How would you explain yourself to society?

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I have this burning urge to change the face of autism so that myself and my 2 children are better understood/accepted by society.

If you got the chance to speak publicly, with a global audience, to explain autism spectrum disorders with an intent to permanently alter how we are viewed, what would you say?

How would you get the attention of people that are not already paying attention? For example, people that have no knowledge or ambition to seek knowledge about autism are not looking for answers, so how can we make sure they hear us too?

I don't know the answer of how to be heard in order to permanently alter the view of autism, but I do know that it should be done with love, humor, facts and honestly telling about things warts and all. I think one should be careful not to take a militant or defiant stance, because that is a big turn-off to most people. I have had sympathy for several groups who fight for respect and recognition, but when they become militant, violent, or angry in their approach to be heard, it makes me more likely to turn a deaf ear.
So I guess my advice is just to kill 'em with kindness.

I don't think you can ever convince people that having a pervasive developmental disorder is just as good as not having one. Just as you cannot expect people to not prefer good looking people over less good looking people. Life is judgemental because it is trying to survive. Ultimately it doesn't care much about fairness, justice, equality etc. Sadly enough. If something is "wrong" with you, you are going to pay that price throughout your life.

Nothing is impossible. Look at the headway African Americans have made; at one time they were slaves with no rights, and now we have a black president.

Get some celebrities to 'come out', if there are any, or pay the audience to be there.

I wouldn't. Those who care would likely already know or know how to find out the facts. Those who don't care would likely turn away and make up their own "facts".

Ok, let's assume that you have the responsibility of being the voice for those that are non-verbal.

Much like you Fnord, people can take me or leave me, but the kids...the kids need an advocate, an advocate that does not entitle them to need us, rather to not in the future.

One of the nice things about being as independent as possible is not needing to explain myself constantly. But because none of us can be completely independent, the people to whom I do owe explanations know I have AS. As for those to whom I am not accountable, it's still a free country, and people can think what they want--and usually do. They have their problems, I have mine, and I let it go at that.

I think part of the problem is too many people accept that as some ultimate truth when changes could be made to society to reduce that problem.

I wouldnt bother.. exept to tell close friends maybe.
Or just like the guy above said, get find some celebrities with ASD like clay marzo hes a champ/

I think Clay Marzo is a good role model but I'm not sure he would be comfortable being a speaker on the subject.
He has the benefits of being in a sport that embraces individuality and flexible parenting but they still struggled with his behaviour before diagnosis.

I wouldn't.

Why do you feel the need to "explain yourself" in the first place?

I was looking for ideas that could culminate with some general ideas. I'm not talking about explaining ourselves personally but autism as a whole. Our people need a voice, a voice that rumbles ears for something other than a cure. Never mind celebrities, we need to be that voice. I want to be that voice.

I was tortured growing up, and although I am very functional, social interaction is still difficult internally; some days my mask falls off and people get offended and I become detrimental to myself.

I want to change the worlds view, or at least get the ball rolling. My son is 8 and my daughter is 3 next month. I am running out of time; I bought my son another year buffer by choosing a teacher who has an autistic son, but next year the kids will see his differences and the isolation wil begin.

Adults do not know how to handle us so they can't teach their children any different.

We don't need to change but how we are viewed and who we are in the public eye does; if not for those of us that discard ridicule, for those that cannot.

Dear society,

How are you doing? I'm alright - just trying to get on with you but you can be a bit difficult. And, hell - I do like you quite a lot - we've had a few laughs and that's awesome. However, you're a bit too nosy. I don't think it's really your business what I get up to as long as I cause nobody harm. Just don't be such a jerk, okay? I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, mmkay? I live my life and do my best. I do what I can to contribute and that's all you need to know.

Much love,

MindBlind xxx

By presenting Autistic characters in popular fiction venues - novels, television and movies - as REAL people, not some NT writer's version of what they THINK an Autistic person is like, which means if we don't want people to think we're all like Rainman, we're going to have to write these stories ourselves. I just finished work on a novel a few months ago in which one of my supporting characters has AS and my goal in creating that character was to DEMONSTRATE what anxiety and panic attacks and sensory overloads and the stressors that lead to meltdowns actually FEEL like by putting the reader inside the character's head, to experience these things right along with him. Now if I can get published, I will feel I've helped contribute in some small way to the awareness campaign.

But the reason I think that's important - that we help the NT world understand Autism by showing them what it feels like, because Spectrum Disorders, unlike neurological differences like Dyslexia, which is fairly easy to grasp, are not just ONE single handicap. Autism is a cluster of several handicaps that, taken together, create a rather complex disability. You can't just read off a laundry list of symptoms and expect somebody who doesn't experience those things to get what you're talking about, or understand their severity in terms of quality of life.

Hell, when I first began to study AS after being officially diagnosed, some of the clinical definitions didn't initially make sense to me - I've posted elsewhere here on WP about my puzzlement when I read the phrase "may see lights or hear sounds that others do not" in the DSM. I first took it to be a reference to some sort of hallucinatory experience that didn't apply to me, then later in an epiphany, realized that it most certainly DID apply to me and was not talking about hallucinations, but meant exactly what it said.

So that's the only practical solution I can see. Dry, clinical articles and pamphlets are not going to reach anybody but those already looking for information. If you want the general public to accept you, you have to demystify your condition so that everybody - even the dullest and most stupid - get it, because they are familiar with seeing it all the time. I think its beginning to happen already, Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory and Temperance Brennan on Bones are solid Aspergian characters, even though they're not identified as such on their respective shows, and they should be. If audiences get used to characters they like who accurately reflect the realities of Autism, they will learn acceptance without even knowing they're learning anything.

'' i am super brain , hail me and bow to my intellect pertaining to cars ! ''

'' just dont look me in the eye's or make loud noises ''

lol , i would try to joke and get them to understand on ther own by dissecting my strange humor