Liz Ditz
The first-ever Autistics Speaking Day was in 2010, and was organized by Corina Lynn Becker, assisted by Kathryn Bjørnstad. The stimulus was a fundraising proposal by an Australian public-relations organization asking neurotypicals to refrain from using social media for one day, which they called “Communication Shutdown”, and which they claimed would “encourage empathy for people with autism who find social communication a challenge.
Corina was appalled. As she wrote on her blog, in the post Real Communication Shutdown
….this is supposed to help simulate the communication difficulties that Autistic people face.
I’m sorry, but no. Just no.
Through October 2010, Corina continued to write and tweet about her opposition to “Communication Shutdown”, and Autistics Speaking Day was born — and went viral, with over a hundred posts from autistics and autistic allies, and uncounted tweets with the hashtag #ASDay.
In September 2011, Corina published The Beginnings of Autistic Speaking Day on this blog, which gives the full story of how Corina’s ideas developed. In the post, she wrote:
Until Kathryn Bjørnstad commented on my blog with the Facebook link, I had no idea how big my idea had gotten. After clicking on the link, I think I just sat there for at least half an hour, stunned at how many people had already joined up to participate. I don’t think I can accurately describe the feelings of jubilance I felt, and success. In a way, just by having so many people say “yes, I will not be quiet, I will speak up” made ASDay a smashing success before it even began.
Goals for Autistics Speaking Day
- To raise not only autism awareness, but also acceptance
- To battle negative stereotypes about autism
- To by advocate for the inclusion of autistic people in the community
- To offer a forum to broadcast the messages of autistic people and non-autistic allies to as many people as possible.
Who is invited to participate?
- The organizers of Autistics Speaking Day welcome autistics of all ages and abilities to participate in sharing their stories and messages, in whatever form is the most comfortable for them to use.
- The organizers of Autistics Speaking Day also welcome non-autistic allies to share in this day of respectful community and communication.
Here at The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism, we will be observing the day two ways: Carol Greenberg, co-editor, adult with autism and autism parent, will be tweeting articles and comments from our twitter account @thinkingautism, I will be updating the list below silently as new posts are published.
Autistic Participants:
note: the posts at Autistics Speaking Day have trigger warnings; the listings here do not. If you are concerned about triggering, please go to Autistics Speaking Day and read there.
- Corina Becker at No Stereotypes Here: and the 2010 essay 25 Things I know As an Autistic Person at Steve Silberman’s Neurotribes
- Kathryn Bjornstad at Katy Doesn’t Live In Smithton
- Sarah Black at Accepting and Embracing Autism
- Lydia Brown at Autistic Hoya: Disability is a Social Construct: A Sociological Perspective on Disability and Autism
- Matt Friedman at Dude, I’m An Aspie: Chasing Typical
- Julian Edward Frost at African Jungle and Autism Jungle: Autistics’ Speaking Day: My Sense of Humor
- Kate Gladstone of Handwriting That Works writing at Autistics Speaking Day: Pails to the Radio
- Britt Kravets at A Bird in the Hand; Autistics Speaking Day: Trust Yourself!
- Savannah Logsdon-Breakstone at Cracked Mirror in Shalott: Decolonizing Our Voices
- Ari Ne’eman of The Autistic Self Advocacy Network at Steve Silberman’s Neurotribes The Power of Autistic Community
- Zoey Roberts at Spectrum Times: A Simple Wish and Dream (Autistics Speaking Day 2011)
- Jay Blue at Life on the Spectrum
- John Charles Saunders at Accepting Differences: A Slow Adjustment
- Alexis Yael at alexis-yael: Autistics Speaking Day 2011
- Nicole Nicholson at Raven’s Wing Poetry : Threads: For Autistics Speaking Day 2011; with link here and at Hyperlexia Journal: High School Jungle update 11/29/2011 Nicole’s blog, Woman with Asperger’s, can now be found at the URL http://womanwithaspergers.wordpress.com/
- Melanie Yergeau at aspie rhetor Also see Allies posts from Eng 416)
- Charli Devnet at Autistics Speaking Day: Are We Prey Animals?
