Trigger warning: ableism, Christian ableism, abuse
Today is Thursday, June 18, 2015, Autistic Pride Day. I am a 27-year-old autistic adult. I live in Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. Over the past few months, here online, I have been friends with other autistic people besides myself. I am thankful to be part of the autistic community. It has been such a blessing and a joy to me. In March I decided it was time to blog and share my story with the world.
To all the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, friends, congregations, sisters/brothers in Christ, pastors, assistant pastors, elders and youth pastors, please do not treat us autistic people as less-than. Please do not make negative assumptions about us. Please don’t bully, shun, murder, tease, torment, chastise, or make fun of us. Please don’t make us feel Othered, and please don’t gaslight us.
We autistic people need your love, support, accomodation and acceptance. We need you to love on us, hang out with us, and at least be grateful you have us into our lives. We have so much that we want to teach you, and if you will learn from us, you would understand us better. Please be loving toward us, and please be understanding and accomodating of us. I would encourage you to open your hearts and minds toward autistic people, any disabled person.
I would like for you to do this, because when I was a little girl, I had a stepdad who was really cruel to me. I would also like for you to do this because when I was on Facebook on a Christian page that one evening, I had a Christian telling me that I wasn’t autistic. And I had another Christian telling me that they would pray my autism off of me. Then there was another Christian who told me that I had “divine health” all because I told him I was autistic. I was called names in elementary school and high school. In high school I was told that I smelled like either pee or body odor. I was also told that my handwriting was sloppy. That is really hurtful. I had no accomodations high school and when I was a little girl.
I would also encourage you to take a look at these blogs:
The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
Autistic Hoya
Emma’s Hope Book
Melissa Fields’ Autistic Story
The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism
The Autism Wars
Advocacy Without Borders
Judy Endow
Boycott Autism Speaks
Amythest Schaber
I would also like to remind you not to support Autism Speaks. They will deceive you and tell us autistic people that we are tragedies, burdens, wrong and they will also tell us that we will be eradicated.
