Thread by @JenniAgitator

@AutismSpeaks killed a bill for nonspeakers in Virginia today. They parked their BIG grifter arses atop a great bill that made inclusion of nonspeakers in GenEd possible. It would have eliminated IQ testing being a determinant of AAC access. If you think A$ sucks, please RT

https://twitter.com/ekverstania/status/1488977038094614529

I’ve spent 3 years as an anti-restraint/seclusion activist angry @autismspeaks refuses to intervene on the pervasive restraint and seclusion abuse of autistics. Their silence is DEAFENING. But then I saw what happens when A$ decides they must kill a bill today and am grateful

@AutismSpeaks didn’t loudly try to kill our work against restraint and seclusion. Although, their silence on it is tacit support for restraint and seclusion of our most vulnerable. Maybe they need to rename themselves Autism SCREAMS.

Then @AutismSpeaks wanted to pull a task force together to improve the bill. Guess what? Not a single autistic person or nonspeaker was in their group. Not 1. Surprised you say? Don’t be. The fact that they don’t actually listen to autistic people makes their name an absurd irony

But here we are. I have two autistic sons, ages 15 and 30. @AutismSpeaks has done NOTHING but cause our family pain, and stood silently by as my 15 year old was denied an appropriate education and subjected to 745 seclusions. They never weighed in on his story; it made nat’l news

And the bitter irony is, he was secluded 745 times because he was not appropriately accommodated with AAC. Had this bill @AutismSpeaks KILLED today been law when my son was little, he could have avoided being subjected to seclusion torture 745 times.

Every nonspeaker who suffers unaccommodated appropriately in Virginia, parents can thank @AutismSpeaks for for their child’s pain. My family has been dealing with the pain and hell they reap for 16 years. I’m sorry in advance for the harm they’ll do to you and those you love.

I’d suggest best course of action for parents of autistic kids is to expect nothing of @AutismSpeaks & they’ll never disappoint you. Unless you try to pass a bill to protect your kid, then they’ll KILL it, which may end up killing your child, but autistic deaths don’t trouble A$

Just part of the collateral damage of doing bidness grifting off autistics. Please RT thread above if @AutismSpeaks has ever harmed you or 1 you love. @EDalmayne @fierceautie @johngreally @autselfadvocacy @NationalADAPT @slooterman @Neuroclastic @ICARSBanRandS @endseclusion

Please RT above thread if you think @AutismSpeaks sucks for killing a bill for nonspeakers in Virginia today. @NeuroRebel @AutisticsUnited @lavalette @ekverstania @notanautismmom @AutSciPerson @BlackAutistics @AIMautistic @social_parasite @commaficionado @Neurodiversit15

@AutismSpeaks exists to grift off actually autistic people, to seek a “cure” for a genetic neuro-type. But when you use cure rhetoric, it’s a continuous revenue stream. But when it’s time to push for accommodations or against abuse, they are nowhere to be found. Blue lightbulbs

Autism walks, puzzle pieces, and their saccharine sweet “Light It Up Blue” theme song, all the money you give @AutismSpeaks goes to their high priced lobbyists they send in to kill legislation that actually is useful for autistic people. 1% of their proceeds go to autistic people

The rest goes to lobbyists like the one who helicoptered into Virginia and killed legislation. Crying, parents, teachers, & activists begging to pass this law to accommodate and empower nonspeaking people, and @AutismSpeaks showed up, flexed their muscle & silenced the voiceless

Every penny you give to @AutismSpeaks will go to paying for high priced lobbyists who will helicopter in to kill any meaningful legislation that helps autistic people. They LOVE lobbying for ABA, just not a bill that mandates training teachers who work w/nonspeakers on AAC

@threadreaderapp unroll