Editorial #343: The Uselessness of Autism Advocates

Autism Politico has noticed the recent change of autism campaigns from “awareness” to “acceptance” and believes that this change exemplifies the uselessness of autism advocacy, and the uselessness of autism advocates.

What is obvious is that despite autistics claiming to understand how to make themselves successes in school, at work, and in public settings, the news stories regarding autistic violence are on the increase, and the majority of autistics worldwide remain unemployed.

If autistic advocatess knew how to make successes of their lives, wouldn’t they be successful?  Wouldn’t they be mentoring other autistics, and teaching these other autistics how to succeed?

But instead, what autistic advocates are doing is shutting up successful autistics, calling successful autistics “ableist” and/or “high-functioning” as though successful autistics didn’t start out low-functioning.

Autism Politico reminds those successful autistics on the spectrum that successful autistics set a poor example to people when they allow autistic advocates to bully people with disproved propaganda.

While Autism Politico doesn’t condone the use of ABA or electroshock therapy or institutionalization, there is a reason these things exist, and the reason is that autistic self advocates have FAILED to motivate autistics to change themselves in accordance with how the research says they can change. So the next time you hear about someone on the spectrum being subjected to ABA, or shock therapy, or institutionalization, blame an autistic advocate for not teaching these autistics how to avoid those outcomes.

Remember that when an autistic person has a meltdown on an airplane, or in a store or restaurant, it is the autism advocate’s fault for not teaching people on the spectrum how to anticipate and head off meltdowns before they start.

Autistic self-advocates have spent the last two decades destroying the autism community, and it is time for them to stop with their hatred, discrimination, and supremacy.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #342: “All Self-Checkout” Stores Discriminate Against Autistics

Autism Politico is saddened to see that a certain big box retailer has gone “all self-checkout” in its smaller market stores.  This retailer shall remain nameless because it tends to get sue-happy with people who criticize it by name. Perhaps it cannot accept constructive criticism?

We believe that the retailer’s refusal to give its customers what they want is what allows the retailer to get away with a lot of the things it does.

But Autism Politico watched the transition take place. This is what they did:

1) Reduced the amount of regular checkout lanes and increased the number of self-checkout lanes.

2) Put the most competent checkers in the self-checkout area to assist customers having trouble.

3) Put the least competent checkers on regular checkout lanes to cause customers to want to transition to self-checkout in future.

4) Eliminated ALL regular checkout lanes while not increasing associates on self-checkout lanes.

5) Had associates complain rudely and intimidate customers when customers asked them to run their groceries at self-checkouts.

6) Made managers less available to hear customer complaints.

7) Ignored complaints sent to the corporate office.

8) Released press releases stating that market research indicated that this is what customers wanted, and that not paying checkers saves customers money.

9) Downsized the content of house brands while keeping prices the same.

10) Ignored customer frustration while increasing profit margins.

Some people on the spectrum who cannot understand self-checkouts now have to wait longer and go through the humiliation of trying to hunt someone down to assist them or run groceries.

This is discriminatory. Whereas before, it was empowering to bring groceries to the checkout and complete the transaction by paying the checker, now the autistic feels like a fool because he is incapable of using the self-checkout, and the associate often jeers at the autistic person for being too stupid to do the job himself.

Parents of low-functioning autistics now have the dual role of trying to manage their kids while running their groceries through the till.  That makes parents feel that the retailer doesn’t care about them either.

Autism Politico has noted moist recently that the number of associates at self-checkouts has decreased while the lines waiting to use them has increased. We’ve also noticed that despite saying that checkers have been moved to stocking shelves, that the stores remain poorly stocked even though the customer base has shrunk due to fewer people shopping there.

We sincerely hope the big box company who has made this poor decision rethinks its policy, but we know they won’t.  “Profit before people” seems to be their unspoken motto.  But this company should remember that K-Mart and Sears once thought they would last forever.  Those two retailers went out of business for one main reason” They thought they knew what the consumer wanted, when the reality was, they were driving their customers away.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #341: REAL Autistics SUPPORT SIA

Autism Politico is amused to see that so many autism supremacists are throwing tantrums and meltdowns over SIA’s film “Music” in which an autistic character is restrained. To make matters supposedly worse, the autistic character is NOT played by an autistic actress.

