Month: December 2020

I don't have autism. It is not an accessory I carry with me, nor can I set it down and leave it somewhere. I'm not a person with autism, like those old t-shirts in the 90's that said, "I'm with st*pid" and had the arrow pointing sideways. Ha freaking ha. I'm not "on the spectrum"… Continue reading I Am Autistic →

Ok, so Backstage has a listing right now for a casting call for neurodivergent talent. Great, right? That's exactly what we want is more accurate representation! This should be a good thing, right? Screenshot of backstage.com Company Last Resort Productions Gabby Harrison, writer-dir. Production Description Casting "Radio Static," for two actors for a virtual reading… Continue reading Problematic Representation is Still Problematic, Even When You Cast Autistic Actors in the Problematic Roles →

To whom it may concern: Your theater is set to premiere or is currently showing the movie Music, written and directed by Sia Furler. In this film the title character is an Autistic young woman who is non-speaking, which would have been a great opportunity for the Autistic Community to get some accurate representation in… Continue reading Open Letter to Movie Theaters Screening the Film ‘Music’ →

Well as you might've guessed, with the movie's imminent release Sia is in the news again, this time with an "apology" to the Autistic Community. ....Is how I would've liked to begin this post. Unfortunately I can't do that, because the statement that's being reported by USA Today as well as Australian media isn't exactly… Continue reading We (Still) See You Sia →

I'm livid. Absolutely beyond enraged. I will try to stay civil so I still have a piece people can share when I'm done here, but I honestly don't know if that's possible. This came to my attention Before Coffee and I'm still working on my first cup, so bear with me y'all. This might not… Continue reading Wal-Mart’s “Autism Advocate” Doll Misses the Mark →

This one has been floating around the interwebs for quite a while now, but since it's that time of year, it's making its rounds again. I really wish it would stop. Autism Night Before Christmas written in 2008 by Cindy Waeltermann, founder of the organization Autism Link. (My commentary in bold.) Twas the Night Before ChristmasAnd… Continue reading ‘Twas the Night Before… YIKES! →

You wish to ally yourself with a marginalized community. You want to learn from them and help advocate for them, because someone you love is in that community and you want to do whatever you can to help. You want to understand. You might join a group to learn more. Say you join and you… Continue reading Theoretically Speaking… →

I'm not exactly sure how long ago it was that I started actually speaking up in the Autistic Community. I've only recently been more vocal here in blog form and on my page, but I've been finding my feet in advocacy work for maybe two, maybe three years now. A little over a year and… Continue reading “Unashamed Voices” Huh? →

(And We Want Acceptance, Anyway) Apparently this "game" is making the rounds again. I've seen it circulated as "awareness" for a handful of unrelated causes over the years, and this year it's for "Autism Awareness" again, so I find myself explaining how this does absolutely zero to help Autistics and our families. Again. Here's a… Continue reading This is NOT Awareness! →