There's different ways for other people to think about autistic people.
Understanding those different ways is important. It explains why some anti-autism groups have become so powerful and how they get everywhere. A thread/

There are people who think autism is a total error, an utter fault, something Gone Wrong. They reckon medicine can fix it, whatever it is. And, until then, they think autistic people wander about doing bizarre things because we're broken...so/

...whilst they are waiting for medicine to Fix Us, they will teach us how to behave Properly. In their view, we don't know how to Behave. Only they know how to Behave and there's only one proper way. So, it's a kindness to us to make us behave that way....because/

...then we can have nice things.
In their view, if we behave autistically, we can't get nice things, because people won't give us nice things (er. our human rights) unless we exactly resemble them.

Well, that's a really strange point of view, isn't it/

And then there's a different point of view. One that says autistic people have strengths as well as things needing support (which is actually true for everyone on the planet).
That we are part of a natural diversity, but that some have additional health situations/

...which need medical support (e.g. epilepsy) but autism isn't something that needs fixing.
There's a lot of emerging research. Huge amounts of it.
Research showing those strengths. Research showing that autistic people have a naturally different communication system that works/

There's also a lot of research now showing that the forcing-us-to-behave-normally is doing damage. That masking is leading to greater risk of suicide, mental health conditions etc. That autistic people become exhausted and collapse from the effort of trying to be Normal, and/

...that actually we're not a lot more likely to be these good things, after all that effort.
Being inauthentic copies of something we're not is not a strategy. It's a disaster.

So, what would actually work?
What works is people understanding diversity/

What works is people understanding creativity, spirituality, honesty, rhythm, pattern, ritual, and all of the other things that make our autistic lives beautiful.
What works is people understanding sensory pain and social overwhelm, and helping us avoid it/

What works is people reflecting on their own behaviour, their own attitudes and assumptions, and realising that it takes two people to form a friendship. It takes two people to work together. It was never a question of forcing us to be the person they wanted/

If anyone goes into *any* relationship expecting the other person to do all the changing, there's a disaster, right there.
Any relationship counsellor could tell you that for nothing. Or indeed, for quite a fee.
Everyone thrives as themselves.
Be yourself. That's what works/

And it works when others relax, & learn to translate autistic communication instead of panicking about it.
It works when others want to learn about our lives.
It works when others are allies and truly on our side.
It works when we listen to what the person themselves wants/

If an autistic person truly does want to be Normalised, then that is their own choice. I respect that from them.

Others acting as though they have no agency, no right to decide for themselves?

It's not OK and it should never be OK, unless it is a dire medical emergency/

I worry that an unproven old Behaviourist theory is being used to 'normalise' autistic people the length and breadth of the country, without ethical oversight - and without anyone questioning where the evidence actually is.
Here are the research links. https://annsautism.blogspot.com/2019/01/autism-some-vital-research-links.html

Whatever are we doing to our beloved and wonderful autistic people?

And when will we stop, and listen, and reflect, and learn?

Every good thing comes from trust and relationship.

Build only on those.

Think carefully about sales & marketing materials.
Does it show a poor little autistic person who didn't know how to behave & was really sad...& in comes the Saviours to Fix Them...& now they're really happy with lots of nice things?

Don't just walk away from that.

Run.