Autism rights movement
social movement advocating for the rights, inclusion, and dignity of autistic people From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The autism rights movement is a movement demanding better legal protections for autistic people and their caregivers.
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Overview
The autism rights movement wants the autism spectrum to be accepted by society as a difference in ability to function in daily life. It does not believe autism to be a mental disorder needing treatment.[1]
The autism rights movement is controversial to some members of the public due to deep-rooted ableism in society. There have been voices arguing against the common perception that most autistic people are intellectually troubled.[2]
There is fear that professionals, such as social workers, may try preventing autistic people from getting married or having children. Members of the movement also believe that autistic people should not be treated differently from others.
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Goals
The movement has a variety of goals:
- Opposition to cures for autism[1]
- Training of life skills for autistic people[3]
- Higher acceptance of autistic behavior[4]
- Recognition of autistic people as a minority group[5]
- Creation of more social networks and events for autistic people to attend as they are able[6]
Rationales
Autism rights activists are sometimes called neurodiversity activists.
Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity is a word for how everyone's brains are different. Autistic people have different brains to people who do not have autism. People who do not have autism are called neurotypical people. The word neurodiversity is preferred to autism as it is not saying that autism is a medical condition. Neurotypical is used rather than "normal" as people tend to equate "normal" with "better".[1]
Related pages
References
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