Library

[wakasplat]

Addition to Library:

http://www.autistics.org/library/understand.html

This is written to expose the real message behind the words of some of the patronizing and controlling people - mostly non-disabled 'advisors' - I have met in my experiences with 'self-advocacy'.

Comments

[quoodlesong]

Yes, this is exactly the way it is. Especially "it's all subtext". If you happen to see through it all and bring it up with the staff (casually, assuming they all know about it - I can be so incredibly naive), you're being unreasonable. If you bring it up with your fellow autistics / disabled folks / whatever, you're being a bad influence. Not that they tell you that to your face; they'll say it to the others as soon as you're gone, to keep them in line. You were dangerous, and now you're gone; you're a hopeless case, set as an example. Even though you left by yourself, for your own reasons.

Having had a taste of freedom and rights is something I'm not sure they even understand. When I was in my last institution I saw a documentary called "Blue Eyed" (I sort of suspect you know it), and suddenly I had a vocabulary for what was happening. I came there expecting I could have a say in things, but people always managed to work around that in one way or another. Talking with staff was... slippery. When I left I was told I could always come back later, when I was ready for it. Sure, that's the easy thing to say when they're not ready for you. But did they really believe someone could go back to not knowing? You're 10 now, come back later when you're 6. It's incomprehensible.

Sorry, this hit my rant button. And this isn't really about self-advocacy, because that was an alien concept there.