Dear allies: a note about civil rights and language. Many of you want to validate how autistic people are not inferior, and we appreciate that; however, when you say "high functioning" or "differently able" or "autism doesn't define you," you are contributing to deadly ideas.

The Virginia Beach Commonwealth Attorney responded to outrage over what happened to Matthew by reminding people that Matthew was an engineering student & had a job, perpetuating myths that the ability to do math or assemble a sandwich means someone doesn't need accommodations.

This gave permission to @ColinStolle to dismiss autism as relevant to the discussion by implying Matthew was just "differently abled" or "high functioning," and that autism wasn't relevant. The whole case was built around a phrase that was echolalia in the middle of a meltdown.

Two men are restraining Matthew, he's just regaining consciousness and realizes he's been in an accident that he likely caused, that someone might have even died, and a man yells at him, "Were you trying to fucking kill yourself?" Matthew repeated it. Autistics do that.

A large list of witnesses described Matthew as incoherent, "not all there," "in shock," confused, disoriented, "not hearing what I was saying," "not receiving everything," not in control of his movements, "flailing," constantly folding his arms and touching his face.

This behavior is autistic behavior, not homicidal behavior. It's a person in a crisis whose speech was referenced as "not making any sense" by multiple officers & as "nonsense" by witnesses. Autistic people's lives depend on you understanding & acknowledging that we are disabled.

That doesn't mean we are incapable, it means we need people to understand that we need supports or accommodations, or we need to do things differently or be interpreted differently because of our disability. No disability = no understanding.