This is going to be a really short post.  I intend to write a longer, more in depth article in the near future. 

There is a really good write up on The Connor Chronicles, calling for the boycott of The Thinking Persons Guide to Autism.  For the record, I completely support this boycott and I will even state that it’s long overdue. 

I’ll let you read the article but I just wanted to say a few things. 

When are we going to learn?

When are we going to learn that Autism Awareness starts within the Autism Community itself.  We should be leading by example instead of fighting amongst ourselves. 

Organizations like The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, do nothing but brood hate and distant within the community.  I know this first hand as I have been attacked for simply sharing my opinion as an Autism Parent.  The attacks are vicious and unforgiving. 

What I don’t understand is why the community has become so hostile towards each other?

If we all want the same thing, why is it that we don’t work together? At the end of the day, we want the world to be more educated, accepting and understanding of those with Autism, both young and old. 

I’m a very recognized advocate and I work really hard to try and make life better for people with Autism and their families.  What does it matter that I’m not on the Autism Spectrum myself? Does not being Autistic myself, somehow invalidate my accomplishments, intentions or efforts?

What about all the Autism parents out there, doing the very best they can for the child they love? How are their thoughts, feelings and opinions any less valid, simply because they are not on the spectrum themselves?

I personally work with anyone that wants to help.

I don’t care if you have Autism or not.  I don’t care if you have a child with Autism or just want to help. I don’t care if you vaccinate your children or believe vaccines are the work of the devil.  I don’t care if you swear by the GFCF Diet or think that the whole thing is a sham. I don’t even care if you want to cure Autism or simply accept your kids the way they are. 

All I care about is working together in order to make the world a better place for people with Autism and their families. That’s it. That’s all that matters.

The truth is, we need all different kinds of people, from all walks of life and belief systems, in order to truly make the world Autism Aware. 

Autism is different for everyone and one voice just doesn’t reflect those differences.  Fighting amongst ourselves simply sends a confused and misleading message to the world. 

The truth is that I don’t agree with everyone that I want to work with and they won’t always agree with me.  However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t respect their perspective or their personal experience because it’s just as valid as mine. 

I’m so tired of all the fighting and personal attacks. 

If we truly want to make a difference, we need to show the world, by our example, what tolerance, understanding and acceptance is. If we don’t present a united front, the world is never going to take us seriously. 

I’m saddened that an organization like The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism can become so lost and overcome by intolerance and hate that they are no longer relevant in our efforts to spread Autism Awareness.  As far as I’m concerned, they have completely discredited themselves as an organization that can be used as a reference for what we should be doing.  Instead they have become the example for what we shouldn’t be doing.

I truly think that our best approach is to pay these organizations no mind and leave them to their own devices. Hate only hinders and undermines our efforts to spread a positive message and to help the world better understand those with Autism and their families.

This site is managed almost exclusively from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Please forgive any typos as auto-correct HATES me. 😉

Follow @Lost_and_Tired

“Like” me on Facebook

Visit the My Autism Help Forums

To reach me via email, please Contact Me