My View Script:

Script: I am an autistic adult living in the United States. There are many issues that are of great concern for everyone in 2007. I'd like to speak about one of them today.

While there are many who support the rights of autistic people and recognise our contribution to society, there is a great deal of misunderstanding that challenges our efforts to educate people about this.

People with disabilities, like all people, have a far greater value than the tasks we perform. To sum up the value of human beings this way leads us down a very destructive path.

History has shown us that any movement that encourages and works toward the elimination of any group will lead us to the destruction of more and more minorities and ultimately the annihilation of the entire race. The movement to cure autism must be recognized for what it is.

Disabled autistics are not only ignored by not providinng some of the services that we need to live but the contributions that we can make are often overlooked and we are not provided the accomodations in schools and jobs that would give us more opportunities to contribute.

Also, disability or ability does not define the autistic population any more than the ways we are defined by clinical psychologist and diagnosticians who attempt to categorize what they think they see in us in relation to the medical model of autism.
We are much more than the composite of the skills we display when given these poorly constructed tests.

While differences in learning and communication styles do present autistics with obstacles, many autistics throughout history have accomplished a great deal without what modern society refers to as "services." If someone needs help with daily living, or if they need help with doing something or learning to do something that has already been seen as a valuable skill, such needs must be evaluated as to how not providing this affects our humanity. Who we are as people must always aspire to provide people with what they need in this way. This is very important.

Actually today many autistics are making contributions to society in ways that are recognized (Vernon Smith and Steven Spielburg to name just a couple) but these people being autistic isn't sending the message that it should. At least, it has not turned a lot of popular opinions around that need to change.

As long as views of autism are spread throughout the mainstream media about the causation and cure of autism that is based on unproven science and as long as causation and cures are the focus of how autistics are seen instead of finding more ways to support diversity, people will not place their focus where it should be.

When our nation begins to focus more on ending prejudice, and finding ways to include all expressions of diversity we will create a stronger workforce that makes better use of what more people have to offer and more importantly, more peace of mind.

While I speak only for myself, there are people who share my views on this matter of how autistics are often misrepresented and how and why this needs to change. Many of these views are represented on the internet on places like Autism Hub, Neurodiversity. com and The Autism Acceptance Project (TAAP).

The focus on the causation and cure of autism in the mainstream media goes beyond being impractical. It is very dangerous, not only to autistics themselves , but to our nation's future and to everyone's future.

For those of us that are looking for political change in the upcoming election, we are, of course, looking for a candidate whom we can support. I am concerned that there are politicians who are representing the interest of the people who are not accepting their responsibility to know more than they do about autism legislation. When biased research leads to unreasonable fears, unnecessary expenses, and even dangerous medical treatments, and negative stereotypes about who autistics are, this presents a very real need for a better understanding.

There is much talk of a widespread epidemic of a mysterious disease. The real mystery is why more people aren't making an effort to learn the truth about autism.

We need to all become more educated about who autistics are. We need to educate our communities about who autistics are. We need to educate our communities and we need to educate our politicians.

Please join me in learning more about who autistics are and how we think and feel.
Thank you