Ollibean Think Tank

Ollibean Think Tank2012-06-27T10:32:21+00:00

Open Letter To Jon Stewart

When I met Jon Stewart I was very disappointed by his lack of knowledge and sensitivity toward autism. During a recent interview, while still a bit condescending, his views seem to have evolved. This is my open letter to him.

‘Autistic People Are’ by Amy Sequenzia

Autistic People Are

 

Awesome!

 

Autistic People are the real experts on autism.

 

Autistic people are not

more complicated than non-autistics.

Autistic people are

misunderstood and mischaracterized by non-autistics.

 

Autistic people are artistic and we don’t need speech to show our talents.

 

Autistic people

  • Girl with brown hair , blue tshirt is holding an iPad out in front of her. Her face is obscured by the iPad. Boy with Brown Hair holds a white sign that says " The Civil Rights Act of 1964 granted equal rights to all people. I am a person. I want these rights.

A Sister Stands with Her Brother: I Am Heard, I Am Important, and I Am Included

No one wants to be the excluded one, the one to stand alone in silence, the one left out of the conversation. No one wants to be forgotten. So why are some individuals treated this way? Luckily it just takes one person to stand up and include, and the rest will follow. Be that person, take a stand, make a difference.

The Presumption of Competence

Presumption of competence is more than an abstract idea. It has real and concrete effects. Here is one: it is better than a makeover.

Bureaucrats

You look at me
But you don’t see me
You talk about me but not to me
You think you know all about me
But you deny my humanity
You think I don’t have wishes
You believe I don’t have plans
You

  • “I can’t speak for my friends, but labels hinder my life. I reject labels. I am just me.” Amy Sequenzia

Amy Sequenzia: “Just Me”

Amy Sequenzia writes about rejecting society's many labels. Perceptions such as “super spectacular” autistic and “low-functioning” are equally harmful .

It is About Respect

Respect for one another is one basic quality if we want to have meaningful conversations and relationships with other human beings. The ableism that disabled people experience is a form of disrespect.

Judith Snow ~ Relationships & Inclusion

"The research shows that when a child who is not academically gifted is included in a regular school, not only do the academics improve across the school, and I did say that, I didn’t say “in the classroom”, I said “across the school”, not only do the academics improve, but drug use and violence goes down."

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