Protected Speach

First of all let me explain that the Protection and Advocacy lawyers (or at least the people called Protection and Advocacy advocates who work with my lawyers) who are working with me on my case to help me and make things better for other autistics are reading this, my blog page. They are commenting on it by Email rather than directly on the page but because I think this is a good thing, thats good enough for now.

They have alot to learn. They have admitted this. I want to facilitate their learning. They can be stubborn and difficult to work with at times but the same has been said of me so Im trying to be patient.

One of the most difficult things to get across to them is that, most if not all, of services they are supposed to be set up for helping autistics are heavily influenced by the misperception that autistic means a trajic epidemic of 1 in 166 being born with are terrible affliction and that then there are nerds that want to prevent the others from getting cured. WRONG.

Since I know the truth, for the first time I AM THE ONE WHO IS COMING FOM THE POSITION OF BEING EDUDATED. Thats exciting! (being a teacher aint easy).

Ive been too conveinient all my life thats changing. Am I in a fighting mood? Damn right I am!

Based on the epidemic veiw that is controling alot of politics and beaurocrats, they would be glad to put me in the catagory of a nerd who doesnt need any accomidations or a behavioral problem that needs the services of having my behaviors fixed. They cannot do either. They have never been able to do this. Pathology is still very much how autistics are seen by programs (and I mean LOTs of programs.... not just the ones that people think). Just yesterday a P&A lawyer was using a method of speaking to me that I happen to know that even Lovass said 30 years ago was inappropriate and didnt work. Thats O.K. she gets to learn.

Yeh, I know I have more time to get educated on blogs of autistic self-advocates than lawyers. Once I get formally educated and am in a vocation, I will have less time for that too. At this point I get to share what Im learning and later I get to take my education with me.

My phone conversations often dont get very far but lately Ive been able to get across some good points. Another P&A lawyer told me two days ago that although it was obvious to him that I spoke differently that there were no laws that could help to advocate for allowing me to get across what I needed to. He said that if I was blind, we could agree on a type of communication (brail). If I was deaf we could agree on sign language. He said that autistics language had no laws that provided them anything. (I rarely say what I want or need to on the phone but this time I had an answer) I said, " That means we get to write those laws so they will be in place for me and others". (or at least I said something to that effect) He was less than enthusiastic. Thats O.K. He gets to learn.

Ive been fighting this stuff all my life but until I got married, no one was listening and fights were short lived because I was over-ruled and/or dismissed by my lack of being able to express myself. Now because there is an autistic self-advovacy movement that Im learning from and because people cant get around my wife like they get around and dismiss me.... Im becoming much less conveinient and Im finally making progress. It aint over yet. Actually, Im just getting started!

My mother isnt able to help in some ways but because of my mother and my wife, there are now, educators, autism specialists, and even P&A lawyers and advocates reading this blog site. (This may have been the case before but now Im sure if it.) Welcome to all of you. Anyone who wants to participate in helping me educate them so that they can help me and others....you are more than welcome to do that as well.

As for these people that Im talking about that are finally reading my page, they are already sending me Emails that comment about it. Who knows.... Eventually they may start commenting right on the page. Come on. Dont be bashful. There is no shame in seeking an education. Even if you already have a formal education and have to unlearn and relearn some things.

Maybe Ill write another poem about compassion later....Right now Im not in the mood.