The latest news has
social media outlets abuzz. The numbers have changed, again. In less than eight
years, we’ve seen them more than triple. Experts discuss the reasons behind the
change while so many watch and wait for the numbers to shift, yet again. In
this business, digits are followed with great anticipation and endless postgame
analysis. Some sign on, catching the freshest wave, while others join in,
hoping to cash out a little before the wave crests and falls.
What I’m about to say
will be seen as controversial to many, and maddening to some. And I’d bet the
house, if I was a betting lass, that a few will misconstrue what I aim to
communicate, as we all come to our own conclusions, bringing our built-in
biases and backgrounds. I suppose it’s blog with a dash of a rant, and I
welcome your comments below.
The stock market affects
each and every one of us, whether we are personally vested in it or not.
Those with autism are
becoming merged with the stock market mentality. And I can’t stand it.
When my daughter was
diagnosed with Asperger’s (soon to be folded under “Autism Spectrum Disorder” –
Asperger’s isn’t going anywhere. It’s just a name change.), watching the rates
transform from 1:166 to 1:115 to 1:88 – and now to (purportedly) 1:50, has been
incredible. Personally speaking, I still do not think the numbers are correct.
For one, girls continue to be misdiagnosed or undiagnosed during the school
years, which means many are not counted in the latest data. Add to that how the
data was collected, and I sit here scratching my head a bit. But this post isn’t
about that, at all. It’s about the numbers game.
Like many of you, I’m
on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I’ve seen so many talk about the rates
while sounding the alarm bells and it has me concerned. It’s almost like
watching the stock market: Can we remain above 14,000? What if we dip back
under 10K again? What if we truly are on an investment bubble and it all comes
tumbling down? Instead, we’re watching the autism “market”: What if rates keep
increasing? What if it becomes 1:40? Or 1:25? What on earth will we do?
And, like watching and
fretting about the stock market, many ask, “How do we stop the ‘worst’ from
happening?” Some join the conversation as it appears the “in” thing to do while
others ask, “How do I cash out?”
I’m not liking that
vibe, folks.
Let’s be clear, autism
is a spectrum. It is incredibly broad and diverse, and those of us who live and
breathe it every day have the mantra, “If you’ve met one person with autism,
you’ve met one person with autism” furrowed in our brows. Yes, there are so
very many beautiful souls with communication and self-care difficulties who
could truly benefit from something that will enable them to live independently.
But there are so many others who do, indeed, move on to marry, have families,
and hold down incredibly powerful careers. In fact, another mantra privately
uttered by so many on the “Aspergian end” of the spectrum is often, “I don’t
suffer from autism. I suffer from those around me who refuse to take time to
understand me or accept me for who I am.”
 |
| Share if you like! |
Let’s break it down.
About that “fix,”
stopping the “worst case scenario”. Imagine being a teen. Remember those years?
Even with the best of experiences, moodiness rules the day. It is what it is.
Imagine being a teenager on the autism spectrum and reading all the news,
hearing how others see you as having a “problem” and needing to be “fixed,”
with the added “concern” that more and more people are becoming like you. How
would it make you feel?
I know how it makes my
daughter feel. It makes her fight for her self-worth. It makes her want to
burrow her Asperger’s as far into the ground as she can, living under cover so
she can move about her life “undetected”. And this rush to rage against the
numbers is hurting so many like my daughter who want to be accepted for who
they are. Not who the majority wishes they be.
Please, stop the rage. Turn
it into passion for understanding and sourcing therapies that will be of
benefit. Turn those powerful emotions into making a positive impact.
And about those who “buy
in” to the cause of the day? Let’s face it; autism is, regrettably, seen as a “fad”
for many unaffected by it. Unfortunately, this does mean some will be diagnosed
who should not be. But it also means many will wear the ribbons and walk the …well…walks,
but ten years from now they’ll move on to the next cause. It’s fickle. And is
how some operate.
Please, don’t “buy
stock” in autism because “everyone else is doing it”. Do it because you believe
in it. Just as you would buy stock in a company you have faith in. Otherwise,
you’re “buying in” for either a simple return on investment or to say, “I have
a share in ‘Autism Co.’. Do you?” Those of use connected to autism are
ambassadors, whether we wish to be or not. It’s part of the package. We’d love
you to be fully vested with us, but serious buyers, only, please.
And now a word to those
who see green. There are two sides to this coin.
Unfortunately, there
are those who may see this as an opportunity to “cash in”. Wow, does this one
bother me so! No, I am hardly naming names. But there may be a few who want to
ride this wave. Autism is not a penny stock. This is not a Bull Market. It’s a
way of life for oh so many of us. Make your money somewhere else.
On the other hand,
there are those who are resentful when others do make even a dime from their advocacy work. Please know that most
people who work to create autism awareness and acceptance do it with a passion
to truly make a difference. Yes, some will financially profit (books and
speeches do take quite a bit of time and resources to write and promote;
therapists and teachers, as well as those who craft awareness items, need to pay the mortgage, just like the rest of us),
but most will not be motivated by money at all. (Remember my introverted
husband next to me on stage? He did it due to his passion for Asperger’s – not
attention. He’s more comfortable behind a keyboard than a microphone, for
sure!)
Please, let’s stop
seeking out the latest numbers on autism as if we are watching market trends.
Autism is not the stock market. Autism defines the lives of so very many
people. If the numbers concern you, consider using that energy to work for
understanding and acceptance of what autism is – and what it is not.
And, I’ve gotta say to
my fellow autism peeps; let’s use this energy to understand each other, as
well. In the autism “family” (we are a family, folks, to invoke the sentiments
of my friend David from the Autism Society of NC), we need to work to
understand the opposite side of the spectrum on which we are standing. But ‘tis
a topic for another time.
Somehow I can’t help
but feel this blog carries more negative energy than positive, and I regret
that. But sometimes it is important to point out trends, and I hope this will
spur you onward to (re)focusing on autism awareness and acceptance. Instead of
ranting and raving about the numbers, let’s see what we can do to support those
who have autism, as well as to educate others who do not understand our beautifully
deep and diverse spectrum.
~peace
