Autie pride (was: Re: PEOPLE STARING)

[Phil Schwarz]

Re: PEOPLE STARING

On Thu, 9 Oct 1997 01:40:18 UT, Alexandra Kazan <Alex_...@CLASSIC.MSN.COM>
wrote:

>I have often wondered why there isn't an AutiPride movement the way there are
>with other disorders and disabilities. Some would say that it's cruel to "out"
>a child by telling the world he/she is autistic but there's nothing whatever
>amiss with being how and who you are. These children need to know that they
>are loved, valued, and that they should extend these emotions to themselves
>and others. Miracles can and do happen for I've seen them; worked as caregiver
>to autistic kids one on one. Oh, and lest I forget to mention it, I'm
>autistic.

Hi Alexandra --

There _are_ organizations promoting autie pride.

One of them is Autism Network International, the self-advocacy organization
co-founded by Donna Williams and Jim Sinclair. Check out its website at
http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~bordner/ani.html . It operates, among other
things, a private Internet mailing list, and for the last two years running
it has held a (very worthwhile IMHO) retreat in upstate New York (which,
BTW, is designed to accommodate folks at all points along the spectrum).

Another is local to Los Angeles; it's called AGUA -- Adult Gathering,
United and Autistic. It was featured on a _60 Minutes_ segment about
Jerry Newport and Mary Meinel, last year. (If Jerry or anyone from AGUA
is around, could you supply the right e-mail address to contact for
further information on AGUA?)

And then there is another Internet mailing list, the Independent Living
Forum, or InLv. Contact Martijn Dekker at mar...@inlv.demon.nl about it.

There is also an IRC channel, #asperger. Check out its homepage,
http://www.nox.com/asp/asp.htm .

I think the notions of autistic pride and autistic community are
important ones -- both for folks on the spectrum, and for their
family and friends.

The more we widen societal horizons regarding _neurological_ diversity,
alongside diversity of race, ethnicity, religion, culture, etc., the
easier it will be for folks on the spectrum to integrate into, and
contribute to, the society at large, to whatever degree their skills
and talents render them capable. The more there will be a place and
a role of value in the society at large.

I look forward to the day when "indistinguishability from typical
peers" will no longer be felt a necessary prerequisite to a happy,
productive, engaged life for their children in the society at large
by so many parents -- when we have put an end to the stigmatizing
and symptomatizing of that which is merely different, and can unite
in focusing on the mitigation of that which is truly disabling,
and upon the development of the skills and talents that enable success.

I think the development of community and a pride movement among folks
on the spectrum is an important step towards that goal. I think that
the experience of other minority and disability groups in that regard
is well worth heeding. Years ago, there were no accommodations and
no clues about appropriate education for the deaf community; that has
changed. Not so many years ago, gay sexual orientation was considered
a psychiatric disorder; that has changed, too. In both cases, pride
movements and activism within the community were driving forces for
the change.

I also bring my perspective as a member of a small religious/ethnic/
cultural minority, as a Jew, to the issue of the importance of
building community. Folks on the spectrum are in as much of a
_neurological_ diaspora, scattered within and across the large
neurologically typical majority, as the Jewish community is in a
religious/ethnic/cultural diaspora, scattered within and across
much larger religious, ethnic, and cultural populations. Building
community is a way to survive and thrive as a small minority, even
in a diverse and open society at large.

Phil, who hopes that as time goes on, more and more of the
editorializing I've just engaged in above becomes preaching
to an ever-growing choir :-) .

Alexandra, if you find and connect with any of the organizations
and resources I listed above, welcome to the community!

Phil Schwarz
psch...@ix.netcom.com