Adults are worse. I experienced even more bullying as an adult. Parents are mean. What society needs to do is teach parents empathy so their kids don’t become bullies like them who gossip and exclude.
Nope! This school needs to be taken to Court immediately by the parents of those kids who are exercising their right to voluntarily NOT wear the damned things!
During the Chinese flu there were some British supermarkts that demanded that people with mask exemptions display their (yellow...) documents for all to see. Here in Belgium it wasn't that bad but I had complete strangers confronting me and demanding to see my documents. I always told them to phone the police to check me. There is no way I am going to share any personal information or even my doctor's name with someone who can't control their emotions. As a germanist it was quite shocking to see how propaganda-induced fear changes people.
I am a senior citizen. A nice woman asked me to lunch. I was delighted. As we talked, I mentioned that I am autistic. She asked me if I have a care giver. I laughed and said no. Perhaps the next time I will say yes, I have a care giver that is an accountant who helps with my taxes. I have a care giver who repairs my car. One care giver grows food on their farm so that I can live in the city. It’s a funny world.
@ well, it turned out that she asked me to cosign an apartment lease. When I told her that I don’t have the financial resources to do that, I think that was the end of that relationship. Few people are interested in listening to others to learn something new. I am always looking to learn something new.
@@edwardlulofs444I went on a date with a fellow one time who was clearly looking for a “nurse with a purse” to care for him since his parents had both died. I also discovered he was 3 years younger than my parents. Worst. Date. Ever! 😑
I like to talk about my dyslexia, autism and queerness. But if I was forced to it would no longer be by choice and it would no longer feel like something I do from a place of empowerment, I choose to do so other don't have to... and to break the stigma in a way. My choice for me. Not their choice, forced on me. If there is something autistic people need less of it is demands from others on how we should or shouldn't be, look like or act. VOLUNTARY is the point.
I am the same way! Its so important to be able to choose WHEN we disclose. I like to make sure people have a decent understanding of who I am as a person before I disclose. I want these things to just be an interesting fact about me, not the entire framework they view me under. If these things are forcefully disclosed before I even get to introduce myself, people will frame my actions and behaviors under what they THINK a queer autistic looks like. They'll put me in a box that I may never be able to break out of. Thats why having control over when we disclose is so important.
I could see myself wearing a sunflower bracelet and flashing it to the people who needs to know in places like the airport. But I definitely wouldn't wear it for everyone to see. Many people would be bewildered, if their employer ask them to disclose their medical history. So why should it be okay, to force children to give up their privacy and let other people put them in categories, that doesn't fit? Also it's not like our society is already ready for this kind of confrontation. The perception of autism often seems to be either rain man or a nonverbal high needs kid rocking back and forth in a wheelchair. Disclosure should be a choice.
Thank you, Lollie! (Your care package arrived today - I’ll re-open it on Tuesday’s live stream! Thank you so much, that’s incredibly thoughtful and generous of you! I love the sea flap flap mug (sans puzzle piece!).
@Autistic_AF OMG, HAPPY STIM, HAPPY STIM 😍😍😍😍 I just looked up the tracking information and there still was no update on it, since last Tuesday. I thought it was held up in customs although I refrained from writing contains dopamine or endorphins instead of happiness on the box 😂 Can't wait for the next livestream ❤️ Your comment made my day 🤭
@@AliciaGuitar I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or make you feel uncomfortable, or anyone else. What I tried to say is, that there's not enough awareness in our society for people with different needs, whether it's visible or invisible. Also there's not enough awareness of how the different shades of autism can look like. There was an interview in which a woman said, that she is happy, she could just stim along, because she has got a rather girly appearance. She also said that it would be a different story, if a 6,5 foot big, black man would start stimming in public. With a lack of knowledge people would perceive the odd behavior in a different way. My biggest fear in regards of autism is having sensory overload and a meltdown in public. The thought of getting restrained while not being able to act rationally is scaring me a lot. My darkest meltdown ended throwing a heavy table at someone while screaming rabidly. What other people wouldn't have seen was, how I got triggered repeatedly and that I tried to make the person stop multiple times. What other people wouldn't have understood was, that my PDA at some point kicked in, which made my brain think that I was in a life threatening situation. We live in a world with so much technology and knowledge. At the same time there is still a lot of ignorance and unawareness. And too little kindness. People with different needs shouldn't be singled out and being forced to live life with fear or anxiety. I'm really sorry if I made you feel bad in any way. I should have made it clearer, that the description didn't come from a place of malice.
