Ableism Part 1- Autism Mams and Dads

What is Ableism

 

Noun- discrimination in favour of able-bodied people

 

Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against people with physical or mental disabilities.

 

What are Autism Mams and Dads and What makes them ableists

• Use their child’s diagnosis/identity as their own
• Make themselves the victim of their child’s diagnosis/identity
• Are disrespectful and ableist towards/of autistic people.
• Don’t listen to friendly advice given by autistic people
• Think they are better than autistic people. 
• Use negative words to describe autism such as dumb, lame, the S word, the R word, stupid, nuts, crippled, barren, derp, idiot. 
• Want to cure their child’s autism via bleach, therapy (ABA), and diet. 
• Force their child to be more “normal”. 
• See being autistic as negative
• Don’t support the autistic community
• Use the puzzle piece symbol even when told about the history and the meaning behind it. 
• Blame things on causing autism even if there is solid proof e.g vaccines. 
• Hate autism all together
• Believe that if their child can’t speak they must be dumb/stupid, can’t’ think for themselves or don’t understand what is being said to them
• Tend to use function labels a lot like high functioning and low functioning, level 1,2 and 3
• Don’t give their autistic child different ways to communicate.

 

How to stop being an autism Mam and Dad

• Stop using their diagnosis/identity as your own. It’s not yours to use or take. 
• Use more positive words like creative, excitable, passionate
• Learn more about autism with up to date terms. (You might find out you are autistic yourself)
• Ask autistic adults questions
• Be respectful towards to autistic community
• Listen to the autistic community
• Stop following other autism mams and dads
• Think for yourself and stop listening to other autism mams and dads
• Stop being an ableist towards autism
• Let your child be themselves. If they want to line up their cars, let them!
• Help your autistic child be themselves.
• Stop focusing the puzzle piece on them
• Stop being nasty and dismissive towards autistic adults who were late diagnosed.  

My Story

When I found out I am autistic and was diagnosed at 32. I was called a liar, because I was on facebook and could explain things clearly. They accused me of being allistic.  They called me a fake person with autism. I put them straight and said “I am an autistic person”. I very soon got sick of autism mams and dads when I joined a new group and if there is any I would just leave. You can tell if there is any in a group by looking at the rules and if there are any puzzle piece symbols being used. That is a huge sign they are around. If they comment on a random like page on Facebook I try to explain, but this mainly ends up me blocking that profile.