Musings of an Aspie: Autistic people should QUESTION EVERYTHING.

This was originally posted at Musings of an Aspie.

This post is part of today’s “Autistic People Should” flash blog where Autistic bloggers are writing about positive things that Autistic people should do. Why? Because if you type “Autistic people should” into either Google or Bing’s search engine query box, the autocomplete results–the most popular searches starting with those words–are disturbing and upsetting, especially if you’re Autistic or love someone who is.

Please be forewarned that I’ve posted a screenshot of the text from Google’s autocomplete at the end of this post.

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AUTISTIC PEOPLE SHOULD: QUESTION EVERYTHING.

When we’re given an autism spectrum diagnosis, we’ve also given a model of what it means to be autistic.

Question the model.

Start here:

A wordmap of Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnostic criteria.  The larger the word, the more frequently it appears in the diagnostic definition.

What does your word cloud for autism look like?

Question the assumptions.

Is there a right way to play?

To learn?

To think?

To love?

To communicate?

Question the research.

Who says?

How do they know?

Who paid for it?

Now what?

Question the stereotypes.

Nonverbal headbanger?

Idiot savant?

Inspirational angel?

Boy genius?

Lovable eccentric?

Unloveable recluse?

High-functioning aspie?

Dangerous loner?

Question the experts.

How do they know?

Are they sure?

What if they’re wrong?

Question the language.

Disorder, deficit, disability, difference?

Cured, recovered, coping, adapting, passing?

Label, slur, identity?

Person with autism, autistic, Autistic, aspie, autie?

Locked in, trapped, uncommunicative, nonverbal, nonspeaking, unvoiced?

Question the hype.

Epidemic?

Tragedy?

Burden to society?

Really?

Says who?

Question the fundamental fabric of humanity.

What is empathy?

What is love?

What is communication?

Question

every

single

should

must

can’t

won’t

never

always

Question this:

This textbook author says that Autistic people don’t recognize that other people have minds.

and this:

This Uk newspaper devoted an entire article to an autism expert who wants us to believe that autism is an “exaggeration of male habits.”

and this:

This popular autism information website wants you to believe that Autistic children play the wrong way because they lack imagination and creativity.

and this:

Autistic people don’t get married or have children? That’s what these experts at Yale and UC-San Francisco want you to think.

Question everything.

Question what you read, what you hear, what you see, what you are told.

Question what you think.

Most of all . . .

Question the hate.

If you type “Autistic people should” into a Google search box, these are the results that Google suggests based the most popular recent searches.

This is why...

Trigger warning, because the images here are pretty icky. It's the autocompletes for Googling autistic people should, allistic people should, people with autism should, and neurotypical people should. Genocide is mentioned.

These autocompletes are why we are here.
These autocompletes are why we are having this flash blog.
Because what Autistic people, autistic people, and people with autism should do?
I don't know, it's up to the individual people in those categories. I only choose for me.
But these Google autocompletes aren't it.

Googling "autistic people should," we get these.

 (2)

Description: A google search with autistic people should typed and the following autocompletes:

autistic people should be killed

autistic people should die

autistic people should be exterminated

why autistic people shouldn't have children (end description)

My results were the same.

Googling "people with autism should," we get these.

(2)

Description: A google search for "people with autism should" with the following autocompletes:

should people with autism have children

should people with autism have kids

should people with autism get married

should people with autism drive (end description.)

My results were the same.

Neurotypical people should didn't get any suggestions:

 (2)

Description: A google search for "neurotypical people should" with no autocomplete suggestions. (end description.) 

I didn't get any suggestions either.

Googling "allistic people should," the suggestions were still to autistic people...

(1)

Description: A Google Australia search for "allistic people should." The autocomplete suggestions are:

autistic people should be killed

autistic people should die

autistic people should be exterminated

why autistic people shouldn't have children

should autistic people have children

should autistic people drive

should we kill autistic people (end description.)

I didn't get any suggestions for allistic people should, but then, I don't live in Australia. 

Screenshot sources:
(1): oddliladventure
(2): prospitprincessjade