#AutisticWhileBlack Autism mom calls mom memoir author "cerebral" for things like answering the ableist inappropriate question "Can a profoundly intellectually disabled person have a relationship to God?" First, define 'profoundly' intellectually disabled. 1/
What is meant by 'profoundly'? "Profound" ID is problematic. Autism parents often conflate behavioral challenges or being non-speaking with intellectual disability (ID). Having behavioral challenges doesn't always equal ID/DD. And nonspeaking does not equal non-thinking. 2/
"Can a profoundly intellectually disabled person have a relationship to God?" seems based on the stereotype that disabled folk are somehow "less" than the dominant society. The question presumes "profoundly" ID/DD people aren't able to have agency to choose or reject religion. 3/
There is nothing cerebral and a great deal that is ableist about questioning the ability of #ActuallyAutistic loved ones, regardless of the degree of disability, to understand religious concepts. 4/
The most difficult thing for parents of #ActuallyAutistic offspring to do is not making their children's disability all about them. I am saying this as a mom of a high-support-needs nonspeaking #AutisticWhileBlack teen. The right to believe in God or not is a choice. 5/
If an #ActuallyAutistic person is uncomfortable at a religious service for whatever reason, does that mean they should be coerced to remain in one? Absolutely not! Because they may simply not believe what is being presented to them. 6/
Imagine not wanting to participate in a religious event but not being able to use verbal speech to express this. Why is it that parental demands for #compliant autistic offspring involve this much coercion? 7/
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