That is a terrible idea!!! Oh, my goodness. I was a teacher and anything that singles out any child makes them stand out in a negative way. Most children aren't kind to that. That is abuse. Why cant people just be more patient with anyone and everyone. In the US some places are putting a patch on the seat belt to identify an Audist to the police offer that pulled them over. How about educating the police? Hm? The "good stuff" is great, though. Thank you for including it so it was easier to take the terrible part!
How about we spend some time educating people about what autism actually is, that would be so helpful? Nah. Let’s just make the kids look as different as they already feel 🤦♀️
No point in doing that unless the autistic individuals learn about it. Regardless of whatever people say it is a disability and will always be viewed negatively. It's a sociological disorder, it's a wake-up call for society to examine itself (but not in a destructive de-constructionist way obviously)
From what I understand, the school has already backed down over this, but the fact that it was even a possibility to be mandatory represents a lack of understanding of how kids that age operate.
YIKES!!!! to that first bit. The Gold Star for Jews is EXACTLY what it reminds me of! Especially in school when you're a pre-teen and younger teen, kids can be brutal as it is if you're any slightest bit outside the norm. But forcing autistic kids to wear a very obvious lanyard that practically screams "I'M DIFFERENT!!!!" is just inviting MORE bullying and MORE ridicule, and not just from students. Many TEACHERS also have this "autism is problematic" mindset and so they automatically expect autistic kids to be extremely high-maintenance and probably expect them to be rough and a little violent (like some - SOME - non-verbal people can be). What is so wrong with kids just raising their hand silently until the teacher comes along to help them with a problem? That's almost worse than those Blue Pumpkins for Halloween.
Is this not a textbook example of a discriminatory practice? How is it even legal to force something like this on anyone, let anlone children? You don't owe anyone your diagnosis, and all the people that need to know in a school setting should presumably already be aware of it, so what good would it even do?
As a person with autism and a parent of an autistic child, I know that there are some times when it's important for children with hidden disabilities to be clearly identified. However, if a child can participate in a regular school setting then they are capable of making the choice if they want to be visually labeled or not. School is hard enough socially for a lot of kids regardless of neurotype of leaning abilities, add being different and forcing a visual identification on them sounds like a punishment for being different. Your comparison to the yellow symbol is spot on. It's not a way to help the student, it's a way to single out.
I tried to look up what the sunflower is meant to symbolize. As far as I have been able to gather: they had NO reason! They just picked it out of all flowers! No thoughts of analogies, history, science, mythology or poetry went into it choosing it! That's a bad sign right there.
I would rather people who are trained to know how to support Autistic people or orgs/stores that are Autistic friendly would clearly identify themselves. Kind of like LGBTQ+ friendly places having pride flags up or people wearing pride pins. Much better for allies to identify themselves as opposed to forcing Autistic people to identify themselves.
Thank you for your rational and real approach to asd and other nd people. This is such a bad trend. If asd people want to be publicly known it should be voluntary. Not some school mandate. Because next is govt mandates. Plus it opens them up to predators.
I find that really horrifying. I left school at fourteen , not because I had a disability, rather because I hated everything about being in a classroom and forced to conform in a way I couldn’t. If I had to wear a label, hate to think of what that would have done to me. I couldn’t stand being noticed because of terrible anxiety.
What could possibly go wrong with punishing people with a condition with one of the most common symptoms being questioning of authority for not doing something? I'm sure it will result in them getting treated better /s. Also why not just make them wear a shirt saying "if you are a bully I'm an easy target" in massive letters?
That organization at the end bit sounds really good, though. It's nice to see autistic people regarded so well as to be First Responders over there. Over here in the US, we're very lucky to be considered for anything other than Tech jobs or Librarian assistants. Autism is not regarded very well over here unfortunately, even with all the new criteria and research that keeps coming out each year. I wish there was an event like that over here.