- Bridget at It’s Bridget’s Word How Autism Made Me A Better Parent
- Leah Jane at Nominatissima: We Are Here, We Are Here: Autistics Speaking Day
- Jason Ross at Drive Mom Crazy: Autistics Speaking Day: How to Find Your Voice
- Kassiane at Radical Neurodivergence: Autistics Speaking Day: For the People Who Speak With Me
- Tony at Tony’s Home Page: First Gay Aspie: Autistics Speaking Day
- Danni Brennand at Dannilion: Autistics Speaking Day: How Autism Affects Me Now
- Catsidhe at Catsidhe’s Live Journal: Autistics Speaking 2011 Or A Disjointed Ramble on Four Subjects
- Sean Patrick Kelly at Sean Patrick Kelly’s Little Corner of the Web: My Name is Sean and I Have Asperger’s Syndrome
- Randy Brachman at Randy Speaks: Asperger’s and Me in Under 1,000 Words
- Alicia Lile at Moonlit Lily: Autistics Speaking Day: Changing from Shame to Pride
- Melody Latimer at AS Parenting: ASDay: One Year Later
- Nadine Silber at Autistics Speaking Day: The Things I Think Are Important to Remember
- at AStrangerinGodZone: The Berlin Wall for Autistic People
- Amy Sequenzia at Autistics Speaking Day: Respect
- Matt Walters at Autistics Speaking Day: Don’t Undervalue Those with Autism
- Lisa at A Day in Our Shoes: Are You A Disability Tourist?
- Richard Wigglesworth at Autistics Speaking Day: Tudor Acid Music
- Sabine Kiefner at Ich Bin Autistin: Asperger Syndrom bei Frauen: 1. November Autistics Speaking Day
- Karin at Beware the Aspie! Autism: An Interview With Myself (Autistics Speaking Day Special)
- Louise at The Cat’s Aunt: Autistics Speaking Day: Reasons I Support Neurodiversity
- Maria Gaskin at Strings and Things: Life Without a Label
- A. Alley at Inside the Puzzle: A. Speaks for Autistics Speaking Day!
- Lipogram at Lipogram! Scorecard! Autistics Speaking Day
- Landon Bryce at ThAutCast Part One What I Cannot Tell You: An Autism Primer and Part Two What I Cannot Tell You and Part Three What Our Children and Their Parents Cannot Tell You and Part Four What I Cannot Tell You
- LoriB at LoriB.me: Autistics Speaking Day: The Autistic Freelancer
- Jemima at The View from My Brain: It’s Autistics Speaking Day!
- Geeky Bitch at Ramblings of A Geeky Bitch It’s Autistics Speaking Day!
- Julia Bascom at Just Stimming: Autistics Speaking Day
- Sarah at Good Reads: Autistics Speaking Day: 13 Myths
- AutistWriter at Lyssa and Me Autistics Speaking Day
- AutisticSpeaks at AutisticSpeaks: On Balance and Tempering
- ThoughtyAutie at Thoughty Autie Autistics Speaking Day 2011
- Twitchy Woman at WeirdLaw I’m Very High Functioning and Clearly Something’s Going On Here
- More Than Disorganized at More Than Disorganized: Autistics Speaking Day
- Bard at Prism*Song Unspoken
- FryFan20 at Rants and Rambles Q&A on Autism and Artand In the Closet: Autism at Work and Don’t Try to Fix Me, I’m Not Broken
- Jenn McGrath at Autistics Speaking Day: My Life with Asperger’s
- Anya Ustaszewski at The Guardian: I don’t want to be ‘cured’ of autism, thanks
- Jesbenstock at Youtube: Something About Us Part One and Something About Us Part Two
- Alexander Cheezem at A View from the Boundaries Bad Parents
- Liam Haakon Smith at Facebook The Problematic Notion of a “Cure” and at Autistics Speaking Day
- Peripheral Minds of Autism at Autistics Speaking Day In Need of Directions
- CJ Diachenko The Musical Autist
- Fear the Mighty Spork Autistics Speaking Day
- Rayn at Acid Rayn: Autistics Speaking Day 2011!
