Society can be very judgmental. However, people learn. A person learns every day they are alive. There is no reason to insult, incriminate, or make anyone feel less of a person. People in the Disability community tend to feel judged all the time which is why we need to boost our self-esteem everyday a lot more than others, though the Non-Disability community may not feel the same way as so many others, they are Human too, which is why they can be vulnerable as well. We are not perfect because we are Human beings. We feel for ourselves and each other all the time, and we also need to encourage everyone no matter what to know they can do it too just like any one else. No one should be shamed for they are.
The problem may be that whether a person is Autistic or Non-Autistic, society needs to be more sensitive to a single person’s needs when any one drives down a road with a car, takes public transportation, walks into a store, going into a restaurant, or wanting to go to a place of entertainment. Society generally is not sensitive enough to a person’s needs. There are too many people in society who discourage others and humiliate a person because of who they are. For instance, that is why there are festivals out there for Gay Pride, Autistic Pride, and Disability Pride as well. However, it should not have to come to this at all. Every one should be able to feel accepted in society no matter what.
No one should ever feel they are not able to do what another person is doing. Any one can learn to do anything with patience, encouragement, and time. We are who we are and no body can take that away from any one. No one should feel like they have to be dependent on others or be homeless or placed in group homes or residential treatment placement centers even as a youth. We all have rights including the youth. The younger a person becomes empowered with their life to do what they want to do to be productive in society, the more that person will live a more positive life.
Youth empowerment is important and should be a vital part of our society and everything to empower should start at a young age. No one should feel like they can not function in society as a single individual because society thinks a single person needs to change they way they are. Here are some examples like a person who needs to stim to relax their body and/or a person who can not make eye contact. Society needs to be more flexible in knowing that eye contact for some does not mean they can not pay attention and stimming just means a person is releasing energy to relax. There are many ways to stim, but it does not mean a person who stims needs to change the behavior. It just needs to be accepted by society as an Autistic trait. However, I do understand that not everyone stims and it may perceive others to not knowing if the person is unpredictable or not. Fortunately, people who are on the Autistic spectrum that can verbally speak or use Facilitated Communication, can inform others that it is not unpredictable behavior and just a means of what happens to some who need to do it at certain times during a day or an eventful moment in their life.
This is important because otherwise certain people will end up in residential treatment placement centers because society will think certain people need to conform better in order to function.
Every one is what they are, can be independent, and live a beautiful life no matter who you are as person!!! I love being a part of CAFETY, Community Alliance for Ethical Treatment of Youth!
OUT, J