I don't think a lanyard would stop the staff at ALDI from holding down the button for the PA system. Made the mistake of arriving at 15:40 (closes at 16:00 on Sunday). The *whole time* it was non-stop 'The store is now closing' 'The store is now closing' 'The store is now closing'. If it weren't for my noise cancelling headphones (which were barely masking the constant announcements), I would have had to break through the fire exit to escape the situation, no doubt setting off the alarms and causing quite a bit of panic. No-one else seemed in the least bit fazed with the sonic terrorism.
@@csmatthew that does my head in. The store is closing in 20 mins. As long as they haven't decided to reorganise the shelves (local Tesco seem to want to shake the store up every 6 months) I can do my shop in 15 mins, so let me get on with it rather than shouting the store is now closing.... When it isn't closing yet!!
@@JoeAshton-g1y this is why I avoid other supermarkets. Aldi is predictable, and doesn't bombard with needless decisions between brands. Two options per product is plenty.
I have a theory about uniforms. I'm American and I lived in England for a year or so. I was amazed at how greater of a variety of fashion there was amongst the Brits, especially compared to the US. I wondered if having to wear a uniform would become so dull as to incentivise a backlash into more creative ways of dressing? Also, as a mum of 3, once my kids did go to a school with uniforms. But it was just jeans a the school tee-shirt so it wasn't expensive. But it made mornings easier as no one had to worry about choice and there was far less pressure to look good, ie; have money to afford all the latest fashions. And less to wash! Anyway, my 2 cents.
Thanks for your post. A valuable thread. I know nothing about fashion so I think jeans and T shirts are a great uniform. America is very regimented and I expect more of this in the future.
I think sometimes people try to help from a place of sympathy rather than empathy, or worse, self interest in making the teacher's work "easier" somehow; which ends up being more dehumanizing than helpful. There is wonderful, easy alternatives you can implement to help these kids while integrating and not singling them out. As an autistic girl myself, who was undiagnosed during student years for example, I would love it when I had a sport injury that prevented me from joining everyone in the hallways. Beign allowed to leave after everybody else and entering class late, plus having that permission extended to another studing designated by a teacher to help me with the books and such; did improve my highschool life a lot. No only sensory wise, but also by providing other students with an incentive to interact with me between classes. Simmilarly, I've recenly seen in a primary school here in Spain a workshop were kids would write supportive messages about ASD and ADHD on ribbons, and decorate the school fence with them for passerbys to read. And talking to these kids, seems like they understand a lot more about integration and about their classmates with some neurodivergency than these teachers.
Yeah this is not ok. Wearing the lanyard is a choice. Sometimes it helps like in airports and things, but it can also make you a target in other setting. It is not ok for the school to mandate this and I would question the legality of it.
Whhhaaatt... this is extra crazy to me because I literally refused to carry my lanyard around when it was required in middle school because I hated the texture of it
The social aspect of school was already difficult enough for me as a child even without anybody knowing I was autistic. The fact I was "weird" already made things difficult enough. I was such an easy target for people who wanted a "pet" or punching bag. I cannot imagine being forcefully outed as disabled to all the mean kids in school. Especially since teachers LOVE to make excuses for bullies. Even if this policy is retracted, their classmates won't forget which of their peers are different. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the disabled children in this school are transferred in the coming years due to this horrible rule.
The number one thing that all autistic people could benefit from is to teach empathy to neurotypicals. I find they tend to be very unempathetic to anyone with a disability, especially hidden disabilities. They get angry at us and often we get fired or not hired. Usually it’s for doing the exact same thing neurotypicals are allowed to do. Teach adults not to bully so they don’t teach their kids to bully. Most people I know who bully other adults are parents and have kids. Bullies (children) learn it from their parents. They see their parents treat other people this way and gossip about them. Teach parents empathy.
When you started listing those quiet spaces and how adults react to kids in those spaces my heart sank. I was both undiagnosed autistic and experiencing abuse at home, so finding those kinds of hiding spots was my #1 leisure activity at school. I was a Good Kid TM so I didn't usually get in actual trouble when caught, but I was always made to feel as though I was doing something wrong. Aside from school, my second home was our church and I felt like I had more freedom there. I was the best at hiding in plain sight and emerging when ready to the "hey where were you??" of my friends.