To which we say “So what?”

As autistics with intelligence, we at Autism Politico recognize that art imitates life.  And so, when an autistic in real life acts in a manner that causes them to be restrained for their own good, it’s a realistic portrayal when one who acts similarly is restrained in a film. As for the autistic character being portrayed by a neurotypical, when there is a big enough pool of autistic actors and actresses to choose from, then perhaps we will see autistics portraying autistic characters in film, but until then…

Autism Politico calls upon all autistic actors and actresses to cease playing neurotypical roles. Just as it is IMPOSSIBLE for a neurotypical to understand what it is like to be autistic, it is IMPOSSIBLE for autistics to understand what is like to be neurotypical.

Granted, autistic actors and actresses won’t see much work, because there won’t be too many roles for them, but it would be hypocritical for autistics to portray NTs while simultaneously demanding that NTs stop playing autistics, right?

And while we’re at it, we need to start examining other areas of the entertainment industry. Shouldn’t REAL cats be starring in the musical “Cats” instead of humans in silly costumes acting like cats?  Since we have no one in the present day who is over 120 years old or so, any historical movie, play, or whatnot needs to be portrayed by reanimated corpses from the period.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

 

 

 

Editorial #340: REAL Autistics SUPPORT “Conversations With Chevy”

Autism Politico has witnessed supposed autistic people bullying another decent person in the autism community.

The person we are writing about is the creator of the Facebook Page “Conversations With Chevy.”

Evidently, the problem some of these people claiming to be autistics are having with this page is that the woman running the page encourages her son to succeed.

Those of us SUCCESSFUL people on the spectrum had mothers just like her, and fathers who were similarly motivational. We had parents who recognized that autism is not a diagnosis with fixed attributes, but can be changed over time if we make the effort, and if we receive the right supports.

SUPPORT is not letting us wallow in the status quo. It’s helping us achieve our maximum potential.

What follows is a personal message to “Conversations With Chevy” from Autism Politico:

Editorial #339: Coronavirus

Autism Politico is feeling really, REALLY good.

We at Autism Politico pushed ourselves to succeed, and so we are self-supporting and self-reliant. We can quarantine for half a year and live off our savings if we want to, while you autistics who were accepted and accommodated are now going to become the biggest burdens on your caretakers than ever before.

We had been watching the coronavirus develop in China and so those of us who run this blog began stocking up TWO WEEKS INTO CHINA’S EPIDEMIC. Little by little we bought what we needed, not in the least panic buying or hoarding. We did this out of consideration for others, so that others could stock up, too.

Of course, we needn’t have bothered to show such consideration for others, because as usual, most people ignored the news, ignored the warnings, and ignored the science.

We are not affected by the shortages other people are experiencing. And we also trained ourselves early on in our lives to overcome our food sensitivities as the science and research says we can, so we can eat anything we want at any time while other autistics, who indulged themselves and refused to navigate outside their taste buds, will see hard times.

They deserve it. They should be made to understand what stubbornness and bad personal choices get you.

Parents of autistics are now realizing that it was incredibly stupid of them to cater to their autistic children’s every whim.

They deserve what they get, too.

All those weighted blankets, and squeeze balls, and all that other stuff you wasted money on could have been used to buy the food you need. Now you will pay inflated prices for it… provided you can find it. While we have freezers full of stuff, you have nothing.

THINK about that IF you are able to weather this storm. THINK about how the personal choices of autistics have screwed things up in your family.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #338: Easter Meme In the Autism Community

Autism Politico found this meme circulating in one of the Facebook autism groups today.  We find this kind of meme reprehensible.  It’s also insulting to the Christian religion.

But it does show the lack of “acceptance” that some autistics have for NTs, religious people, and people who pay for their benefits.

Thank you for increasing everyone’s AWARENESS of the autism community’s rudeness and crudity… -NOT!

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #337: Criteria for Admission to AS Groups

With so many militant autistics disrupting Facebook groups these days, Autism Politico thought it would share the criteria that more and more Facebook group admins seem to be using to weed out disruptive autistics.  The criteria here is by no means all-inclusive.

