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Autism Awareness Month - Blog Posts
your annual reminder:
don’t support autism speaks this month
don’t “light it up blue”
don’t use the puzzle piece symbol
however!
do support autistic content creators
do support “red instead” and the infinity symbol
remember to listen to the voices of marginalised autistic people!
happy autism awareness/acceptance month! go tell your local autistic pal that they’re awesome! if you’re autistic, remember to practice some self-love!
In honor of autism awareness month, here's a full comprehensible list as to why I think Rui is autistic, or at the very least, neurodivergent !!!! - 1, For starters, he was ostracized by his classmates for presumably almost a decade (2nd grade - 1st yr of high school), all because he was "different" and nobody around him could properly understand him. This has resulted in him struggling to form and maintain relationships. As stated in his second focus event, Revival My Dream, when he was a kid, Rui had a hard time conversering with his classmates because he felt as if he couldn't connect with them.
He's interested in more niche things, like robotics,
and he was also interested in things that people normally regard as "scary", such as moths;
After he became fond of shows and theater as well and attempted to include his classmates in one he thought of in an attempt to grow closer to them, his idea ultimately backfired since his classmates thought his way of directing was "dangerous", and this is where the ostracization seemed to start.
(translation by Arvon Oven) Being ostracized and shunned is unfortunately a common thing with people who have autism, and as I mentioned previously, Rui was alone for presumably seven years straight, all because he was regarded as "different". - 2, He has "restricted, obsessive interests" that can be seen as hyperfixations/special interests. Ever since he was a child, Rui's been heavily interested in both robotics/inventing and shows. A hyperfixation is described as, "A complete obsession with or absorption into a particular task. The task can be a hobby, a TV show, a subject of interest, or something else. People who hyperfixate may tune out the world around them and ignore important responsibilities, such as eating or sleeping." Rui's interest in shows specifically can be seen as a hyperfixation, as in the first side story of his Unforeseen Keynotes (or Unexpected Happenings according to the English translation) card, Rui was so engrossed in thinking about the next show they'd be doing, he had completely forgotten that Robo-Nene was due for maintenance, and Nene mentions that this wouldn't be the first time he's forgotten to eat or sleep because of how engrossed he gets in his thoughts while thinking about shows.
Nene also mentions in Wonderlands x Showtime's main story that Rui becomes so absorbed in his shows that he "loses sight of everything else", (In the original Japanese version, she says "When it comes to shows, he isn't able to look at his surroundings, so things never work out".)
and also in KAMIKOU FESTIVAL!, where he mentions that his tendency to put shows "at the center of everything" might be a flaw of his;
(translation by Ren) It's also mentioned in A Once-In-A-Lifetime Pandemonium!? that he'll get so absorbed in his thoughts while thinking of shows, he'll completely forget about his surroundings.
(translation by tsukasa’s #3 fan) - 3, He has texture issues, which is also common with people who have autism. It's been mentioned multiple times throughout the course of the game that he detests vegetables, but more specifically cucumbers and things in the cucurbitaceae family (such as watermelon & pumpkin), because they all share the same texture.
He mentions in an area conversation with Nene that he usually only eats at restaurants he's familiar with (he sticks to routine; another thing common with people who have autism), so eating out has never been an issue to him, and he even refused to eat vegetables when they were quite literally stranded on a deserted island and in a life-threatening situation.
- 4, He info-dumps. A lot.
This one is pretty self-explanatory, I think. - 5, He's overly logical and struggles with his emotions. He's had trouble on multiple occasions understanding his emotions, such as in Full Power! Wonder Halloween! where he unconsciously holds himself back after inadvertently injuring Tsukasa with one of his inventions, but he didn't realize that he was even holding himself back until somebody pointed it out, and he didn't realize that he was holding himself back because he was worried, either. Something similar happens in Heat Up! Kamikou High Cheering Squad! where he unconsciously holds himself back because he feared being shunned again, but once again, he didn't realize the reason for him holding himself back until somebody pointed it out for him. In the first side story of his I Can't Afford to Lose *4 card, Rui comes to the Sekai, hoping to talk to somebody to put his mind at ease. As he runs into Meiko and Luka and they ask him what's wrong because he seemed down, Rui says that "I just wanted to think about production, but my feelings got in the way of thinking". He then says "Feelings really are troublesome. / Sometimes, you have to hold them back with all of your might... It'd be nice if someone other than me could manage these troublesome feelings". (In the English translation, he says "Emotions are so complicated and can be so troublesome at times. / There are even times when one becomes completely overwhelmed by them... If only someone else were able to help put a lid on them.") Lastly, I'd like to mention that in Revival My Dream, after Rui asks his mom if he's different from the people around him, she responds by saying that, yes, he is different, but she also says that she was "just like him" as a child, and seeing how autism is caused mainly by genetics, his mom can very well be autistic too.
Okay, that is all!!! Thank you for listening to me yap :3
Autism awareness month ? Oh, you are about to become very aware
So amazing!
April is Autism Awareness month. Donate to your charity of choice. Sketch a day, blue(ish) character in blue pencil.
