What do you all think of Autism Awareness Day?

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What do you all think about it?

Awareness means Awareness. It could be a good thing it could mean being aware of something to be afraid of it. The organization that created and sponsor this day are so afraid of it they want to cure it, so I want no part of it to the point I even feel guilty reacting to it.

And blue is my favorite color so I refuse to let Autism speaks hijack the positive associations I have with the color.

I prefer Autism acceptance 24 hours a day every day.

It's just another day.

I watched a couple Autism Awareness Day videos today, and I liked them for the most part. They said things about how autistic kids have potential, which I liked. One video did say something like, "There is no cure for autism, but research is getting us closer", which did make me a bit uncomfortable. I guess having an Autism Awareness Day is a good thing, since it can help correct misconceptions about autism. Just as long as they don't portray autism as something that needs to be cured.

don't care tbh. sorry

It is nice and all, but I was hoping for more actual assistance happening that just awareness and money being given. Raising awareness is not the same as providing assistance or encouraging it.

Plus we should have some kind of Autistic Star Wars Fans day or something to reflect the interest some might have. Maybe days to celebrate different special interests those with Autism have?

It would be better without A$ having their name out there and tarnishing it.

I find it frustrating, I mean - autistic people are just people. I am just a person. I don't ask for any sympathy or empathy from others, my life is as hard as the next person. I think it has been tumultuous being ostracized since I was a child, and for society to make me feel different when I always felt my version of normal - that is sad. Maybe, with this autism awareness day we can try to help younger kids who were once like us and have them get the support/understanding from the school system, though rebellion can result in creativity. People also have to understand autism is not just black or white, it's not like the kid screaming about his star wars set not being a certain way - we are all individual. Therefore, it can't have one face or one stereotype. I think all the stereotypes are frustrating but a diagnosis is crucial and important to make people understand why they are the way they are but it doesn't need to define them.

I think what disgusts me is when neurotypical people use a day like this to kind of be like "aw, look at my autistic cousin! he's so strong!" That type of minimizing/"aww, look how special you are" treatment isn't very fair and can be damaging in the long run.

Whose definition of awareness? Whose hidden agenda most controls the awareness message? Who holds the power and control to spread the kind of awareness that is harmful? Who benefits? Who does not benefit?

The designation of a day alone neither addresses nor solves any of the above issues. If the designation had been accompanied by the UN with a set of Articles, spelling out the principles and goals of autistic awareness, then the day couldn't have been hijacked as it has been by haters of autism like Autism Speaks, and the day used by them only to spread and intensify the stigmatisation of all ASD people.

It would have been more correct to call it "Autism Unawareness Day".

Conversations overheard during the day:

"Wear blue? f**k that. I wore blue yesterday. If they don't like it, they'll just have to deal with it."
"Autism just means a different way of thinking, that's all."
"There's a (professional person) I know with Aspergers and you wouldn't even know she had it!"
"What's autism spectrum disorder? Is that like autism?
"Autism makes you special, but we're all special, love."

^ BTW, these gems came from people who are trained in disability support

Must be Autism Ignorance Day where you are Raleigh?

If I knew nothing of aspergers, and was exposed to autism awareness puzzle piece, I would think; fully autistic child or adult, low functioning, probably co-dependant on a care taker. Which kind of puts a "oh you can have mild autism...it's significant but it's not like you're handicapped or anything" sound to it when you hear it in an autism context. Mildly autistic implies mild condition, which implies mild difficulties. We all know aspies aren't handi-capped, but we don't live with "mild-difficulties" in the scene that most Americans suffer from some sort of complex from growing up in a broken house, or developing poor diet patterns from living in a poor socioeconomic area. Our problems are different, unique, and primarily unrelatable problems to most; employment, friendships, and romantic relationships are scarce, sometimes non-existent to us; statistically speaking, that is not the case for most Americans.

This is why I think aspergers would be most beneficial being re-inserted into the DSM-V, where the proper distinction from society's view between having a high functioning but invisible issue is separated from having a low-functioning, severe mental condition; in contrast to a "severe vs mild" condition.

I wear orange because that's the opposite of blue, but that's an inside joke that only I understand. Most people I know don't know what autism is and I haven't bothered to tell them I am an aspie. xD
I hate A$ and all the sh*t they do and I would NEVER do any of their little "light it up blue" events or whatever. I want to promote love for autistics, not stigma.

From the United Nations, the Secretary-General's message for Autism Awareness day 2015: a call to employers.

http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/2 ... sage.shtml