What is Communication Shutdown?

Social communication is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism. Shutdown Facebook or Twitter on Nov 1 to have some idea of what it's like.

http://communicationshutdown.org
http://facebook.com/CommShutdown
http://twitter.com/CommShutdown

Motion graphics by http://studiobreeder.com

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Communication Shutdown
• Autism
• Aspergers
• ASD
• Facebook
• Twitter
• The Social Network
• Social Media
• The CHAPP
• charity app
• David Bowie
• David Guetta
• Miranda Kerr
• Global Fundraiser

[sykickg]

I think a lot of people are totally missing the point. That kind of highlights the fact that we need to continue to spread awareness about autism and what the spectrum actually looks like.

[ILoveES33]

This is a great idea & I'm in! I will say though, that it's like anything else, it's to bad that people won't really get the full effect. It's like blindfolding a person for a day to show them what blindness is like. After the day is over, they still don't 'fully' grasp what it's like. Doing these things is better then nothing though I suppose.

[sykickg]

@FungalSheep That's precisely the point of my first comment. I said we need to "continue to spread awareness about autism and what the spectrum ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE". I meant that it's important for people to know that autism is a spectrum and no two people are alike. Self-advocacy IS important. So the message (in this campaign) that autism silences people is wrong. Is that the only misinformation?

[FungalSheep]

@sykickg This campaign spreads misinformation; it perpetuates the myth that autistic people do not communicate; even nonverbal people are capable of expressing intent, need, or discomfort through behavior, as you, a person who interprets the behaviors of a nonverbal person into verbal speech, should doubtlessly be aware of. Autistic self-advocates from all over the spectrum denounced this campaign. Why does nobody bother listening to self-advocates?

[sykickg]

@FungalSheep If you read my comment, you can see that I am FOR autism awareness. (With 6 thumbs up.) I never said I wanted to spread misinformation. You actually think that's what I meant? You don't have to make bold statements by telling me to let people with autism speak for themselves. I have a 5 year-old son with autism. He doesn't talk... and I speak for HIM. Take a look at the context of my words before you lash out at me. Go after the people who don't live with it everyday.

[FungalSheep]

Also, as a person on the spectrum, this video's audio is freaking me out; it's really awful in terms of sensory input.

[FungalSheep]

Strangely, as a person on the spectrum, I had a better time of things *before* all this 'awareness'. Not all awareness is good. Awareness that is inaccurate, or pitying, or denies the full realities and possibilities of people, is not good awareness.

[FungalSheep]

@sykickg By spreading misinformation about the spectrum and perpetuating myths that people on the spectrum have denounced as inaccurate and harmful?

Stop speaking for us. Let us speak for ourselves.

[waniaksk8z]

this makes me look like a fool, We don't have some sort of disease, we just think differently than you do. Why are we made to look like victims because of this. We are smarter than you yet treated as if we have some sort of mental retardation and need our hands held. I'm sorry I have trouble with social situations and i don't like to be touched but, why is that worse than cancer and aids?

[BaltoLoneWoolf]

There is no point in this shutdown. It's not going to promote the proper "awareness" that autistics really need. This is promoting more stereotypes and fear towards the public. Instead of shutting down Facebook and Twitter, how about NT's shut themselves up and let us speak for a change? Because they shut us down the rest of the 364 days of the year. This "shutdwon" thing is hypocritical. It's like celebrating Christmas but not following it's meaning the rest of the 11 months.

[vuongquoc11]

why shold i shut down?