MYTH: Autistic self-advocates are so entrenched in the social model of disability that they would see an end to benefits, services and treatments to address the impairments caused by autism.

martianjusticiar:

FACT: Many autistic self-advocates - yes, even those of us who speak, even of those of us diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or PDD-NOS rather than classic autism, even of those of us who live on our own or go to college or whatever the benchmark for being “high-functioning” is - see the benefit of treatments and other forms of assistance… as long as they have the proper aim.  That is to say, as long as they are aimed to and in fact do help us, the autistic people, live as independently and happily as possible on our own terms, rather than trying to force us to become or at least act as neurotypical as possible.  Services that help autistic people to channel our positive attributes into life skills, teach us how to cope with or avoid to the extent possible stressful situations in good ways that make sense to us, or that allow us to receive help in the areas they have problems with?  Excellent.  Coercive uses of behavioral interventions or medication that essentially punish or autistic behavior just because it’s unusual; forced exposure to stressful social or sensory situations to “get us used to it”; and dangerous quack treatments meant to “cure” us of part of a core of who we are at any cost?  Not so awesome, actually.

The self-advocates aren’t out to take your children’s access to medical services, education or government benefits away.  We’re here to make sure that they get to live independently in the community, with the opportunity to pursue their own interests and happiness without fear of abuse, neglect and coercion from the people who should be supporting them, and with equal access to things such as education, employment and healthcare (yes, including treatment for autistic symptoms that they themselves find difficult!) as they are with accommodations eventually being seen as a given rather than a burden.  It’s not a high-functioning versus low-functioning issue.  It’s not a pure social model versus pure medical model issue.  It’s an issue of respecting human rights and dignity versus viewing (and, as a result, treating) a group of people like they’re incomplete, flawed, hopeless and burdensome as they are now.  How is this so hard, especially for the people who claim to care about the autistic people in their lives?

(via sanaa-tamir)