CAN can do.

[kippurbird]

On my way to work today I saw an SUV with one of those Autism Awareness Ribbons.

I thought nothing of it. I noticed that there were some other things on the SUV, little blue puzzle pieces. And then I saw that it had something on one of its doors. Curious, I pulled along side of it and saw that it was an advert for a CAN walk-a-thon. My immediate reaction was to ram into the car. I did not indulge in this.

However my mind played out this following scene:

KIPPUR'S Saturn Rams into CAN vehicle. DRIVER gets out to inspect the damage with KIPPUR

KIPPUR

OH! I'm so sorry! I saw your advert for the Walk-a-Thon and got angry. Wait! I'm autistic! I can't get Angry! But I did! I'm CURED!!

KIPPUR dances on 405 Freeway.

END

I think it's funny.

Comments

[thelittlebudgie.livejournal.com]

Beggin' your pardon, but what's CAN? Because I've been staring at government forms all day, and my first thought was that ramming Canadian cars as a cure for autism is certainly something I'd never think of. Or that autistic people can't be angry.

*baffled*

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

CAN stands for Cure Autism Now. Among the autism community -the parts that actually are composed of autistic people as opposed to parents etc- they're not very well liked because their mission statement is to find a cure for autism (as the name states) and they seem to focus more on those sort of things as well the stereotypes. As for the anger thing, one of the stereotypes is that autistic people don't have emotional reactions.

Therefore if I have an emotional reaction I can't be autistic.

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

Of course, another stereotype is the "irrational violence" one, so in a way that would just feed that stereotype ...

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

It wasn't irrational violence. It was perfectly rational violence. >:D

[thelittlebudgie.livejournal.com]

Aye. Coldblooded murders, you autistics. Every last one of you.

[ghostgecko.livejournal.com]

Those people are as annoying as hell, partly becuase it seems like they want more attention for having to deal with their autistic kids than for the kids themselves. And really, you can't "cure" autism, but therapy can ameliorate some of the symptoms, and there might possibly be a way to prevent it (although this would likely involve genetic engineering, so no breath holding).

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

"Prevention" is often nothing more than a euphemism for "selective abortion"

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

I mean, as used by Cure Autism Now-type people

[ghostgecko.livejournal.com]

Yup yup. It's not like I'm in a wheelchair and am saying, "Gee, I wish I could walk.", I can't even concieve of being social. I'm not missing anything, and I like to think my parents didn't regret having me.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

t seems like they want more attention for having to deal with their autistic kids than for the kids themselves

You hit the nail right on the head there. I was trying to figure out what bothered me the most about them, and that's it!

therapy can ameliorate some of the symptoms,

Therapy and someone telling the kids what they need to do to live in society is what helps.

[dryaunda.livejournal.com]

[T]heir mission statement is to find a cure for autism[.]

Like the nicer folks in Friends of Humanity just wanting a cure for the x-gene.

[O]ne of the stereotypes is that autistic people don't have emotional reactions.

Yet no one seems to find it odd when folks like Data or Motoko Kusanagi have emotions.

[christinaathena.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* Ramming Canadian cars is a miracle cure for all sorts of things, not just autism!

[thelittlebudgie.livejournal.com]

Heh. And Americans wonder how we can maintain our healthcare system. It's the car insurance we have trouble with.