🤔 Terrible idea to have to wear badges. Great way to attract teasing, even severe bullying Seems one way to stop being treated as a fellow human due to prejudices, the loss of having nonjudgemental treatment in school days to practice how to balance life, or being accepted as a friend or group member, Exception would be if it were voluntary to wear the badge and were used during needed circumstances, such as for people who need extra time or understanding in certain circumstances.
I agree but those who need extra time etc should be personally known to the staff, or at the least noted on the register where it doesn’t need to be public.
@@Autistic_AF That strategy with having extra time allowed or other as needed, the needs being known only to staff, and having a notation on a non-public register could certainly help.
Oof. I've seen these exact lanyards on sale in a local supermarket, which I don't think is abad idea, but mandatory? Oh no...looks like a recipe to bullying or abuse.
One thing I've always believed about tools is that they can be used to either build up or destroy. This school sounds like it's leaning towards the latter.
There's no wonder the school is failing if they don't understand that kids who are still developing their minds are often horrific towards people/things that are different in some way.
The “policy” is focused solely on the liability of teachers (jobsworth excuse-making asserting that teachers need not be sensitive and are somehow being tricked by autism). No. If all teachers were sensitive and interested in authentic communication (and trained to be so) it would be far better than viewing teachers as authoritarians seeking standard iteration of lessons and actions and behaviour of themselves and their students. Children do not need to wear identifying labels, rather teachers need competent awareness tailored to each student. Should teachers wear labels saying whether they are either (1) authoritarians with a red-flag label or (2) good at human communication and a yellow label?
I love that the paramedic picks up on nuances. The usual indicator we hear is that autistic people can't read between the lines, but I'm definitely a nuance and body language person and it helped me pick up on unsaid issues in my healthcare role too.
Unbelievably divisive for a school to be forcing children into wearing a badge. I wear one (on occasion in shops etc) but it's my choice! No one should be made to do that, it angers me. I hope they scrap it, immediately. It should be a choice for the children. The teachers should treat everyone with care, maybe a mark on the (confidential) register would suffice if the teacher needs a reminder. Same as allergies and other documentation.
Managed to graduate school without being outed. One of my kids is the same. I was terrified of being “singled out”. We’re different enough, as it is. A level 2, or level 3, autistic child would certainly benefit from being recognized as being somewhat disabled, because you can’t often look at us, and tell. The sunflower is universally recognized now, so I think it’s just fine.
This was interesting, Mike. I would have loathed this as a child if I had been diagnosed then...I never wanted to stand out or to have notice called upon me. And I would not have liked to have to do all the talking/interaction that would result from all the other kids asking about it, not to mention the teasing, etc. And it kind of reinforces the feeling that the autistic child is different and separate, probably making them feel like a "freak." We already feel different and alienated enough. Good intentions, but not the best execution. I don't think the lanyard is really a thing here in the U.S., but I do support it as an option for autistic adults in places like airports.
When I was in 5th grade, a teacher told me in front of the whole class that I was retarded. (I'm not. A combination of things make me learn differently.)
I also was bullied by a teacher in 5th grade. When me and my friend came back from special ed he told the class to tease us about how much fun they had without us and called us names too. He was the "buddy" teacher that all the kids seemed to love. He also told my little sister she could use missing a few meals and she developed an eatimg disorder. He was highly regarded and they ignored my moms complaints
What the absolute F 😡 The UK is getting as bad as the US! Edit: Damn! You got the "computer science autism"?! I just got the "unemployable" version in my blind box! 🤣
I am autistic and have severe rheumatoid arthritis, which makes painful moving around, like walking, standing for long periods and sitting, a constant thing in my life. My level of disability varies, with weather or other factors, so sometimes I appear to be moving normally with no pain. I say appear to be because, like my autism, I am very good at masking it when I need to. The sunflower system for cars would be wonderful in certain situations here. Because my disabilty is not always apparent, I sometimes have trouble with non-disabled and neurtypical people treating me like those handicap parking places are meant for "real disabled" people, so I need to move my car. With some sort of visible label on my car, it would be more clear that my disability is not always visible. If handicap hang tags and license plates had an insignia that denoted that my disability may not be detectable on sight, people would see I am indeed eligible to use one of those parking slots. The reason I don't promote the magnets is that they would be easily stolen, and believe me, they would be stolen.
