I previously wrote about the debate about what words we might use to say someone has autism…or is autistic here.
Since then the debate has gone on and the more I listen to autistic people the more they are taking their identity and pride from being autistic.
The problem with 'having autism' or 'person with autism' is that it separates a person from autism and can easily lead to the autism as being something seen as 'bad' or 'wrong'. There are whole charities and industries based on autism being 'wrong' and some of the treatments and so called cures are inhumane. Anyone heard of forcing autistic children to drink bleach? Then there are those like the charity Autism Speaks, which spends the majority of its funding on finding a cure for autism. That's why many autistic people don't like their 'Light it up Blue' campaignin April as its supporting the fact that they are the 'wrong' type of people. Autism is not a burden, a disease or a curse.