Alright, guys. I know it's only two days since my last post, but I have a very good reason. I'm not the kind of Autistic person who always keeps her mouth shut about what's going on in the world. There are some opinions that I do keep to myself for personal reasons.
This is not one of those times. I'm speaking out as someone who has Autism and who has been through tough patches when out in public. I'm speaking as a voice that needs to NOW be heard.
I can't believe I'm about to say this. It's officially RANT TIME!!!
First off, for some time now, I've been hearing quite a few stories about parents neglecting their Autistic children. To those parents: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH YOU???? Those children need guidance, they need teaching, they need support, they need love and understanding. You're not supposed to neglect them because they "misbehave!" You're supposed to love them, teach them, and help them understand. They're special children and need you for understanding and love. I can't even wrap my head around the whole thing, it's that upsetting to me. These stories make me feel more than grateful I have the parents I have. They love me, teach me, explain things to me, talk to me, and they try to understand me. And they'll always love and care for me, and support me, and be there for me. It's not right to neglect an Autistic child.
Second, I'm pretty sure you've all heard about this. United Airlines kicked off a family with an Autistic teenager off the flight the captain didn't feel comfortable flying with her on the plane. What? Autistic children do have meltdowns, I have meltdowns from time to time. The people I applaud in this whole thing are the mother of Juliette and the passengers of the flight, who showed support toward the family. The people I do NOT, however, are everyone at United Airlines. So, you're telling me that if one of your passengers has Autism, especially if they are nonverbal, you're going to kick them off the plane over a ? Really? It not only makes absolutely no sense, it actually makes me pretty sick. Autistic people do have meltdowns. I still have a meltdown from time to time. We had sensory issues when it comes to food. I don't understand it. I really don't. It's not fair and it's not right. This is coming from someone who DOES HAVE Autism, as well as someone who's a PICKY EATER as well. I don't understand why you kicked them off when in reality, Autistic people have their moments and meltdowns. I just don't think it was the right thing to do if other passengers, paramedics, and police officers didn't see how the child was disruptive. It all comes down to Autism education. The people who've written the negative comments I've seen, as well as the airlines, need a little bit more knowledge about Autism before jumping into this type of conclusion. Well, now I know which airline NOT to use if I do get on a plane in my life.
It all boils down to Autism education. I just think society needs to learn more about Autism before jumping into any conclusions. I'm an Autistic nineteen year old girl, and I am speaking on behalf of every single Autistic individual in the world. We are not bad people, we are not spoiled brats either. We may get spoiled every once in a while because of accommodations, but we are not spoiled all the time. We don't mean any trouble or harm. We just don't understand and we don't know how to express emotions and feelings. We aren't trying to cause trouble or create a scene. We want to be heard and understood. We want to be accepted and welcomed with open arms. I hope to see more positive Autism news stories in the future.
Ok, rant over.
No comments:
Post a Comment