For what it's worth, when I had a car I had disabled plates (for fibromyalgia, so just as not-apparent as arthritis can be), and I put a magnet next to my plate that said "Not all disabilities are visible." I think I got it on Redbubble? It had a cool design with a standing stick person whose shadow was the wheelchair icon. Nobody stole the magnet, but I only had the car for a few years, so maybe it would have occurred to someone to take it later. I leased the car so I couldn't put a sticker on it. I'm lucky it didn't melt into the car though, because where I lived, for about 5 months out of the year it's very likely that the temperature will be at or close to 100°F (~38⁰C). I think I forgot to take the magnet with me when I had to return the car to the dealership when my lease was up. But thank goodness I remembered to ask them to give me the plates. I was able to show those, and my receipt showing that it had been registered in my name, to my new provider here in a different state to convince her to fill out the form to get a disabled parking tag.
@resourceress7 That's a great idea. I think if it was a commonly recognized symbol, that's when they would be in danger of being stolen by people who wanted the good spots. They wouldn't have a hang tag or license plate, but if someone sees the magnet, the lack of other legal insignia like those might not be noticed. I don't know, but thanks for the tip anyway. 😊
@@Irisarc1 well it's not real disabled parking license plate and it's not a tag. It's more like a bumper sticker but in magnet form but it's a thin magnet so I don't think most people can tell that is not a sticker. If that helps. I would imagine that a lot of people know that the license plate is the official thing. Those are really easy to take off with a screwdriver and come to think of it haha
The mild temptation to join a (nunnery, in my case) is a thing. Structured days, limits to when one is allowed to talk (let alone required), elimination of clothing decisions, potentially learning a trade or craft in a non-customer-facing environment.... Even better if I could get into one with really spiffy old architecture. But I'm also an atheist, so I don't know that it would be appropriate for me to join one :\ To the broader point of the video, I agree - disclosure should be a choice. I like the idea of the sunflower lanyard, but only if the person wearing it is doing it of their own volition.
Growing up in Ireland, I didn't like wearing a school uniform but I believed the reasons we were told we needed them. Then in my final year, I switched to a school with no uniforms and I realised they were pointless and didn't actually address any problems.
In Brazil's schools autistic kids have to wear these, but it's colorful puzzle pieces instead, and there's an id card with their names, face, and parent's phone numbers.
🤔 Interesting. Was switched for me with adult years having limited choices, late teen years and college being fine with highly suitable matching environment and much personal flexibility, but younger kid years challenging with restrictions in alienating non-matching uncomfortable for me environments with the result being needing retreat time at school (required many strategically placed nurse office visits in the day, a different teacher’s class whenever possible alternating to avoid notice, but the nurse noticed.) As an older kid and young adult I had many more flexible choices. Was very well balanced. As an adult became especially restricted and limited, having to stay in certain environments for work, and being reprimanded when asking for alternatives. The result was a fairly well balanced older teen and young adult, a challenged strategising kid and a complete mess later as an adult as eventually the cup was over full, or the spoons ran out, not for the day, but for the decade.
@@bakakafka4428 Oh, I totally got the star reference. Still the school probably makes them wear lanyards vs pins because they require all kids to wear their school IDs on lanyards. I'd flip if I was forced to wear a lanyard, those things suck.
It wasn't just jewish people, they had different color stars and triangles for different things. Mentally ill and disabled people were amongst those who wore a black triangle, which was general "antisocial". Autists were also classified with a black triangle. So yes, forcing people to wear a badge for identifying these things has a direct precedence. Even if the school means well as opposed to those who were trying to get rid of the unwanted folks.
When I watched the moment about Autism and Wonderfully Wired Ambassadors Conference in Sussex, and I saw all those autistic kids together playing, without any anxiety apparent, I had tears in my eyes. As you might have heard, the secret to write poetry is to try it during those moments when experiencing extreme emotions, and channel them out of own head, metaphorically speaking Hope We are coming out of the shadow of grief Cautiously probing the outside world Hurt again and again we were in the past Let us hope now, so in the sun we bask It is a part of an ongoing experiment I started some 2 years ago, when I met someone whose hobby is writing poetry, and he told me how it happens for him
Ah yes, lets segregate the autisms! What could go wrong? /s The sunflower symbol is great, but you can not and should not force anyone to disclose any condition or w/e they don't want to. Doing so is just wrong on so many levels..
