Dear Autism Community (By Young)

[Guest guest]

Dear Autism Community (By Young)

Hi My Name is Young and I am diagnosed with autism. I wanted to tell you

that the Autism Community for years has been where applicable escalating in

conflicts. The groups and individuals who have done this and who have caught my

attention is what is known as Autism Pride. They have been harsh with parents

and other kinds of advocacy groups demanding that nothing be for them without

them. I do not believe they had realized that people with autism think all sorts

of ways.

I myself do not approve of or appreciated it when they protest calling people

marching for autism awareness " pity " . In the same context demanding that the

public fund programs while accusing the public of selective abortion. I believe

it is inappropriate to make such demands toward tax-payers whom already pay for

my and many others community inclusion social services. I also find it

displeasing the philosophy of making compassion and compassionate caring people

into a concept of pity. I find it to be very mean.

While using these inappropriate techniques it became political. One was

nominated for a government board by the then newly elected president Obama.

Politicians I am told will commonly nominate people to settle them down. The

group he founded is not democratic and self-advocates do not have the right to

vote on issues but instead as the official Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN)

everyone is made to believe self-advocates agree with him as mainstream media

does not carry much of other self-advocates on the issues and the only voices

heard from this network is what is approved by its philosophy.

I am also very disappointed that the same group on national television went up

against Autism Isolation awareness. Without compromise for those isolated like I

experienced for years before I received after school years social services with

the Regional Center they just considered it discrimination. They did not seek to

make the public aware of the reality of isolation but yet seemed to want autism

isolation awareness to go away. Meanwhile these select very high functioning

individuals that are able to go to college gaining advanced degrees and simply

seem to be about the pride of a disorder label seem to be well integrated

themselves. This kind of pride I do not believe in and has not earned my trust.

In conclusion I wish to state I am disappointed in the indifference of pride

politicians and their methods claiming to be out for my best interest while

alienating others. I would also like others support in seeking the media allow

the input of other kinds of self-advocates with autism when issues arise in the

media. That way the public has the understanding that there is adversity in the

self-advocacy community that self-advocates are not so harsh and political

agenda based.

I would like to post here again and have you contact the media and or

organizations about ideas for inclusion and opportunity. I am proud to have

solutions and not bitter despondencies. Where I live I've been on the front

pages of newspapers, hours of radio, T.V news and most know about the candle

making project for autism and developmental disability employment I made.

Thousands of candles are sold a year supporting the employment. Now I am doing

an experiment called Humboldt Includes for sponsored transitional integration

I've talked to specialist, media, businesses and agencies about and everything

is a go.

I believe it is time for solutions and not angriness. It's time for hope,

compassion for fellow human beings regardless of having autism or not and a

constructive resolve that creates step by little step a more promising future

for those left out. It's time for a new kind of leadership by and for people

with autism and disabilities of the developmental kind in mainstream media and

in the public.

Sincerely,

Young