NOTE: If you would like your blog or website included in the list of participants, send me a private message. If you send the message within a friend request I may not see it. I will need your name (or the one you would prefer to use) and the URL. If you would like to participate but do not have a Facebook page, please e-mail me at kmbjornstad@gmail.com with “Autistics Speaking Day” in the... [read more]

NOTE: If you would like your blog or website included in the list of participants, send me a private message. If you send the message within a friend request I may not see it. I will need your name (or the one you would prefer to use) and the URL. If you would like to participate but do not have a Facebook page, please e-mail me at kmbjornstad@gmail.com with “Autistics Speaking Day” in the subject line.

An autism organization in Australia is running an event called "Communication Shutdown" on November 1st. The event is meant to make non-autistic people understand the social isolation that autistic people feel. But this event has been called into question by autistic bloggers for many reasons.

1. Autistic people are not silent, online or offline.
2. Non-autistic people will have no more clue what autistic people's lives are like simply by staying off of Facebook for a day, because while they are avoiding their computer, they are still not autistic.
3. The invention of the Internet has prevented autistic people from feeling so isolated. Autistic people use social networking sites, forums, and blogs to talk to other autistic people, and even nonverbal autistics or autistics who have difficulty effectively communicating have an opportunity to socialize online.

Corina Becker, an autistic woman who runs the blog No Stereotypes Here (http://nostereotypeshere.blogspot.com/2010/10/autistics-speaking-day.html), has proposed to make November 1st Autistics Speaking Day. Autistic people will be using the day to speak out and it is time for non-autistic people to listen. To paraphrase Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg's post, saying that we are silent makes our voices even more unheard, and we will not be silent if the rest of the world listens to us. (http://www.journeyswithautism.com/2010/10/22/speak-up-on-november-1st/)

If you want to know what it is like to be autistic, please listen to us and learn. This, not Communication Shutdown, will make autistic peoples' voices heard.

Autistic people, non-autistic people, and people who are also participating in Communication Shutdown are all welcome.


Participants (in alphabetical order):

Allecto Moore at allecto.tumblr.com
Annette Harkness at www.aspiegrrl.wordpress.com
Britt Kravets http://blackbird3398.wordpress.com/
Corabelle Li Crol/Kiwisunset at http://aspiegirlworld.blogspot.com/
Corina Becker at nostereotypeshere.blogspot.com
Craig Thomson (founder of the Autism Survival Manual) at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1615DA2A6C723EA6&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_195863
Ed Ised at http://diversityrules.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Elaine Caul at http://one-autistic-in-ireland.blogspot.com/
Elesia Ashkenazy at www.aspitude.blogspot.com
Elspeth Thorne at http://ysabet.thorne.id.au/2010/10/on-growing-up-as-alien-robot-among.html
Gerry Lockhart at www.ASandTheirPartners.org
Heather Sedlock at http://heatherbabes.autisable.com/
Ivonne Delaflor at http://www.spiritualfaceofautism.webs.com/
Julia at http://flashbackdreamsequence.blogspot.com/ and http://theskinofourteeth.tumblr.com/
Julian Frost at africanjungle.iblog.co.za
Kathryn Bjornstad at www.autistickat.blogspot.com
Leah Jane at http://quixoticautistic.blogspot.com/
Liz Ditz at http://lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams
Lynette Pelley at http://myfamilyandmore.piczo.com/?cr=7
Marianne Russo at http://thecoffeeklatchblog.blogspot.com
Matt Friedman at http://dudeimanaspie.blogspot.com/
Melissa Fields at http://iamautistic---thisismylife.blogspot.com/
Melody Latimer at http://www.asparenting.com/
Nicole Nicholson at http://womanwithaspergers.com/
Paula C. Durbin-Westby at www.paulacdurbinwestbyautisticblog.blogspot.com
Pamela Harvey at http://www.thestampedenvelope.blogspot.com/
Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg at www.journeyswithautism.com
Sarah Schneider at http://www.kitaiskasandwich.com
Sheal Mellin-Berube at thenaturalmama.wordpress.com
Tony Belcastro at http://elsmystery.com/
Vector at www.thautcast.com

Kim Wombles and Liz Ditz also have lists of their own here.

http://lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2010/10/why-i-wont-be-shutting-down-on-november-1.html
http://autismblogsdirectory.blogspot.com/2010/10/not-going-silent-on-november-1.html

I am not necessarily endorsing the views of every participant in this event. I'm not necessarily suggesting that you agree with them. I am trying to get autistic peoples' ideas out there so that the world can see what we are saying. I am sure that not everyone involved will agree, since there is a lot to disagree about, but I hope that we can all agree to support each others' right to free speech. For this reason, autistic bloggers who have views that are different from mine, even views that I strongly disagree with, need not fear that I will not include them. Everyone is welcome to participate as long as they do not degenerate to mudslinging at other participants.


NEWS:
10/23/10: We’re getting a lot of feedback, and a lot of people are sending me e-mails and friend requests. Plus, we are in the news! http://www.examiner.com/special-needs-kids-in-nashville/communication-shutdown-day-is-answered-with-autistics-speaking-day Looking good so far!

10/24/10: Kelly Green is building a website to bridge communication between families affected by autism. The Facebook fan page for her website is here http://www.facebook.com/pages/AutismHWYcom/122875137738366?ref=nf, and hopefully she will have the website up soon. I’m looking forward to seeing this project evolve.

10/26/10: I understand that there has been some bullying related to this event, which has resulted in the event losing support and some people who I had wanted to participate are now uncomfortable doing so. Any bullying incidents will be recorded and logged with authorities, as this is unacceptable. Again, this event was created to encourage autistic people to speak and I will not support anyone who tries to act against the goals of this event. Please report any related bullying to me (Kathryn) and I will try my best to take care of it. Everyone is welcome except those who intentionally hurt others.

10/27/10: I'm a little behind due to my computer breaking and being overloaded with school work. If you've noticed some of the comments relating to the bullying incident (which turned out to be more of a misunderstanding that led to a small flame war on a friend's wall) being removed, it was only done to protect the identities of the individuals involved, not to censor what they say. I had to take a stance against comments being made about me by one of the involved parties, and this has unfortunately led to further disagreement. Although he is still welcome to participate, I do not want comments regarding the incident being made on the page. If he wants to talk about me and the event he can do so elsewhere. Just for the record, I have never told anyone that they were not allowed to participate, and despite some rumors that are apparently going around, this event has not been taken over by outside parties or organizations. No one involved is trying to prevent autistic people from posting. This was event was started by autistic people, and autistic people (as well as non-autistic allies) have always been welcome here. I stand by my stance on bullying but it is unreasonable for people to expect me to control incidents that happened on other parts of Facebook and not here on the wall.