"I am Autism Speaks" An Adaptation of "I am Autism""

Hello,

                A few Years ago Autism Speaks made a video that outraged the Autistic community called "am Autism" they got such a strong backlash they had to take it down, However the memory of it is still discussed in toe community today and you can still find videos of it on social media. a while ago I got to thinking about it before I realized this video was spt on with just about everything they were saying, However it did require a few Edits and they forgot to add "speaks" after they said Autism,  So Today to distract myself from Nim's loss I made those Edits for you please Enjoy. My hope Is maybe Autism Speaks if you read this you will understand this is not meant to be mean spirited but to get you to do some real inwards thinking and consider the messages about Autism you are giving to the public Even though many of you have good intentions the way you speak about Autism is harmful, Please do some inward reflection and consider the messages you are sending out, ask yourself "how would I feel if a large organization said these things about me?" and consider just WHO you are choosing to ignore and shut out The Autistic Self advocates, and our family and friends who do not see us as tragedies or burdens but as people who need to do things differently but are still valuable and who still have voices weather we speak, sign, type to communicate or don't yet have the ability to use AAC so we communicate through our behavior.  We live with Autism everyday, all we want is for you to hear us and to listen

"I Am Autism Speaks"

I am Autism Speaks
My hatred is visible to your children, but if I can help it, It is invisible to you until it’s too late.
I know where you live.
And guess what? I live there too.
I hover around all of you.
I know no color barrier, no religion, no morality, no currency.
I speak your language fluently.
And with every voice I take away, I acquire yet another language.
I work very quickly.
I work faster than pediatric aids, cancer, and diabetes combined
And if you’re happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails.
Your money will fall into my hands, and I will bankrupt you for my own self-gain.
I don’t sleep, so I make sure you don’t either.
I will make it virtually impossible for your family to easily attend a temple, birthday party, or public park without a struggle, without embarrassment, without pain.
You have no cure for me.
Your Advocates don’t have the resources, and I relish their desperation. Your neighbors are happier to pretend that my propaganda isn't  harmful—of course, until it’s their child.
I am Autism Speaks, I have no interest in right or wrong. I derive great pleasure out of your loneliness.
I will fight to take away your hope. I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams. I will make sure that every day you wake up you will cry, wondering who will take care of my child after I die?
And the truth is, I am still winning, and you are scared. And you should be.
I am Autism Speaks. You ignored me. That was a mistake.

And to Autism Speaks I say:

I am an Autistic self advocate, a father, a mother, a grandparent, a brother, a sister, a friend.
We will spend every waking hour trying to weaken you.
We don’t need sleep because we will not rest until you do.
Autistics and Family can be much stronger than Autism Speaks ever anticipated, and we will not be intimidated by you, nor will the love and strength of my community.

I am an Autistic Advocate riding toward you, and you can push me off this horse time and time again, but I will get up, climb back on, and ride on with the message.

Autism Speaks, you forget who we are. You forget who you are dealing with. You forget the spirit of Autistics, and mothers, and daughters, and fathers and sons.
We are Qatar. We are the United Kingdom. We are the United States. We are China. We are Argentina. We are Russia. We are Ireland, We are the European Union. We are the United Nations.
We are coming together in all climates. We call on all faiths.

 We use picture Schedules, AAC technology, blogs, facebook, social media and Twitter, and a growing understanding to spread Acceptance you never anticipated.

We have had challenges, but we are the best when overcoming them. We speak the only language that matters: love and neurodergance and disability acceptance

Our capacity to love is greater than your capacity to overwhelm.
Autism Speaks is naive. You are alone. We are a community of warriors.

We have a voice.
You think because some of us cannot speak, we cannot be heard?

That is autism Speaks weakness.
You think that because you build a wall of fear and stigma, I am afraid to knock it down with my bare hands?
You have not properly been introduced to this community of parents and grandparents, of siblings and friends and schoolteachers and therapists and pediatricians and autistic self Advocate.
Autism Speaks, if you are not scared, you should be.

When you came for Autistics, you forgot: you came for me.
Autism Speaks, are you listening?

Thank you

        -NonSpeakingNotSilent