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ASD Advocacy Videos

IsabellaIsabella Citizen
edited October 2020 in Advocacy

This is one of my favourites. It explains what it means to be "disabled" in an NT world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1AUdaH-EPM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

She even has bare feet like me. ❤

  • I just ordered her tshirt from Redbubble *

Comments

  • Statest16Statest16 Citizen, Mentor

    The video had great sentiment,I wouldn't disagree with anything.Is she really implying that shopping malls should be modified for autistic needs(which would be nice) but is that realistic.

    Maybe I took her to literally,I don't know.A lot of questions the ND movement posses are difficult,I can only say I don't know.

  • I have always said, we aren't wrong, we are different, and we have to live in a toxic allistic social system.

  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen

    This is a good video to explain the high functioning/etc autistic experience to people generally.

    What do people think about the idea that autism is not a disability, it's a difference?

    I understood this paradigm to be harmful, and exclusive towards some of the functioning levels.

  • We are not wrong.
    We are different.
    This is my position, and the position of the woman in the video.

  • In an allistic society, we have a major social disability.

  • SheldonSheldon Citizen
    edited October 2020

    In the video, it is suggested our communication skills within our peer group are not that bad.

  • If we were taught to be direct, rather than being NT mind readers, as children, we would have a different communication paradigm.
    But we are forced to follow NT social etiquette and be mindreaders.

  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen

    I would love if we could make meaningful changes for the generations coming up behind us.
    I'm no advocate for the typical way of doing things.

    She does make the point that she is disabled by the environment with a comparison to someone who has visible disabilities.

  • Statest16Statest16 Citizen, Mentor
    edited October 2020

    I personally indentify as disabled and I'm not into ND type stuff,but I don't deny NT's can be shitty to us for sure.But I don't want a cure though,cause then I'd loose 1300 per month,money talks right LOL

  • SheldonSheldon Citizen
    edited October 2020

    @Amity said:
    I would love if we could make meaningful changes for the generations coming up behind us.
    I'm no advocate for the typical way of doing things.

    She does make the point that she is disabled by the environment with a comparison to someone who has visible disabilities.

    And I am saying the same thing through calling allistic society toxic.
    IT IS TOXIC TO ME!
    I know how I feel.
    It may be "othering" but it doesn't change the fact I find it repugnant.

  • 20 plus years of being gang-stalked by allistics has made this perfectly clear to me, and no one is going to change my opinion, period.

  • Statest16Statest16 Citizen, Mentor

    @Sheldon said:
    20 plus years of being gang-stalked by allistics has made this perfectly clear to me, and no one is going to change my opinion, period.

    I get where your coming from yes for sure.

  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen

    Sure, of course you know how you feel Sheldon, I find I have much in common with neurodivergent people though and not just autistic people.

    My point earlier is that she creates a divide between the functioning levels by differentiating herself as someone who experiences disability solely because of the environment.

  • @Amity said:
    My point earlier is that she creates a divide between the functioning levels by differentiating herself as someone who experiences disability solely because of the environment.

    Does she sound like an ableist to you?
    Is that the problem?

    I can relate to what she is saying, so she speaks for me.

  • I'm not sure why it is wrong if what she says is relevant to a significant part of the autistic community.
    Perhaps she needs to make that clear, but they only have a limited about of time to make their presentation.
    I think the video was only given 13 minutes, or so.

  • Statest16Statest16 Citizen, Mentor

    @Sheldon said:

    @Amity said:
    My point earlier is that she creates a divide between the functioning levels by differentiating herself as someone who experiences disability solely because of the environment.

    Does she sound like an ableist to you?
    Is that the problem?

    I can relate to what she is saying, so she speaks for me.

    I don't think she sounded ableist,I just wonder if complete autistic accommodation is realistic

  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen

    Agreed she didnt sound ableist, no problem.

    I picked up on something I read before about difference vs disability.