Day 9: Dewey - Duck Tales
FYI
Learn more:
Autism Acceptance month :D
sorry about how MESSY it is i did it on my computer, not phone, also credits to nuggts ( @_f.ck.0ff_ on tiktok) as i used their picrew in this
{transcript: Atlas , 14 he/it. Best stim is meowing. favorite autistic characters are Mable Pines from gravity falls and Twyla Boogeyman from monster high. Biggest challenge is being semi-verbal. Biggest talent is that I can identify cat breeds. special interest facts, 1 cats follow humans when they see them as their mom. 2 cats purr on you to heal you, and their purr can heal themself too! what I want allistics to know it i just need support, i am who i am}
Happy Autism Awareness Day, everyone!! 👏🏻👏🏻🥰💙💙
Empathy is the key to accepting neurodivergence. We get nowhere by being afraid of people or choosing not to listen to them. Support comes from positions of kindness, empathy, and understanding.
Autism Awareness Month
neurodivergent_insights
I still have my Mickey Mouse plush from when I was two. And, my bookshelves are filled with comics, manga, and novels based on stuff like Disney movies. We all love what we love, and that's what makes us happy in life. No one should be judged for that.
just like.....the bizarre vitriolic hatred i see on here for autistic ppl who like "childish" things made for little kids is so frustrating and heartbreaking to me. allistics already hate us and infantilize us, so they see an autistic person who happen to like something "childish" and mock us for it.
but what really breaks my heart is seeing OTHER autistic ppl who think of themselves as being "better" than those who like "childish" things and make fun of them bc theyve been taught to hate by an ableist society. doesnt it get exhausting. doesnt it hurt inside to be full of the lies and hatred neurotypicals taught you. doesnt it hurt to take out that hatred on your fellow autistic ppl, to mock them for something that allistics already mock them for. why. why do you do this. who did this to you.
Happy Autism Awareness Month everyone!
I thought you all would enjoy some sensory items that they recommended!
Sensory Item Recommendations
Neurodivergent_lou
Back from the dead to reblog my own year-old post.
Wanted to add that if you're autistic and want to reclaim the puzzle piece, that's perfectly fine! But it's good we advise people to stay away from websites and organizations that use it since most of them are still ableist.
Since it's Autism Awareness Month, here's
Why the puzzle piece is offensive to the Autistic Community
[Large text: Why the puzzle piece is offensive to the Autistic Community]
Unfortunately, the most commonly used symbols to represent autism are all puzzle related, like the ones bellow.
These symbols and similar ones are typically used by Autism Organizations that are run by allistic people rather than autistic, Autism Speaks being the best-known example across the internet, but not the only one.
I'm not going to go deep into how bad Autism Speaks is, but just to leave you with the tip of the iceberg, know they used to put out ads that demonized autistic people (and even one in which one of the organization's leaders spoke about wanting to drive herself and her autistic daughter off a bridge).
Autism Speaks, and many others, attempt to "teach" people about autism, without hearing what actually autistic people have to say, and that's their biggest (but not at all only) problem.
Now, stay with me as we dive into history...
The puzzle piece was first used as a symbol for autism in 1963, by UK's National Autism Society, later on being adopted by Autism Speaks, which made it more popular.
Back then, autism awareness campaigns were viewed as being similar to, for example, cancer awareness ones, because autism was seen as an illness, a disease (which it is not).
As I've made clear before, the puzzle piece is heavily associated with organizations that spread misinformation about autism, making it, of course, already a bad symbol to represent us, but there's something I personally feel bothers us a lot more, and that is the symbolism of the puzzle piece.
The puzzle piece represents an idea of "mystery" and — you guessed it — being "puzzled".
And us, autists, don't really appreciate being called confusing.
Not only that, these words were often used to describe autism offensively in the past (and still are). And, on top of that, most times, when you find a puzzle supposed to represent autism, it is incomplete.
Isn't the message clear enough?
We're people, not puzzles that have to be worked out. We're not incomplete and we're not "puzzled".
So
Which symbols can you use for autism awareness?
[Large text: Which symbols can you use for autism awareness?]
The infinity rainbow symbol is common for all neurodivergent people, while the golden infinity is specific for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder, in case you didn't know the acronym).
The infinity symbol represents the complexity and vastness of neurodivergence and autism.
Autism is less about "severity" and more about different struggles in different topics and areas (though not a lot of people seem to understand that, unfortunately). After all, autism is a spectrum, not a scale.
And if you're interested in why golden is the color of choice for us, that'd be because the periodic symbol for gold is Au, which I think is very clever, haha.
Some people also like to use red or plain yellow, I don't know a lot about that, but I'd recommend you research it.
And since we're on the topic of color, just a warning: in the Autistic Community we kind of avoid using blue to represent us, especially because it is heavily associated with Autism Speaks' "Light It Up Blue" movement.
Blue is seen as a representation of feelings like sadness, as well as being commonly associated with boys (this is important because women and other AFAB are often misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed because many people still think autism is only found in boys, and because many traits are viewed as "normal behavior" in AFAB people).
