions and they need you to help them keep it together, or get it back together. 3/
Read 37 tweets
Aug 2, 2022
I think it should be OK to write about our autistic kids. I do. I think other parents, esp. those not autistic themselves or new to autism, need parent role models who do their best to understand & love their autistic kids, & be the parents those kids need them to be. Thread. 1/
(You won't need to unroll; this thread is drawn from a TPGA article titled The Toxicity of Autism Parent Memoirs:
thinkingautismguide.com/2018/03/the-to….)

#autism #parenting 2/
Parent role models are needed bc media messages/social attitudes about autism & autistic people are consistently fear-ridden & awful, so parents primed on autism negativity need guidance for accepting who their kids are—so they can avoid blaming their kids for who they aren’t. 3/
Read 42 tweets
Jun 10, 2022
Tomorrow! I’ll be speaking at @TheSTARInst’s virtual summit on sensory health in autism. Details:

sensoryhealth.org/basic/person-c…

What will we be talking about? Well, I’m mostly interested in creating sensory-friendly homes and environments. 1/
@TheSTARInst Specifically, it’s crucial to understand that we CAN create sensory-friendly environments that allow everyone therein to function best. It isn't always easy, and can mean compromise if there are competing access needs. 2/
@TheSTARInst By placing a focus on how autistic people (and others with sensory sensitivities) perceive and process their environment, and by reframing sensory modifications as caring adjustments rather than impositions, we can create spaces in which we all thrive. 3/ #neurodiversity
Read 6 tweets
Mar 12, 2022
It’s tricky to be a parent advocate in the autism community, especially if, like me, you are not autistic yourself. Autism is about autistic people, & that’s who should be leading autism advocacy efforts. Threading my recent @AutismOAR column:

researchautism.org/what-is-the-ro… #autism 1/
@AutismOAR …But in the nearly two decades since my son was diagnosed, I’ve learned that I do have a role as an advocate: To learn and share and fight for the policies and knowledge needed for my son to live a good life as an autistic person.

#autism #parenting 2/
Parents of autistic people simply can’t avoid being advocates. It is not reasonable to be passive when our loved ones need so much support, & when there are so many roadblocks to getting that support from educational, social, & medical networks that are supposed to provide it. 3/
Read 26 tweets
May 19, 2021
I can’t stress just how screwed most parents of autistic kids are when it comes to finding good info that will actually help those kids and their families live the best lives possible. PLEASE LET ME HELP YOU LIVE YOUR BEST LIVES, and you can start by listening to autistic adults.
And I don’t mean “listen to all autistic adults without any filter” because autistic adults can give mean, awful, horrible advice, just like any randos from a huge diverse group of humans. But let me guide you to the good sources! My son’s and my lives are so much happier now!
To start: here’s what I’ve learned about parenting & autism: After an Autism Diagnosis: 13 Necessary Next Steps For Parents: thinkingautismguide.com/2017/03/after-…

How listening to autistic adults helped me understand & support my son:
washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019…

cc: @MelissaFJackso1 @dinacepulo
Read 10 tweets
Apr 11, 2021
When your child get an autism diagnosis: Here are 13 next steps for parents that I WISH someone had told me at the time! A thread, drawn from the @thinkingautism archives, and in observation of #AutismAcceptanceMonth

thinkingautismguide.com/2017/03/after-…

#neurodiversity

1/
After my son’s autism diagnosis, I wished it hadn't taken me so damn long to figure out the best ways to support, help, advocate for, and express my love for my now-adult son—who has always deserved better than a reeling, terrified, depressed, confused, and regretful mom. 2/
I should have given myself more time to recognize my wonderful autistic boy for who he is, rather than what ignorant, misguided people insisted autism made him. I also wish I'd been able to recognize and dismiss all that debilitating ignorance, fear, and confusion. 3/
Read 29 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(