I’ve thought this for ages. People who get angry with Autism Speaks and make them out to be Nazis are people who being autistic does not severely impair to the point that they can advocate for themselves. Good for them, everyone should be able to advocate for themselves, if they can.

But the needs of so-called “high functioning” autistic people and those who are more severely impaired, are not the same. And therefore what is necessary for one group is not the same as the other. Online high functioning autistic people indeed often seem to believe that severely impaired autistic people would be fine if people just “accepted them more”. But one of my friends has a severely autistic son, and she does EVERYTHING she can for him, and gives him all the treatments and care that is possible. She loves him unconditionally. And yet, as he’s grown into a teenager he frequently lashes out violently to her during meltdowns, knocking her down, almost breaking bones. It’s not his fault but it’s something she has to deal with, and it’s not because she’s an abusive mother, it’s just part of his condition. And yet many high functioning autistic people bash “autism warrior moms” if they ever breathe a word of how hard it can be to care for the severely disabled.