- Alianne Sonderling at Authenticity in Communication: Silence and Solitude: Autistics Speaking Day
- Rainbow Goddess at PurpleAspie Finding the Right Planet
- From Aloha to Arizona At From Aloha to Arizona Autistics Speaking Day
- Cereus at The Extremophile’s Lair: Autistics Speaking Day — A Photo Celebration
- Stifled Screams: Cat Got my Tongue
- Codeman38 at Nous Sommes tous les <
> I Really Wanted To Post Something… - Karin Mossberg at Powersuit SelfPortraits for Autistics Speaking Day
- Autistics Speaking Day Facebook Comments by Various People
Non-Autistic Ally Participants:
- hsvihl at Adventures of My Life
- Martine O’Callaghan at Autism Mum:Jazz Hands
- Sortedmegablock at Sortedmegablocks
- Annie Kay at Autism Custody Battles on Twitter
- Sarah Schneider at Kitaiska Sandwich: Free To Be You…And Me (Autistics Speaking Day Edition)
- Sullivan at LeftBrain/RightBrain: Tomorrow — Autistics Speaking Day and Autism Parent’s Listening Day
- Kim Wombles at Countering: Autistics Speaking Day
- Liz Ditz at I Speak of Dreams: Get Ready For Autistics Speaking Day 2011 and It Is Autistics Speaking Day 2011. I Am Listening
- Jean Winegardner at Washington Times: Autistics Speaking Day Broadcasts Autistic Voices and at Stimeyland: Happy Autistics Speaking Day!
- SpectrummyMummy at Spectrummy Mummy: Autistics Speaking Day: Pudding’s Words
- Stuart Duncan at Autism from A Father’s Point of View: Autistics Speaking Day
- Shannon Rosa at Squidalicious: Being Proud, Being Present
- Sharon at Mama’s Turn Now: Autistics Speaking Now: My 10 year old Aspie Tells It Like It Is
- Chris McKee at I Saw A Pigeon: Matthew’s Paranormal Interests: Autistics Speaking Day 2011
- MJ at Autism Jabberwocky: Autistics Speaking Day: Listen to the Silence
- Renee Martin at Womanist Musings: We are Here, We Are Here: Autistics Speaking Day
- Joanne at Cutest Baby EVER: Autistics Speaking Day
- J at Teaching the Boy: Autistics Speaking Day
- Accidental Expert at Raising Complicated Kids And Speaking of Experts…
- MIStuart at MI Stuart’s class blog for Eng. 416 Autism, Culture and Representation: Autistics Speaking Day
- Roni at Roni’s class blog for Eng. 416 Autism, Culture and Representation Autistics Speaking Day
- Trisha at Trisha’s class blog for Eng.416 Autism, Culture and Representation: Speaking Up Amid Silence
- Hanheeb at Hanheeb’s class blog for Eng. 416 Autism, Culture and Representation: This I Believe
- Feldjen at Feldjen’s class blog for Eng. 416 Autism, Culture and Representation: Autistics Speaking Day: Yell It Loud!
- Acov at Acov’s class blog for Eng. 416 Autism, Culture and Representation: Autism and Gender
- Bpesqfish at Bpesqfish’s class blog for Eng. 416 Autism, Culture and Representation: Blog Post #6
- Alex at Alex’s class blog for Eng. 416 Autism, Culture and Representation: Short Film
- Virginia Hughes at Simons Foundation for Autism Research (SFARI) Autistics Speaking
- Shark Fu at Angry Black Bitch When What Is Covered Demonstrates Flawed Values
- Penni at Watch Me As I Fall Apart: She Has Asperger’s
- Parent at Surviving the System Autistics Speaking Day
- Mamazen at Mamazen: NaNoBloMo and Autistics Speaking Day
- Jennifer Byde Myers at Into The Woods, Living Deliberately : Autistics Speaking Day
Here is the website: Autistics Speaking Day .
If you have written a post, submit it using this form (be sure to follow the trigger warning guidelines).
Here is the Facebook page: Autistics Speaking Day.
Here is the Facebook page for the event: Autistics Speaking Day 2011.
If you use Twitter, follow @AutisticsSpeak and use the hashtag #ASDay