What’s wrong with them? Because I have no idea about them whatsoever.
Comment on Anon tries to break the ice
rumschlumpel@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
AFAIK Autism Speaks fucking sucks. They should STFU.
Viceversa@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
rumschlumpel@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
They have a very outdated, paternalistic, rightwing view of autism. They very much view it as a disease on the level of cancer that needs to be cured, versus the “neurodiversity” view that most autistic autism activists have, and they have basically no (openly) autistic people in leadership positions. Also held on to the “vaccines cause autism” myth for a long time.
Viceversa@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
they have almost no (openly) autistic people in leadership positions
Genuine question: can an autistic person be a leader?
piccolo@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
One could argue they’ll be the best. Everything would run smooth and optimized and everyone would only have to work one day a week. Cars would be replaced with trains in 2 weeks.
rumschlumpel@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
I do agree that it doesn’t necessarily come naturally to autists, but it seems to work fine for all the autist-led autism advocacy groups. Lots of autists have substantial skill in social masking, anyway - doing it around the clock is damaging to them, but it’s not like non-autistic leaders are always their fully authentic self in public, either. A good advocacy group enables, where possible, the participation of people who are directly involved.
As a prominent example for leaders of activist groups with autism, consider Greta Thunberg.
Uruanna@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Autism is a much larger spectrum than you might have been led to believe from popular media depiction, and you probably have met a few people in your life who had some degree of autism but you thought “they seem normal?”
vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
As an Autist, yes. Plenty of autistic folks can and will do decent in leadership positions. Now if they like it that’s a lot more variable, personally I’d probably power trip for a day get bored organize away my responsibilities and then fuck off to do literally anything else.
Mind you this mostly applies to more socially functional autsits, for example I am despite my dislike for it generally good in social situations and don’t get pegged as autistic by default since my vaguely depressive Redneck aura is so strong, but there are others who will basically lock up and then either shutdown or meltdown. The funs of a spectrum syndrome, where there are no rules just guidelines.
Bassman1805@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yes.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
genuine answer: yes. i’ve been in local organizations where they were and their input was valued.
Lumidaub@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
He’s being self-deprecating for blurting out the first edgy nonsense that comes to mind, a tendency which he attributes (with good reason) to spending too much time on /b/. He may have intended his comment to be targeted at autism speaks instead of people wuth autism but to innocent bystanders that’s not obvious and he’s aware.
Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Based on my experience, a long time ago, no. Even if they self-diagnose as autistic, they also say hateful things about them, and anyone else for that matter.