Criteria for rejection:

1) The applicant does not answer the questions required for admission.
2) The applicant belongs to militant groups and pages.
3) The applicant belongs to militant autism organizations.
4) The applicant has Facebook friends who are known to be militant.
5) The applicant demonstrates a hatred of schools, ethical parental practices, law enforcement, and medical treatments (including necessary institutionalization).
6) The applicant blames society or parents or teachers or law enforcement or medical professionals for their lack of motivation, success in life.
7) The applicant supports marijuana for the purpose of “treating” autism despite studies which show that marijuana has no benefits to people on the spectrum.
8) The applicant has an addiction to sex, drugs, gambling or gaming.
9) The applicant cries discrimination when their behavior is at fault for preventing them from gaining employment.
10) The applicant is a bully who claims that everyone else is bullying him or her.
11) The applicant has been known to troll and bully autism professionals on the net.
12) The applicant has been known to cyberstalk and cybermob and engage in similar activities.
13) The applicant is self-diagnosed.
14) The applicant attributes quirky behavior, sexual preference, gender preference, illegal activities, bad behaviors, etc. to their being autistic.
15) The applicant does not apply to the group using their real name.

Additional Red Flags:

1) An “Au” after the applicant’s name.

More will be added to this list in the future.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

 

Editorial #336: Autismsplaining

The autistics at Autism Politico want to provide reassurance to the general public that the crap the autistic self-advocates are filling your head up with is autismsplaining.

1) In past generations, when a parent told their autistic kids to sit down and shut up, they did.  If an autistic person starts prattling on about meltdowns and sensory overload, they’re autismsplaining.  Past generations of autistics learned how to deal with sensory overload because they had no choice.

2) In past generations, if an autistic person encountered a police officer, there was less likely to be problems because autistics were trained by their parents about what to do if they encounter a police officer.  If an autistic person starts spouting off nonsense about executive functioning, and processing problems, they’re autismsplaining.  Past generations of autistics learned how to deal with police officers properly because they had no choice.

3) In past generations, autistics had no problem doing what they were told in school. If an autistic person starts B.S-ing about needing to take time-outs because they can’t handle too much input at once, they’re autismsplaining.  Past generations of autistics learned how to behave properly in school because they had no choice.

4) In past generations, autistics got jobs. If an autistic person starts complaining that work is too hard for them because they cannot understand simple instructions, they’re autismsplaining.  Past generations of autistics held jobs because they had no choice but to do so.

5) In past generations, autistics didn’t tell employers that they needed accommodations because everyone with any diagnosis was ashamed to have it, and hid it as best they could. If an autistic person starts whining about needing accommodations at work, they’re autismsplaining.  Past generations of autistics learned how to hold a job without demanding perky extras from their employers because they had no choice.

6) In past generations, autistics didn’t link all their quirks or faults to autism and say it was all related. If an autistic person starts bitching that you cannot accept them because they are an asexual genderqueer, brony, who hops on one foot on Thursdays and who has an aversion to tacos on Fridays, and all of those attributes are related to autism so you’re discriminating against people with disabilities, they’re autismsplaining.  Past generations of autistics did not link everything in the world to their autism because they knew the world wasn’t stupid enough to believe them if they did.

7) If an autistic person tries to explain autistic psychology to you, and it doesn’t sound like what the autism specialists say, they’re autismsplaining.  Past generations couldn’t make up crap and post it on the internet and make it look like roses.  All there was were books, with real research in them, so autistics could not autismsplain as they do today.

8) Need we go on?

Autism Politico says: Remember who has the autism diagnosis and who does not.  If the one you care for is dependent on you or the government for their food, lodging, and education, then you need to ask yourself if they really ought to be telling YOU what’s best for them. If these autistics are so knowledgeable, then why don’t they get jobs?  Why don’t they get through life without depending on accommodations and government benefits?

People, stop being led around by the nose.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

 

Editorial #335: Autism and Self-Diagnosis

Autism Politico’s opinion is that if you are self-diagnosed, you are not diagnosed.

Our opinion is that what you are doing by diagnosing yourself is playing a game of make-believe, where the diagnosis you really have, or the one that you don’t have, is being ignored so that you can become part of the “little professor” clique.

