We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all autistics & autistic cousins are created equal; that all are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Agency, Acceptance, & the pursuit of Happiness; that the pursuit of happiness can take many forms, including but not limited to Stimming both with & without Toys, seeking and avoiding Sensory experiences, & interacting with Special Interests & HyperFixations.
– That to secure these rights, Advocacy groups are instituted among Men, deriving their just missions from the consent of the affected,
– That whenever any Form of Advocacy becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Forms of Advocacy, laying their foundation on such principles and organizing their powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Advocacy Groups long established should not be abandoned for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that autistics and autistic cousins are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism and Eugenics, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Advocacy Groups and provide new Advocates for their future security.
–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Autistics and Autistic Cousins; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to overthrow their externally imposed Systems of Advocacy. The history of the present Autistic Awareness Movement, as embodied by its largest proponent, Autism Speaks, is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute removal of Atypical Traits from these Autistics and Autistic Cousins.
To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. among many concerns, we draw attention now to chiefly the following:
They have refused to acknowledge the opinions and intelligence of actually Autistic persons and Autistic cousins.
They have refused to respect the agency of actually Autistic persons and Autistic cousins, except wherein those persons make the choice desired of them.
They have supported and continue to support such barbaric forms of ‘intervention’ as ABA therapy, despite knowing the horrific roots of such strategies and its close relation to the nearly universally denounced torture of conversion therapy.
They have supported and continue to support measures of eugenics, such as funding research into the 'cause’ of such atypicalities and funding research into possible 'cures’.
They have contributed to stigma and fearmongering among the general population, furthering a narrative that tells society that autism is a monster stealing their children away, a narrative that lends itself to despair, pity, and increased sympathy for such evils as filicide.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Advocacy Group whose character is thus marked by every act which may define an Enemy, is unfit to be the advocate of any people.
We, therefore, the Nebulous Masses of Autistics and Autistic Cousins, Assembled and Connected via the Internet and Blogosphere, appealing to the Moral Arc of the Universe in the Belief that it Shall Bend toward Justice, do, in the Name, and by Authority of Our Own Minds and Will, solemnly publish and declare, That these Autistics and Autistic Cousins are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent Self-Advocates; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Autistic Awareness Movement, and that as Free and Independent Self-Advocates, they have full Power to lobby Legislatures, make their Own Decisions, protest Indignities and Betrayals, and to do all other Acts and Things which Living Persons may of right do.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the belief in the Inherent Human Desire to Do Good, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
not only did Twitter add the neurodiversity symbol to the autism hashtag for this month, they even changed it from the awareness hashtag to the acceptance hashtag after @autistictic reached out to them!!!!
I am SO HAPPY that i’m already seeing so much more acceptance and listening this April, this might seem like a small step but it’s a step in the right direction for once!!!!!!!!
(For clarification: Demi girl top and lesbian skirt! And it’s veeery small, but she has the rainbow infinity symbol for autism as an earring and bracelet because it is still autism acceptance month!!)
Happy Autism Acceptance Month! Hafgrim the iconic Viking is autistic, just as I the blog runner am myself.
Hafgrim’s special interests:
Alcohol brewing
Cake making and decorating
Bone widdling
Folk music
Martial combat techniques
Animals
Rune study
Hafgrim is very habitual with his drinking, having a mug of ale or mead with every meal, three meals a day. He is unable to look anyone in the eyes unless absolutely necessary, his demeanor leans toward diplomatic and sympathetic, and he’s a very strong empath, to the point it overwhelms him whenever anyone feels any emotion regardless of what it is. Hafgrim cries easily, has a very high pain tolerance, and has grown to become stoic in handling himself because it’s the only way he knows how to cope. Hafgrim can’t handle large crowds very well unless he knows the people well, and he enjoys solitary time with his brother and son more than socializing.
These are traits based on myself. I am very habitual and routine based, completely stalwart in what order I do things, I always have at least one hyperfixation, but usually a few at one time, I struggle to make eye contact, I’m hyper-empathetic, have rejection sensitivity, and am keenly attuned to others’ emotions, and social settings are very difficult, nearly impossible, for myself, and when stressed I’ll often go mute. And most obviously, I stim. CONSTANTLY!!
