sesame street, autism advocacy, anti-autism, medicalization (---) 

Sesame Street has given up working with ASAN to work with Autism Speaks instead. autisticadvocacy.org/2019/08/a

Excerpt from the linked open letter:
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For several years, ASAN consulted with Sesame Street on their See Amazing project and the development of their autistic character, Julia. Until this summer, the content Sesame Street produced showed parents that their autistic children could live great lives, and taught autistic and neurotypical children ways to become friends. Through this approach, See Amazing successfully encouraged the inclusion of autistic children in their communities, and had a widespread positive impact.

Sesame Street has now decided to undo that progress. Its latest PSAs featuring Julia promote Autism Speaks’ “Screen for Autism” initiative and their resource for parents of newly-diagnosed autistic children, the 100 Day Kit. Like much of Autism Speaks’ recent advertising, these PSAs use the language of acceptance and understanding to push resources that further stigma and treat autistic people as burdens on our families. The 100 Day Kit encourages parents to blame family difficulties on their autistic child (“When you find yourself arguing with your spouse… be careful not to get mad at each other when it really is the autism that has you so upset and angry”) and to view autism as a terrible disease from which their child can “get better.” It recommends compliance-based “therapies” and pseudoscientific “autism diets,” but fails to educate families about communication supports. It even instructs parents to go through the five stages of grief after learning that their child is autistic, as they would if the child had died.
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actionable request re: sesame street anti-autism 

I saw @LexYeen mention the idea in replies and figured I'd float the request publicly: does anyone feel like they could write a phone or email script for people to use to contact PBS and/or HBO and/or the Sesame Street crew directly to speak out against this change? I think a lot of us are really angry and saddened at Sesame Street throwing their weight behind Autism Speaks, and scripts we can read and adapt and use would make it easier for us to contact them about how damaging this is.

I can boost replies to this message and fediverse posts people link in replies, and my instance has a high character limit if people want to DM me for my email and have me post their scripts.

re: actionable request re: sesame street anti-autism 

@packbat @LexYeen@snouts.online

Taking a go at a shortish one:
"I am (calling/emailing/writing) because Sesame Street recently changed their adviser for autism issues, and the changes to the show's content concerns me. Autism Speaks promotes content that many autistic people find demeaning. Children watching Sesame Street should be made to feel accepted for who they are, not broken or a burden."

re: actionable request re: sesame street anti-autism 

@packbat @LexYeen@snouts.online That's not written by an autistic person so someone else might have a better idea. Also the top of thread links to a post about it- the last paragraph could be adapted? (also I bookmarked this at work so if this is horribly late sorry >.>)

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