Whether you are or are not diagnosed, or are a parent or caregiver, the information, opinions, and advice you are getting from self-diagnosed people may be worthless because they may not have autism at all.

We believe the only sources for autism that are reliable are researchers and autism specialists.  Don’t buy into the opinions of self-diagnosed people, and take he opinions of diagnosed people with a grain of salt, because they may be lying about their diagnosis.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #334: Autistic Privilege Has Finally Arrived!

One’s autism isn’t something that’s earned. It’s received at birth and is a form of privilege.  We suspect the Daily Iowan would agree. Recently, an article was posted there about “cognitive privilege”, which, as we understand it, is the idea that people are born with their intelligence, and if they are smart, then they are born privileged over others with lesser intelligence.

Autism Politico has noted that coincident with the rise and spread of militant autistic self-advocacy organizations comes an increasing public acceptance and accommodation which comes to people on the autism spectrum -oftentimes without asking- simply because a person publicly identifies themselves as autistic.  Even self-diagnosed autistics, who have true diagnoses of bipolar disorder, or psychosis, or Operational Defiant Disorder, or schizophrenia, have benefited from pretending to be autistic or outright faking autism.

This privilege came initially as a label, and was of benefit to only one segment of the autism spectrum: Asperger Syndrome.  Otherwise known as “the Little Professor Syndrome” that term has now gone by the wayside as people on the spectrum collectivized and appear to have moved the goal posts.

Now it seems like everyone gets benefits from the cradle to the grave.  If you’re on the spectrum, you can get occupational therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis, IEPs, SSDI, subsidized housing, vocational training, accommodations in the workplace, handicapped parking stickers, and all kinds of other things that are too many to name here.

Thanks to the militant self-advocacy organizations, we autistics can now go into a restaurant, store, place of worship, or anywhere else, throw a tantrum, call it a meltdown, and ruin everything for everyone else, with the result being that if there are any people who object to these kinds of behaviors, they will be thumped and disgraced by their fellow non-autistics.

At home, we can hit our parents with immunity. We can punch holes in walls, wreck possessions, and determine what the family does or does not eat for dinner… because we have autism.

At school, we can throw chairs in the classroom, bully classmates and claim to be the victims when they respond, punch teachers and administrative staff, and sue the school systems for maltreatment when they respond to our provocations… because we have autism.

We now have militant autism organizations training the police to let us off the hook when we become willfully disruptive, and when we commit crimes by choice, and the court system is similarly puppeteered.

While such behavior is wrong in Autism Politico‘s eyes, we have witnessed many on the spectrum… and many fakers… basking in this privilege and planning and plotting how they might get more privileges.  We suspect this may take the form of increased access to technology.  Even though we are perfectly capable of talking without it, some who are nonverbal “miraculously” become verbal when given an electronic toy to play with.  Of course the choice to speak was always there, but not taken.  We also know that if we make a big enough nuisance of ourselves, we can expect to be babysat by computer games and internet surfing.  And finally, we know that when the next new thing comes out, if we can conspire to make things especially difficult for our handlers, we can get those expensive gadgets for ourselves FREE!

We are informed that it is important for people without autism to understand that it is your duty to work your fingers to the bone on our behalf.  You were not born with autism, and therefore it is your lot to serve us and service us for your entire lives in whatever way we demand.  This means that if you are a parent, you will provide food, drink, shelter, clothing and medical care according to our specification for your entire lives, and you should increase your earning potential so that we may be well-provided for after you die.  If you live poorly, have a poor social life, or are scorned by your peers because of your duty to us, that is not our problem.  That is your privilege for not having autism.

If you belong to any other part of society, and witness a parent not providing for us, or else cursing us in public, or disciplining us, it is your duty to tell our parent that they are poor providers so that we can get more privileges for ourselves.

On the other hand, if you witness us throwing a tantrum or faking a meltdown, it is your duty to stay silent, as we are only clamoring for that which is rightfully ours.

To be succinct:  We are told that everything that is yours is rightfully ours, and we will take what we wish, when we wish, and will punish you for withholding that which we demand and deserve.

At least, this is what the militant autism organizations are telling us.  Another term for this concept is neurodiversity.

Personally, we at Autism Politico think the concept of autistic privilege is disgusting.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.