I’d like to remind you all, however, that autism presents itself in multiple different ways. These are neither the only nor the predominant traits autistic people possess. Some autistics struggle with or outright don’t have the capacity for empathy, others are very outgoing and social, others are selectively mute or entirely mute, and there are literally hundreds upon thousands of other traits notable in autistic people. Some of us have lots of them, some of us have only a few, some have all, but nonetheless we’re all autistic regardless of the number of traits we have.
Some things to note about autism:
It is not a disease. The word “disease” associates a negative connotation with autism, but autism does not harm anything or anyone. Calling it a disease enables neurotypicals, aka people who aren’t autistic, to pity us, thus seeing us as lesser than themselves. We are not lesser. We are different.
It’s necessary to accept, not correct or cure autism. Many autistic people don’t want a cure, we just want to be accepted. Again, autism does not hurt the individual, or anyone else, and therefore, it doesn’t need to be “fixed” or eliminated.
Advocating for ABA therapy, or “applied behavior analysis” therapy, is actively destructive to autistic people, and enables trauma. ABA seeks to erase harmless things like stimming (blinking, clicking teeth, rocking, pen clicking, etc.), and force eye contact during conversation. Stimming is a form of coping, and one which, again, harms nothing and nobody. Tearing away coping mechanisms and then forcing scared people into situations and environments that are highly uncomfortable without any known way to handle the fear, is damaging and traumatizing. Autistic people do not handle stress and fear the way neurotypicals do, nor can we comprehend the emotions the way they can, and thus, we need to stim. Stop advocating for and funding ABA.
Using person-first language is demeaning to autistic people. Autism is seen as a defining trait for the majority of us, because, as I said, it isn’t a disease, nor is it debilitating. Neurotypicals view autism negatively, and thus often say, “people with autism” instead of “autistic people”, and tell us that autism doesn’t define us. But it’s like telling somebody, “Instead of saying you’re a kind person, say you’re a person with kindness.” Personality traits define who we are, and autism is a personality trait conglomerated from multiple other habits and traits. Thus, it does define us. So please, do not use person-first language.
The blue puzzle piece, and colorful puzzle piece, are harmful because they are associated with Autism Speaks. There has been a major push toward using a rainbow infinity symbol instead. But because the puzzle piece has been associated with AS, please do not use it at all for any reason!!!!
There’s plenty you can do do advocate for autistic people in a positive way, including educating yourself through and donating to:
It’s not enough to just be aware. This is why we try to change “Autism Awareness Month” to “Autism Acceptance Month!” It’s better to learn about autism and how to accept it ❤️ ♾
Many assume that autistic people aren’t good at making friends, but we can thrive in social environments that better suit our needs. This comic is all about making friends on the internet as an autistic person! ✨
AnotherAutismAcceptanceMonth, another autistic Riku. This year with a modern AU where he has a Special Interest in rodents and has two rats named Mickey and Minnie~
![A single square image of a drawing where a tired looking shadowed figure huddles under a mountain of various colored desaturated blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals, on top of a bed in a blank room. The slanted window behind them shows a less saturated, slightly brighter, nice spring day with a pink and blooming tree against a pale blue sky. The silhouettes of shades (or blinds) are drawn at intervals over the window, making the light that has been cast onto the bed and onto the floor of the dark, blank room striped. Crowded above the bed, and above the tired shadowy face, are floating pointy white boxes of various ableist speech, with the lightning bolt shaped tails of the boxes pointing off in various directions. The various speech boxes say: "...Autism Drive for Autism Speaks [heart symbol]", "A.B.A. does wonders!", ", Look at these puzzle peice shirts! [puzzle peice shirt]", "My child has autism so...", "[hashtag] Light it Up Blue!", "Awareness month... [awareness ribbon symbol]" At the bottom of the image, beneath the bed, is white text standing out against the darkness that says: "Wake Me Up When April Ends"](https://64.media.tumblr.com/1e568d583ca375b054fa891720fe374f/d5c8ce214ffcdb16-9e/s640x960/c36a0bbbaa155402334adfd5e62077ca4b08792e.png)