  • Oh goodness. Sorry -- I didn't intend to start a debate with that video. I like her because she makes some valid points about "disability" and articulates her point well about the social model. I do believe we also have to acknowledge the medical model and the fact that many people are significantly disadvantaged (if that's the right word?) with neurological and developmental limitations. There is much more to Autism than what she presents, or her personal strengths, although I do like her approach and her attitude.

  • AmityAmity Administrator, Citizen

    I liked it too Isy, I think it might help my mum understand my experience.

  • HylianHylian Citizen, Mentor

    I like the thing she brought up about autistic and typically developing people just communicating differently. I've always thought it was interesting that I seem to get along fine with other autistic people and that most of my friends have been autistic, or have autism traits, but it can be very hard to get along with typically developing people. Sometimes it really just seems like both autistic and NT people have their own communication barriers that we both need to work on.

  • -We are not broken, we are different.
    -The world we live in is not designed to be accessible for you because you fall outside the realm of what people call normal.
    -We have social isolation. The "normal" world tells us we are broken.
    -A lifetime of rejection and not feeling we fit in.
    -"I have no idea what you are going through, and I don't care."
    -Trivialising what the autistic experience is.
    -Don't dismiss us. Listen to us instead.
    -In order to include me, my difference needs to be acknowledged.
    -Please believe us.

    Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,Yup,🙃

  • verityverity Administrator, Citizen
    edited October 2020

    Not a criticism of the videos but a perspective I have:

    I think generalisations make for poor advocacy, although in politics it is de-rigueur to over-simply the reality, becuase it is seen to help the objective more, e.g. we don't wish to be written off or seen as defective. Understandable and laudable objective, but may be throwing some people under the bus in the process...

    Disability is not a black and white thing. Advocacy of disability is about creating awareness. The same is true for difference.

    Trivialising disability is no better than trivialising or opposing difference. I don't see why these should be played off each other.

    Disability comes in many forms and is not mutually exclude of any type of being.

    Disability can be driven by environment, or thoughtlessness of others (e.g. situational) but sometimes it is just a fact of life.

    In some cases adaptation can be made without support, or with advice, in other cases personnel or technological support is needed.

    I believe in supporting each other but anyone who professes to speak for me becuase I'm within a group...well isn't sorry.

    So, it is not case of we are or are not disabled,. That is down to the individual.

    Not many people, including few on the spectrum have hands on experience with severe autism. I'm not talking communication difficulties/ non--verbal, or the various co-morbid conditions like neuro-motor conditions. I'm not even talking of those that have intellectual disabilities (though many things like communication difficulties can wrongly be labelled intellectual disability) . I'm not even talking about other issue like incontinence. Some such people have thrived even better than some "higher functioning" folk have.

    The most severe end of the spectrum are often the most excluded from advocacy, becuase there is a dividing line between the disability and non-disability theorists. This isn't theoretical for them and they are the most in need of advocates.

    If you were put in that position, don't think than being on the spectrum thus feeling you would relate more, would help you interact with them better than someone else who knows them. It is very easy to think that with some self-knowledge of sensory issues and social interaction difficulties, etc, you will not receive frustration or even violence in return. Unfortunately this isn't always realistic. They may not be aware or even appreciate you are on the spectrum, nor would make a whole of difference to them without the knowledge from a personal relationship.

    We can understand each other's perspective or even relate to some degree but this is not magic. No body can truly be in another's shoes without wearing them, and if anything I admit my life style many autist lifestyle doesn't exactly coincide naturally with such a vocation, though I'm not totally without experience either.

  • She's a good speaker, but her experience is very different from mine.For me ASD isn't a gift. I've had very few friends in 63 years. I've never worked. I need help to maintain a reasonable level of independence . My adaptive functioning is probably several SD,or more, below my IQ. By any reasonable, and sensible definition , I'm disabled.

    That holds true even if I didn't have a long history of severe mental illness.

  • Mona_PerethMona_Pereth Citizen
    edited February 2021
    Statest16 said:

    The video had great sentiment,I wouldn't disagree with anything.Is she really implying that shopping malls should be modified for autistic needs(which would be nice) but is that realistic.


    The changes to shopping malls that she is suggesting would benefit not just (some) autistic people but also the much larger number of "Highly sensitive people."

