Hey everyone, sorry for the more serious post today, but I have an important issue I really need to talk about and bring attention to.
Recently when I was trying to upload one of my autistic pride designs to make a t-shirt on Roblox, I was sent a moderation warning saying this:
(And this was the image I uploaded btw):
Obviously I was annoyed and frustrated by this, so I contacted Roblox and sent an appeal message.
Today I received a response from Roblox Support saying this:
Does this action seem fair to you? Because it doesn't feel fair to me. I ranted to one of my autistic online friends about it after, where we discussed it in more detail and you can understand more of the context around why this is so messed up. (I got permission to share these screenshots.)
I know Roblox moderation has never been great, it's always had its issues. But as annoying as that is, in this case I feel like it's crossed a line. This isn't just about Roblox either, this is about how society views autism and the lack of autism education in general. I'm not just upset because I can't post something on Roblox, I'm upset because my voice as an autistic person is being silenced while other products on that platform are clearly mocking autism, and I'm trying to teach people about us. This is completely unjustified, and it sets a scary precedent when marginalized groups get censored for talking about their own experiences. Yes, Roblox is for all ages, and we should keep conversations appropriate, absolutely. But autistic people's existence, disability in general, is not inappropriate, kids should be learning about it. We don't need to discuss eugenics and hate crimes towards disabled people on Roblox, of course not, but I should be able to mention my identity without fear of being punished.
Basically, censoring the word autistic doesn't protect autistic people from hate, bullying, and discrimination, that is still happening regardless. What it does do is make it harder for us to fight back and stand up for ourselves, teach people about the realities of autism and normalize us as human beings. It's doing more harm than good, and that's what I hope Roblox can start to realize.
If you agree with me and want to make a difference, please reblog this and share it as many places as you can. We need to send a message to Roblox, and show them that silencing autistic voices is not ok. Obviously, be civil and respectful though, I just want to have a peaceful conversation about this problem, and hopefully Roblox will care enough to hear us out.
Way way back I drew a comic explaining what we really mean by ‘The Autism Spectrum’ and posted it here back when Tumblr was Huge. Then the comic really blew up!! Last year I did a remake of the comic, with some updated language, and using Mia, a character from a graphic novel I made. Figured I’d share for Autism Acceptance Month!
can you infodump to me? (i love you) is this overwhelming? (i love you) is this the right texture? (i love you) is it ok to touch you? (i love you) do you want the subtitles on? (i love you) do you want to go somewhere less noisy? (i love you)
A non-exhaustive list of the ways autistic people may show empathy even though we are assumed to not have it.
Are these exclusive to autistic people? No, not at all, we're just more often pathologized for them.
If I'm in a relationship with someone who does this, does that mean I just have to suck it up even if it doesn't work for me? No, it doesn't, but you do probably have some adjusting to do. You'll need to treat it as a mutual miscommunication instead of something it's all on the autistic (or ADHD, or whatever) person to fix. You'll have to change some of your expectations and get comfortable asking for (and explaining) the show of empathy you need - and you may even find out that the way you show empathy isn't working so great for them either. 😉
[Image description: AUTISTIC EMPATHY CAN LOOK LIKE… - Infographic by Autball.
White translucent boxes with black lettering inside on a magenta to purple diagonal gradient. The first four boxes read: (1) I’ve been through something similar, so maybe sharing my story will help; (2) Ooh, I know how to fix that! Maybe helping them solve their problem will make them feel better; (3) Oh man, now I have big feelings too! I just feel this so much!; (4) My favorite thing always calms me down, so maybe it’ll help them too. I’ll ask them to do it with me. These four are grouped together with a blue line and labeled: Misinterpreted as “Making it All About You.”
The next four boxes read: (5) I’m not sure how to help, so I’ll leave it to that person who looks like they do; (6) When I’m upset or overwhelmed, I prefer to be left alone, so I’ll bet they would like the same; (7) If I get involved, I’m gonna become overwhelmed myself, and that will take attention from them, so it’s best to just stay out of it; (8) I’m not sure how to help, and I usually make it worse when I try but get it wrong, so it’ll be better for everyone if I just do nothing. These four are grouped together with a blue line and labeled: Misinterpreted as Cold and Uncaring.
At the bottom is one last sentence, in white bold lettering, that reads, “Just because we don’t show it the same doesn’t mean we don’t feel it.”]
It's ok that white autistic people aren't familiar with autistic people of color's experiences. That's not the problem.
The problem is how many white autistic people seem to think their experiences are universal, that they can speak for and over autistic people of color.
Being autistic doesn't take away white privilege. Being white and autistic still has privilege over autistic BIPOC, and even neurotypical BIPOC.
Neurodivergence doesn't exempt anyone from deconstructing and unpacking white supremacy.
Today is Tuesday, April 11, which means we are eleven days into the 30 blessed days of #autism acceptance month, 2023 (previously known as #autism awareness month). April is the month and April 2nd is the day—World Autism Day, to be precise—and these first weeks of spring are a time for uplifting autistic voices of all identities, advocating for acceptance, progress, and sharing in the community's joy. It began back in 1972, as National Autistic Children’s Week, and was founded by The Autism Society to raise awareness and campaign for change in communities, schools, medical facilities, and businesses. And this same vital, wonderful work continues today, and not just for the month of April, of course—but every day of every year. The lived reality is that every day of every month is Autism Acceptance Month, and it is on all of us to do better.
Progress has been made, but there is still so much to be done in the struggle for equality and justice for all those living under the broad church of autism. And if these words sound hollow, then simply read the moving story of Debra Vines, of The Answer Inc., and of her autistic son Jason. She articulates everyday struggles that families can face, and the many joys they experience, too. Her message is simple, but powerful: don't give up on milestones.
Want to know more, get involved, or donate? Here is just some of an impressive selection of charities sourced by the fine people at the Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide, where you can find the complete list of 20 charities and organizations:
“The focus on cis white male presentations of autism creates a massive diagnosis barrier for marginalised people. Our actions are viewed differently depending on our race / gender etc. We need better representation in media and we need academics to understand and embed cultural nuance, not seek to further restrict diagnosis.” (@girl_unleeshed on Twitter)
Here’s the second comic I worked on for Autism Acceptance month! This comic is a collaboration with Leesha (@girl_unleeshed). Please check out her Twitter to read more of her awesome and thoughtful writing!
thinking about the time i said to a couple people that i can't drive due to my autism, and one of them said something like "i don't have a choice bc my parents made me drive". that bothered me for a while, and continues to bother me. i don't have a choice either. if my life depended on me driving, i would die.
it feels to me like whenever i say "i can't do this because of my autism", allistics (or often times lower support needs autistics) assume that i have actually just decided not to do something, instead of understanding that i am physically incapable of doing it, even if my life depended on it, even if i desperately wanted to.
i wish allistics understood that an autistic person's limitations cannot be changed with motivation or different choices. sometimes it feels like other people have a harder time accepting my needs and limits. than i do myself.
Okay, the fact that autism week / autism acceptance month has BARELY started, and we have not one, but TWO canonically autistic characters calling themselves autistic on-screen???? THIS IS SO FUCKING AWESOME LIKE????