Being Autistic, Not having Autism

[ButterflyLady]

To Parents, teachers, social workers and members of the public,
It has come to the attention of the Autistic community that many Neurotypicals like the use of the person-first method way of identifying Autistic people. For an example,” Matt is a person with Autism” or “I have has Autism”. For a lot of us, we like to use the identity-first method as a way of self-identification and when mentioning others like “Matt is Autistic” or “I am Autistic”. The problem that we have now is that a lot of you insist that we refer to ourselves as “having Autism” rather than allow ourselves to be called Autistic. A lot of you are now asking “What’s the big deal?” let us explain.
When you do this, you are telling us that Autism is a separate thing that isn’t part of us. Like a broken leg, a common cold or a disease that needs curing which Autistic People do not need and by which you are implying that underneath our Autistic brains, there is a non-autistic brain. You can’t simply separate the person from the Autism without this affecting their personality and their identity. This is the main reason why we like identity-first rather than person-first, “Being Autistic” rather than “Having Autism”. Telling us to use person-first language is oppression because you are denying us of our identity. If you are speaking with someone from the LGBT community, he or she and so on, won’t say to you “I’m a person with Homosexuality” they will most likely say “I’m a homosexual” and that is seen as socially acceptable, but because Autism is seen as this “horrible disease” by the media and by the public thanks to groups like Autism Speaks, it isn't. Like being Gay, being Autistic is part of one’s identity that can never be removed. Societies attitudes towards sexuality have changed from it being “wrong” to a part of you that will never chance and Autistic’s need to see the same change in regards to Autism.
We don’t need snobby doctors to tell us that we medically have Autism or have Social justice warriors telling us that we are people. Duh! It quite obvious we are people and we don’t need reminding of this.
Being Autistic, Not having Autism.
Light it up Rainbow

Autistics are battling Autism Speaks, but for good reason. Why aren't more news stations picking up this story? Because Autism Speaks never returns calls or anything for comment and threatens legal action when it s reported on without their "take" on the story. I would love to see SOMEBODY stand up to them and take the side of the "little people" who constantly get stepped on, pushed aside and ignored.

www.boycottautismspeaks.com/why-boycott-1.html

autisticbfh.blogspot.com/2007/09/autism-speaks-attacks-local-charitys.html?hc_location=ufi&m=1

smallbutkindamighty.com/2013/04/02/why-i-dont-support-autism-speaks-which-is-why-i-dont-light-it-up-blue/

theoriesofminds.tumblr.com/post/117866281351/what-autism-means-to-us

franklludwig.com/autismspeaks.html

Autism Speaks took their star rating and reviews on many of their pages after being siezed by Autistics.
www.buzzfeed.com/idontneedacureflashblog/autism-speaks-silencing-autistics-yet-again-1cnon

m.facebook.com/TheOnlyButterflyLady/activity/10153159385901061?comment_id=10153250875076061&ref=m_notif¬if_t=like

m.facebook.com/TheOnlyButterflyLady/activity/10153252856081061?comment_id=10153252949881061&offset=0&total_comments=5&ref=m_notif¬if_t=group_activity

SOURCE: Facebook page: Light It Up Rainbow