The time must come- The Autistic Rights Movement

[TFD92]

Today saw the legalization of Same-Sex Marriage within the UK, many today see this as a victory and step forwards for quality. People, who have not chose how they think or feel, have been able to move forwards and gain greater acceptance and equal rights in society.

 

In History, nothing has ever been gained without a fight. The Gay Rights movement is just another sparkle in the great strides for Human dignity, equality and freedom we have experienced be it Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King. In many ways, I have came to believe that those on the Autistic Spectrum have faced similar struggles as these struggling minorities in the world. Fair enough, we have not faced legal persecution or discrimination, but we certainly have faced a struggle to be understood, accommodated and made meaningful in this dark and dreary world. How many of us have been made to feel "different" as we have grew up? isolated? different? freakish? left out? For things that in reality, were no fault nor cause of our own, just like homosexuality, or black skin. Things about us that the world have been too ignorant or disinterested in discovering and understanding a like.

 

I likely have Aspergers Syndrome. For 13 years growing up I saw a paediatrician but unusually was never diagnosed. As I have grew up I have developed some outstanding academic talents and was accepted into one of the nations best universities, but nonetheless my social life was and has been a bitter, bitter struggle. In high school I found myself too anxious and scared to want to socialize, to make friends. Everyone made fun of me, they mocked my mannerisms, said horrible things about me behind my back, group bullied me, they had no remorse nor compassion and still don't. I was "different", I didn't fit in, completely misunderstood. The things they said and done still sweep my mind today, they still haunt my in my dreams. Years have gone by, I have developed strong social skills, the ability to talk, communicate, understand, interact, read people, understand body language, things which aren't "Aspergers" anymore.. which is somewhat miraculous.. nonetheless the memories still haunt me. However, I still can feel very lonely, I want to make lots of friends but just "can't", even if I can cope in these situations. I yearn to be like normal people, the biggest struggle is coming to accept who I am.. overcoming the haunting memories of bullying.

 

At a local event tonight I talked with a friend who admitted to me he had aspergers and struggled in social situations, I was amazed as I never would have thought it. My heart was filled with tender compassion, I walked home thinking about him, my past and the autistic people. I lamented thinking about the suffering and challenges that we faced, I thought of the great men in history who had fought for their rights, that people truly can, move forwards and make the world a better place. It came to my mind that we can and must do the same thing, that we, must unite and fight together for who we are, that we must win our acceptance and show the world that we are not what they judge us to be.

 

The great and most notorious lie we are made to believe is that we are abnormal and that our difficulties prevent us succeeding in this life, that we cannot flourish and truly take pride and joy in who we are. Aspergers is not a curse, it is not an "illness" or an "learning disability", but rather a blessing that produce the greatest and most gifted of all Human Beings. We must strive to help people understand who we are, we must help them understand that "different" is not wrong, that we too are relevant, we are not "freaks", "backwards" or "weirdos" but we are living, breathing human beings with feelings and rights. I proclaim a rallying cry for us to now stand up for who we are!

 

If the civil rights movement has succeeded, then the gay rights movement, then now the Autistic-Aspergers rights movement must emerge and become the next great pillar of Humanity's progress!!!

[matzoball]

While it's great that you are so passionate about what you believe in - it's dangerous to promote the idea that people with ASD are the next stage of human evolution.

 

It's not us and them - it's all of us as we are ALL human.

[sesley]

What needs promotional is autism awareness, for early intervention, with educated professional s being able to spot development behaviour in toddlers, the positvie side to autism, its complexity of different challenges , because, like all humans we are all different.

[BaffledOwl1970]

It seems that there's actually quite a lot of "Autism Awareness". What is lacking is "Autism Understanding".