Something is happening that you need to know about.
The Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts is still using painful electric shock devices to punish autistic & disabled people.
The devices were banned by the FDA last year, but then the ban was put on hold because of Covid.
The JRC practices a form of behaviorism called Applied Behavioral Analysis.
Electric shocks, solitary confinement, physical restraint, starvation, sleep deprivation, etc. are all tactics used by the JRC to “control” the behavior of developmentally disabled people.
Six disabled people have died at the JRC in the time since it was founded.
Residents have been restrained and shocked for things as minor as not taking off their jacket, accidentally wetting the bed, and rocking back and forth.
The center has been condemned by the UN.
Yet, it remains open, and the electric shock devices (which the residents are forced to wear 24/7, even in the shower and while they sleep) are still being used.
If this sounds outrageous to you, to the point that it’s hard to believe, I’m sorry to say that this is real.
The JRC is using the delay due to Covid to try and challenge the ban in court, meaning there’s a chance that the FDA ruling could be overturned.
We can’t allow that to happen.
The autistic community started the #StopTheShocks campaign years ago, and it’s time to reignite it.
If you are autistic, developmentally or intellectually disabled, mentally ill, or an ally to our cause:
Please post a photo of yourself holding a sign that says “Judge Rotenberg Center, #StopTheShocks!” as well as any other message you want to include.
Make sure to tag your post with #JudgeRotenbergCenter as well as #StopTheShocks, so that the center’s name is very explicitly attached to the campaign.
It’s time to make some noise and let people know this is not okay.
Autistic people have the same rights as everyone else.
My longest-lasting friendships/relationships have been with people who communicate bluntly with me.
Autistic people’s communication style is often straightforward, and we can find it hard to maintain relationships with people who don’t return the favor of being an open book.
Dancing around feelings, dropping hints, avoiding conflict, keeping secrets, etc. are a recipe for disaster when trying to communicate with me.
Because I will keep asking about things and expecting a straight answer.
I can’t function without knowing exactly what’s going on.
Sometimes it can be hard for people to talk about certain feelings, etc. But just letting me know the basics saves everyone a lot of stress.
I think a lot of neurotypical people feel too vulnerable and exposed by that kind of bluntness.
Yesterday I remembered that when I was around 6-7 years old, I learned how to make origami foxes in my art class at school.
Then, when I got home, I cut up a bunch of pieces of paper into squares, and then proceeded to make what ended up as over 200 foxes in just a few days.
They were all different sizes, but a substantial portion of them were smaller than a thumbtack.
I was meticulous, and the repetition of folding in the same pattern constantly didn’t bore me, it made me excited and happy.
I was so proud of how many there were.
That weekend, I scooped all of the foxes up and put them in a giant ziplock bag, then took them to church so I could give some away to people.
The congregants were astonished at my “patience” and “attention to detail.”
Looking back, this is such a classic autistic story.
Next For Autism and their partner organization, the Center For Autism and the Developing Brain (CFADB), are currently engaged in a gaslighting campaign against the autistic community.
Both organizations have changed & erased things from their websites, without acknowledging it.
First, NEXT added “Statement of Purpose” and “FAQ” tabs to their About section.
I was surprised to see that they didn’t have an FAQ section at all before they faced backlash for their association with CFADB and promotion of ABA therapy.
In the FAQ section (created as a PR front to deflect backlash, but never named as such) they say “[NEXT] provides no funding or support for research into the cause or cure of autism.”
At the time they wrote that, CFADB still had “causes, treatment, and prevention” on their site.
You’ll have to scroll down for a bit but you’ll find it soon enough. It’s not very far down. You can also do ctrl+F and type “Suzanne” if that’s easier.
But in case you don’t want to go through the Wayback Machine, I took screenshots for everyone :)
I’m up thinking about #ColorTheSpectrum (the media event with non-autistic celebrities, scheduled for April 30th, to raise money for an organization called Next For Autism that’s funding research to “prevent” autism).
And I keep wondering why so many people think this is okay.
Not a single member of NFA’s team is autistic. Not one of them.
And the CEO, Gillian Leek, also founded The Center for Autism and The Developing Brain.
Donations to NFA will go to that center. So what’s in the mission statement?
Ah, I see. Eugenics.
The most heartbreaking thing about this is that none of the celebrities participating in #ColorTheSpectrum are autistic, and none of the people who run NFA are autistic either.
How much longer do we have to scream, “Nothing about us without us!!” before people listen?