This isn't to say you can't use blue in the title of your PowerPoint presentation about ASD, it's just a thing we try to avoid.
Well, that should be all.
I decided to make this post because I've seen many people post about which symbols to use for Autism Awareness Month, but no one explaining why.
Thought this could help some poor lost soul understand it, lol
Happy Autism Awareness Month, my beloved Yippies, and a thank you to everyone who stopped to read <3 (heart).
Now I'm gonna go clean my search history and my gallery, just reading "Autism Speaks" gives me the ick.
Since it's Autism Awareness Month, here's
Why the puzzle piece is offensive to the Autistic Community
[Large text: Why the puzzle piece is offensive to the Autistic Community]
Unfortunately, the most commonly used symbols to represent autism are all puzzle related, like the ones bellow.
These symbols and similar ones are typically used by Autism Organizations that are run by allistic people rather than autistic, Autism Speaks being the best-known example across the internet, but not the only one.
I'm not going to go deep into how bad Autism Speaks is, but just to leave you with the tip of the iceberg, know they used to put out ads that demonized autistic people (and even one in which one of the organization's leaders spoke about wanting to drive herself and her autistic daughter off a bridge).
Autism Speaks, and many others, attempt to "teach" people about autism, without hearing what actually autistic people have to say, and that's their biggest (but not at all only) problem.
Now, stay with me as we dive into history...
The puzzle piece was first used as a symbol for autism in 1963, by UK's National Autism Society, later on being adopted by Autism Speaks, which made it more popular.
Back then, autism awareness campaigns were viewed as being similar to, for example, cancer awareness ones, because autism was seen as an illness, a disease (which it is not).
As I've made clear before, the puzzle piece is heavily associated with organizations that spread misinformation about autism, making it, of course, already a bad symbol to represent us, but there's something I personally feel bothers us a lot more, and that is the symbolism of the puzzle piece.
The puzzle piece represents an idea of "mystery" and — you guessed it — being "puzzled".
And us, autists, don't really appreciate being called confusing.
Not only that, these words were often used to describe autism offensively in the past (and still are). And, on top of that, most times, when you find a puzzle supposed to represent autism, it is incomplete.
Isn't the message clear enough?
We're people, not puzzles that have to be worked out. We're not incomplete and we're not "puzzled".
So
Which symbols can you use for autism awareness?
[Large text: Which symbols can you use for autism awareness?]
The infinity rainbow symbol is common for all neurodivergent people, while the golden infinity is specific for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder, in case you didn't know the acronym).
The infinity symbol represents the complexity and vastness of neurodivergence and autism.
Autism is less about "severity" and more about different struggles in different topics and areas (though not a lot of people seem to understand that, unfortunately). After all, autism is a spectrum, not a scale.
And if you're interested in why golden is the color of choice for us, that'd be because the periodic symbol for gold is Au, which I think is very clever, haha.
Some people also like to use red or plain yellow, I don't know a lot about that, but I'd recommend you research it.
And since we're on the topic of color, just a warning: in the Autistic Community we kind of avoid using blue to represent us, especially because it is heavily associated with Autism Speaks' "Light It Up Blue" movement.
Blue is seen as a representation of feelings like sadness, as well as being commonly associated with boys (this is important because women and other AFAB are often misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed because many people still think autism is only found in boys, and because many traits are viewed as "normal behavior" in AFAB people).
This isn't to say you can't use blue in the title of your PowerPoint presentation about ASD, it's just a thing we try to avoid.
Well, that should be all.
I decided to make this post because I've seen many people post about which symbols to use for Autism Awareness Month, but no one explaining why.
Thought this could help some poor lost soul understand it, lol
Happy Autism Awareness Month, my beloved Yippies, and a thank you to everyone who stopped to read <3 (heart).
Now I'm gonna go clean my search history and my gallery, just reading "Autism Speaks" gives me the ick.
And if you want to "light it up," please do red, not blue. When we see the puzzle piece or "light it up blue," both of which are promoted by anti-autistic hate groups, that tells us you don't actually care about or respect us.
Not gonna argue about this; I'll just block.
Happy (late) Trans day of visibility AND Autism Awareness month!
Now, who wants to give me 20 thousand dollars and a cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream
C’mon guys every little bit helps! ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
❗️TIME SENSITIVE❗️
Hello 👋🏽 I am a physically disabled black woman, an artist, and the sole caretaker of my autistic brother.
Last year, our home was sold from underneath us after our father passed away and my brother and I were left with almost nothing, and nowhere to go. We lost everything. And since, have been struggling every single day to survive and keep a roof over our heads.
We are fighting the system for assistance for my brother, but have been denied twice despite full proof of the extent of disability.
They Do Not Want Us To Live.
But we don't want to give up. We're raising funds for housing so that we can keep trying to survive together. Black Disabled Lives Matter. We should be allowed the same tools to live as everyone else. So we ask for your help.
Please help us, share our GoFundMe, share our story, donate if you can. Help us keep a roof over our heads so that we can KEEP TRYING.
Thank you 🙏🏽💜
