Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Actions speak louder than words.

Have come across this on Facebook:

Please put this on your status if you know someone (or are related to someone) who has AUTISM. My wish for 2010 is that people will understand that autism is not a disease; people with autism are not looking for a cure but for ACCEPTANCE ...... 93% won't Copy and Paste this, will YOU make this your status for at least one hour.


Great, right? Sorry, I don't agree. It does nothing, it does not explain anything to help people understand autism, it promotes the idea that people with autism are too different, and in fact I find it bloody condescending!

Actions speak louder than words, if you know someone with autism step up, ask questions, offer a shoulder for the families. Don't paste platitudes on Facebook and walk away patting yourself on the back. Stop the isolation of these kids and their families, break the lonliness, offer understanding and REAL physical support. Then you can feel proud of yourself, and acknowledge you HAVE helped.





8 comments:

candi said...

I certainly agree with you on that one, T.

Epskee said...

This kind of thing really gets my goat!

I hate, hate, HATE these cause things on facebook, and ESPECIALLY people who post this garbage in their status updates!

NONE of this does ANYTHING!!!!!

Posting the colour of your undies does NOT do anything but annoy the readers (and sometimes disgust them - note the poor kids whose mums are in on this). It doesnt raise money, promote awareness or find a cure.

Joining a group that says "No to Paedophillia" doesnt stop anyone abusing children.

Grow up. If you want to do something to right these wrongs, donate some money, volunteer your time, speak out when you witness something wrong going on.... don't be an asshat on your facebook status!

And if you know somebody afflicted by things like these, go ask them what you can do to make their life a little better.

There is one group in particular with over 6 million members, whose aim is to help children in south africa who have aids. So far that group has raised a little over $600.00 - that's 1/100th of a cent per member......

Sheesh. Stupidity en masse if ever I saw it.

Madmother said...

I need a clapping smiley to go here epskee...

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with Epskee. And is the reason I didn't copy and paste it either.

Madmother said...

I think most of us mothers of ASD kids didn't.

Moragg said...

hear hear

jlydia said...

Well posted MM. I find the whole idea totally useless. It doesn't achieve anything!! How about instead of posting such crap, spend an hour helping. Come to a parent's house and vacumm, make a coffee, bring dinner, do the grocery shopping, sit with all of the children and physically HELP.

TheThingsIdTellYou said...

I feel the same way. I was asked by a number of people why I wasn't participating in the Internet Blockout day for Austism (or whatever the hell they were calling it).

My response - How does that help a single person wtih autism?

Thinking of you, T.