I'm not a prisoner

Post Reply New Topic

My coach suggested I volunteer at Giant Steps, which is a non-profit organisation for autism which has its headquarters a few blocks away from my house. They've got a school for autistic kids with a waiting list of 600 people. So I checked out their site, and their home page had this to say about their students:

"...ces enfants tout en éclats de vie et de talents, frappés d'un invisible mal, qui voudrait les retenir captifs, l'autisme... Tout gain fait reculer l'autisme. Des petits pas, mais contre un tel ennemi, des pas de Géant..."

A rough translation: "these children shining with life and talent, affected by an invisible evil that would hold them captive, autism... Every gain pushes back autism. Little steps, but against such an enemy, Giant steps."

>: ( Not cool, people. I'm not possessed or held prisoner by my Asperger's. Autism isn't some evil monster you have to vanquish, it's just a name for a collection of my qualities and quirks. It's part of who I am. Get rid of it, and you get rid of many of the things that make me ME. HELP ME, by all means, but don't think of me as a victim.

The rest of the site seems okay, though. Their methods include behavior therapy, music therapy, games therapy, speech therapy. It all seems quite benign, except for that offensive home page.

I'm new to this whole aspie subculture thing, but I've read those articles about Autism Speaks and stuff. Largely, I've had very little support for my disorders until recently, so I'd been looking at this conflict from the sidelines. It didn't affect ME. Now it does. This place is three blocks away from my house!! O_o

Last edited by Mishi_Sings on 19 Sep 2008, 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

Perhaps it's a prison in relation to the superficial trappings of modern society, but modern society and the social whirlpool are just as much a prison; it's just that those who're held in by it don't realize such (which is the ultimate irony).

They're still the majority, which means we still have to play by their rules. And we can learn to play by their rules.

Here's a question: should I volunteer for this organisation anyway and try to fight this kind of thinking from within, by being a good role model for the children and showing the adults and parents what's what, or should I boycott it?

I would say - see for yourself.

Don't take their marketing message at face value - they are most likely trying to sell the value of what they do to potential (NT) donors - terms like "invisible evil" are very compelling to that sort of person. Give them a little credit for starting out by describing the kids as "shining with life & talent."

Pay them a visit. If what they are doing is good, you will probably see it immediately. If it isn't - I think you will see that too.

They're still the majority, which means we still have to play by their rules. And we can learn to play by their rules.

Here's a question: should I volunteer for this organisation anyway and try to fight this kind of thinking from within, by being a good role model for the children and showing the adults and parents what's what, or should I boycott it?[/qu
tell them you don't like what they wrote on the home page and see what they say.

It does surprise me when people look into a subject, research it enough to create some help sources out of it, and still think of it as something wrong or evil.

I love my Asperger's. Without it, I wouldn't possess many creative skills and I might end up hurting people by getting involved in some of those shallow games and junk that so many teenagers seem to do...

I'm very upright and righteous. Perhaps I wouldn't be so if I didn't have this... dash of Autism.

I detest it when people view my AS in a bad light. Heck I don't even think there are "problems" in the way people seem to perceive problems... it's not a disease, illness, disability etc.

There are difficulties, but I don't have something wrong with me.
There are positives and negatives, but there's positives I possess that many without AS may not have, and their negatives won't be any more in the right than mine will be.

Don't think of this as NT bashing - there are many NT's I get along with.

I will always be proud to be an Aspie. This is me, and anyone who knocks my AS is knocking me, and an entire culture of people out there.

The correct way to look at it all is to build something out of the potential of what Autism/Aspergers can bring to someone. Celebrate the positives, and build on them. Help people to expand on what it brings.

And of course - help them overcome the negatives.

I don't see it as evil either... unless autism is some global biological government experiment.. hmm

I'm proud to be an aspie too; it definitely isn't evil or prison-like at all.

I look forward to the day when neurological diversity is honoured.

Forcing square pegs into round holes is ignorant, cruel and abusive.

I felt like I was in a prison until I figured out why I was different. Once I learned about Asperger's, though, it was like having the wall of my cell blown open. Now I'm not stumbling around int he dark trying to figure out "what's wrong" with me. I can focus on my strengths and cope with my weaknesses instead of wasting energy trying to be "normal". I have always liked who I am but not understanding why everyone else was so confusing was quite depressing. I suppose it isn't having autism that creates the prison (if there is one) but rather having autism in this society.

it sounds a bit like that autism speaks? [think it was autism speaks] advert that said autism held people as prisoners-or something like that.

WPers need to remember that 'autism' means a whole spectrum so it isn't only at one level,there's huge differences in the spectrum,so some may experience it as imprisonment no matter how heavily supported,understood and adapted for they are,though problem is,they have likely just assumed autism is imprisonment by seeing what they see and not asking.
however,the evil thing-that is the worst assuming of the lot,autism is not evil,its something that happens,they need to get over it and adapt for,support,understand and help as much as possible the autist children they teach to develop to their maximum level,not think of them as the bad- through no fault of their own.

am think Age [WPer] works for Giant Steps,is defintelly one organisation for dd anyway.

People with Autism and Asperger's have differing opinions of their own condition. There are many on this forum who would agree with that statement and still some who would go further.

I, on the other hand, don't see my AS as a prison or confinement. In fact, I believe it is that part of myself that has lead to my escape from the constricted views and limitations that fetter the NT's of the world.

With AS, I can't help but think outside the box, that "box" could be seen as a prison, one that "normal" people rarely escape and many live their lives in.

So if I have any problem with the statement of that site, it's that it seems to claim that all Autism is like that and that all ASD people must feel that way.

This remind me of on of Iron Maiden song

''I am not a number!I am a FREE MAN!''

*Epic metal song*

I'm not a prisoner, either. Autism is not a prison sentence, it's just a different way of being.

Aspies are nothing but autistics with better verbal skills... so if we can talk and say, no.. uh.. never occurred to me that I'm in a prison.. it would make sense that nonverbal children wouldn't perceive it that way either.

I can see how it would LOOK like a prison to observers, because they want to hold their child's attention and have what they consider meaningful interaction and there seems to them to be a wall in the way.

Appearances can be deceiving.

The Ransom Note Campain? I think those stupid bloody ads were finded by Autism Shpeeks.