My personal autism support pledge

I pledge…

Not to support any company that supports A$ or its affiliates

Not to click on any Google search result that takes me to the A$ website or its affiliates

To refrain from linking to A$ (and affiliated) websites (as of now, that also includes The Mighty, unfortunately)

To remain respectful when engaging in any discussions or debates with people on the spectrum

To refrain from saying “we all…” when talking about traits, tendencies, or other concepts not universal across humanity

To come out to as many people as feasible and/or appropriate

To educate everyone I can about autism, given the appropriateness of the situation

To provide a Safe Space and Judgment-Free Zone for people on the spectrum to express themselves

To approve all comments made by autistic people on this blog (except in situations where I think the comment might emotionally trigger the majority unnecessarily), in the interest of remaining fair, balanced, and logical, and providing a variety of opinions

To encourage all well-meaning and autism-supportive people to participate in the comments section of this blog (yep, that absolutely includes “old” posts, too!  Don’t be shy 🙂 )

To post submitted writing of other autistic people who don’t have a blog of their own (with proper credit given)

To use (with permission, and with proper credit given) artwork created by autistic people whenever I stumble upon it

To consider that some autistic people may not possess my traits, “typical” traits, or the same viewpoints; there are minority groups within minorities, too

To keep confidential information received from fellow autistic people…well, confidential

To stay on the lookout for research that either highlights positive traits of the autism spectrum, or research we can use constructively

To attempt to identify and minimize my internalized ableism

On the flip side, to refrain from jumping down anyone’s throat for using “ableist language”, as many of these words no longer hold their original meaning and are quite commonly used in everyday speech by people of all kinds

To use, wherever possible, neutral and inclusive language/terminology that is free from judgment or implication.  Examples include “experience” instead of “suffers from”, “Asperger’s/autism” (unless I’m specifically talking about differences between the two), and so on

To respect each autistic person’s preference for identity-first or person-first language

To respect the viewpoint of those who do want to be cured

To respect those on the spectrum who do support A$; I might not agree, but there’ll be no disrespect from me, as each person is entitled to their own opinion

To refrain from claiming to speak for all

To avoid using flashing or dizzying graphics on my blog that may overwhelm sensory systems and/or trigger seizures in those who experience them

To minimize the mention of common triggers; where discussed, to always preface with a content/trigger warning/advisory

To share or reblog posts from other autistic blogs on a regular basis (at least twice a month)

To link to posts by other autistic bloggers whenever I’m aware of one that is particularly appropriate for the subject I’m posting about

To respond to all comments left on my blog or about my blog on social media (this also includes liking every post that shares one of my blog posts)

To follow the blogs of all writers who follow mine, in show of support

To follow all Asperger’s/autism-positive blogs of all autistic writers that I come across, in show of support

To participate in Aspie/autistic groups on FB

To vote in all autistic-related polls I see on social media, and all applicable polls created by autistic people on social media

To continue to mention Asperger’s/autism side by side in the spirit of inclusivity (except where differentiation might be specifically applicable)

To actively participate in Autism Awareness/Acceptance

To promote neurodiversity in my professional practice

To maintain a professional practice that is autism-friendly and a safe space for autistic people

To participate in any blogger award offered (I know that there are some that I haven’t yet done; playing catch-up, but I haven’t forgotten or ignored you 🙂 )

To link to and promote other autistic blogs and blog posts

To interact regularly on other autistic blogs by liking and commenting on posts; to leave meaningful and conversational comments where possible as time permits

To boycott movies, articles, books, websites, etc, that paint the autism spectrum in a pathological light, advocate treatment/cure/prevention, etc

On the flip side, to respect those on the spectrum who do want the option of being cured for themselves

To support companies that go beyond the federal regulations mandating accommodation for disabilities including autism; to support companies who make accommodations for autistic patrons

To use the scientific research to our advantage as I come across it, and to make it accessible by deciphering it

To use my experiences of being on the spectrum to help other autistic people

To offer my support and presence to autistic people who are going through tough times

To buy all books (new, straight from the author/publisher) written by autistic people as I come across them and as finances allow

To participate in surveys involving autistic people

To offer to participate in studies about autistic people (so long as they don’t involve treatment of any kind or genetic cataloging for the purposes of cure and/or prevention)

To donate to autistic blog writers as finances allow (I regret that that hasn’t been possible yet–but it will be!)

To avoid unnecessary division and promote unity within the community as much as possible

To consider all points of view before responding, and attempt to see the situation through the lens of another person, responding with that view in mind

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