Ten Years of Autism Speaks: The Autism Community's Response

The world's largest autism charity, Autism Speaks, has now been in existence for ten years. To celebrate, the organization has launched a Twitter campaign, #AutismSpeaks10, where they have asked people to share comments about how Autism Speaks has affected their lives during the past decade. The autistic community used the hashtag to do just that. Here are a few examples:

#AutismSpeaks10You've touched my life by making me fight harder to get my own voiceheard, instead of people who'd rather I didn't exist.

#AutismSpeaks10you made me hate myself and because of you people like me suffer on adaily bases

Thank you, Autism $peaks, for profiting off of the demonization of my neurotype. #AutismSpeaks10

#AutismSpeaks10thx 4 making my mom think she had to sexually harass me to make menormal, + i don't even have asd i have spd

remember that timeyou posted a video of a woman saying she wanted to kill her autisticchild in the presence of that child

#AutismSpeaks10 Thanks A$ for making it so hard to find people who're positive about autism over the past 10 years! #ActuallyAutistic  

#AutismSpeaks10Ten years of actively drowning out the voices of #ActuallyAutisticpeople when they speak. Congratuf**kinglations.

#AutismSpeaks10has helped me by hoarding funds we could be using to cure mydetrimental depression instead of my perfectly fine autism.

#AutismSpeaks10 Apparently it's perfectly acceptable to “advocate” for a cause in ways the people you're “supporting” hate #ActuallyAutistic  

#AutismSpeaks10almost a decade of fear mongering, propaganda, and eugenics. F**k youall.

#AutismSpeaks10has created a culture and openly endorsed media in which a parentwanting to murder their autistic child is "understandable" 

#AutismSpeaks10: Where your needs and opinions can get discounted because “That's just your autism speaking.” #ActuallyAutistic

Thanks to#AutismSpeaks10for making it even harder for me to get accommodations becauseprofessors don't believe I'm "really" autistic! 

#AutismSpeaks10@autismspeaksoh and as always thanks for supporting the JRC, where they tortureand electrocute children. You're a peach. 

Thanks#AutismSpeaks10for ten years of "representation" without a single autisticmember on your board to actually represent!

#AutismSpeaks10 has filled me with fear b/c they instill fear of my children in the rest of the world. So, they've hurt us! @AutismNEO

This is only a small sample of the response that took place. Most of what I quoted here was from the first few days, but the conversation has continued to today.

I know what you may be thinking. To a certain extent, I did choose tweets that were opposed to Autism Speaks. However, when you ignore those posted by Autism Speaks themselves, founders Bob and Suzanne Wright, and various politicians, this is the general tone of the vast majority of tweets under this hashtag.

Autism Speaks has responded to this takeover on the part of the autistic community by creating a new hashtag, #AutismChampion. The result was much the same. Again, the autism community leaped into action to state their champions. For many, Autism Speaks and its founders do not make the list.

This raises an important question. Should we really continue to support an organization that is so emphatically opposed by the very people it claims to be trying to help? This seems to be a sign that they aren't representing the needs of the community. After ten years of ignoring us, I think it's safe to say that they aren't going to listen.

In case you're wondering, I'd like to briefly explain how Autism Speaks has touched my life. Few entities have worked so hard to spread so much misinformation and cause so much fear and pity. Autism Speaks has given me a sense of purpose, to counter the negative messages they spread.

Thank you, Autism Speaks, for giving the neurodiversity movement something to gather around. In the words of Twitter user @AutisticWiki, We no longer ask that you accept us. Now @autismspeaks , we just want you to get out of the way. #AutismSpeaks10 #ActuallyAutistic