    Sensory issues affect about 20% of the population, if I recall correctly.

    What would be best would be for stores to have different lighting, etc., on different days, with an announced schedule of same.  (There are also plenty of people with opposite sensory needs, e.g. who can't see well in dim light.)

    Statest16 said:

    Maybe I took her to literally,I don't know.A lot of questions the ND movement posses are difficult,I can only say I don't know.


    Be this as it may, this is an aspect of the neurodiversity paradigm (and the social model of disability, more generally) that is relevant to autistic people of all ability levels, not just the work-capable folks.





  • Statest16 said:

    The video had great sentiment,I wouldn't disagree with anything.Is she really implying that shopping malls should be modified for autistic needs(which would be nice) but is that realistic.


    The changes to shopping malls that she is suggesting would benefit not just (some) autistic people but also the much larger number of "Highly sensitive people."

    Sensory issues affect about 20% of the population, if I recall correctly.

    What would be best would be for stores to have different lighting, etc., on different days, with an announced schedule of same.  (There are also plenty of people with opposite sensory needs, e.g. who can't see well in dim light.)

    Statest16 said:

    Maybe I took her to literally,I don't know.A lot of questions the ND movement posses are difficult,I can only say I don't know.


    Be this as it may, this is an aspect of the neurodiversity paradigm (and the social model of disability, more generally) that is relevant to autistic people of all ability levels, not just the work-capable folks.


    I've heard countless people, most presumably NTs, complaining about the white, glaring lights in most malls and supermarkets. They don't even have to be dim, but strong neon lights seem to be almost universally hated. And it's not only shops, many offices use them too and they are particularly awful when you're using a computer.

    Don't even get me started about the music some of these places use. 

    I vaguely remember they made this kind of experiment in the UK already (autistic-friendly days) and a lot of non-autistic people reacted positively to the changes. Maybe one of our British members remembers more about it.
  • Mona_PerethMona_Pereth Citizen
    edited February 2021
    Bender said:
    Statest16 said:

    The video had great sentiment,I wouldn't disagree with anything.Is she really implying that shopping malls should be modified for autistic needs(which would be nice) but is that realistic.


    The changes to shopping malls that she is suggesting would benefit not just (some) autistic people but also the much larger number of "Highly sensitive people."

    Sensory issues affect about 20% of the population, if I recall correctly.

    What would be best would be for stores to have different lighting, etc., on different days, with an announced schedule of same.  (There are also plenty of people with opposite sensory needs, e.g. who can't see well in dim light.)

    Statest16 said:

    Maybe I took her to literally,I don't know.A lot of questions the ND movement posses are difficult,I can only say I don't know.


    Be this as it may, this is an aspect of the neurodiversity paradigm (and the social model of disability, more generally) that is relevant to autistic people of all ability levels, not just the work-capable folks.


    I've heard countless people, most presumably NTs, complaining about the white, glaring lights in most malls and supermarkets. They don't even have to be dim, but strong neon lights seem to be almost universally hated. And it's not only shops, many offices use them too and they are particularly awful when you're using a computer.

    When you say "neon lights" do you actually mean fluorescent lights?  Those are what are most commonly used as overhead lights in many commercial and public buildings.


    Bender said:

    Don't even get me started about the music some of these places use. 

    I vaguely remember they made this kind of experiment in the UK already (autistic-friendly days) and a lot of non-autistic people reacted positively to the changes. Maybe one of our British members remembers more about it.

    Which is one of the reasons why a more autistic-friendly world would be beneficial for many NT's too.  This is an example of the curb cut effect.

  • BenderBender Citizen
    edited February 2021
    Mona_Pereth said:
    When you say "neon lights" do you actually mean fluorescent lights?  Those are what are most commonly used as overhead lights in many commercial and public buildings.

    Indeed, I meant fluorescent (non-native speaker, sorry for the confusion).

    Mona_Pereth said:
    Which is one of the reasons why a more autistic-friendly world would be beneficial for many NT's too.  This is an example of the curb cut effect.

    Agreed.

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