Based on the other problems with the school, is anyone else getting the vibe that this is the head of school "sticking the middle finger to the authorities"? Like I could totally see him reading those reports and being like "oh so now we have to give them special treatment?!? how would the teachers even know which child to treat specially?!?!". Has major toxic masculinity vibes to me.
Als Deutsche war es das Erste an das ich denken mußte! Seit wann kennzeichnen wir wieder Menschen für irgendeine Eigenschaft? Wenn es die eigene Entscheidung ist und das System es wirklich als Chance für Betroffene nutzt dann ist es vollkommen okay. Aber bitte nie wieder gezwungen. Nie wieder!
Chance für Betroffene, naja. Ich sage besser niemandem, dass ich autistisch bin, weil es vermutlich ausschließlich Nachteile gibt, aber niemand Rücksicht nehmen will. Da heissts eher "Stell dich nicht so an"
Not noticeable enough, should be a yellow star, I've heard that works well for identifying people you intend to treat differently. Edit: Just in case, I'm being sarcastic to make a point about how bad this is, not advocating for actually doing that.
Here in Austria I get the feeling, no one really knows what autism is and that you are not automatically Rain Man or a Savant. So if I had to wear a sign in my school time it would have been horrible. I already was the strange girl, no need to have a sign to point me out. Now, as an adult, hardly anyone knows my diagnosis - what for, I dont get any support or help, people would just asume I am, dont know, dumb or cant live on my own or must be treated like a child. No thanks.
I still remember when I got poison ivy as a kid and I had to stay in the library during recess. I was kind of bummed when it went away because that meant I had to go outside again.😅
Hi Wendy! I did wonder what you'd think of that. It feels to me like they're clutching at straws trying to find that one thing that might just fix something. But this isn't it! The West Sussex County Council event looks fabulous!
My neurodivergent brain, made the same link to yellow stars as soon as you said it was made compulsory. The means well but has no clue policy makers may have wanted to help, but in this case the result was a kick me sign. It's a great shame so dirty is still so ninety about what they find acceptable and if you don't fit their boxes, you are the one at fault. The analogy I use when explaining neurodivergence is zebras vs horses. Similar, but not the same. A zebra isn't a rubbish horse, and a horse isn't a rubbish zebra. I love putting things into groups of categories too, but I know to have an extra box, for things that don't neatly fit my theme. I tell people I have Creative wiring, my traits are Defo the creative ones, art, music, making. Maths n technical stuff true my brain. I need to know; who, what, when, where,why and how, to be able to process information. Anyone else process that way too?
My teenage autistic daughter is making all on her power to don’t stand out in her high school, she would get so anxious if she would be force to let everyone know her condition. Teachers and school stuff knows and she has accommodations of some kind but her peers don’t know and if she doesn’t want to disclose it for them is her decision and we respect it.
Don’t teachers know which students have conditions that could be of significance, whether diabetes, dyslexia, asthma, impaired hearing, epilepsy, severe food allergies, or, yes, autism, or ADHD, from day 1? Also, “med-alert” bracelets already exist, to help others know about these kinds of conditions in the event the person is having trouble communicating. Why not encourage (not force) students to wear one of those? 🤨
No, a school nurse would probably have that info. Teachers can be bullies as well, and I would t have been comfortable with them knowing. Many bullies become teachers to boss kids around. I’ve had many teachers make fun of me and called me slow. I’m not slow. I have a higher IQ than most neurotypicals as most autistic people do. Yet, I don’t like reading out loud. It’s distracting. I wasn’t diagnosed until an adult (like most autistic people), so empathy helps more anyway
@@JDMimeTHEFIRSTI’m sorry to hear you had many bad experiences with teachers (I had some, myself), but as a fellow twice-exceptional, I’m going to have to call you out; firstly for the simply wrong information that most autistics have above-average IQ’s; we don’t, about 1/3 of diagnosed autistics have BELOW average IQ’s, like far enough below average as to be a disability, in and of itself, and while I accept that many undiagnosed autistics lack an intellectual disability, there’s no reason to think autistics are mostly high-IQ; and secondly, for thinking withholding information regarding developmental/health conditions from teachers is the solution to teachers being bullies. Bully teachers will be bullies, informed or not, and actual decent teachers will be assisted by having more information. In conclusion, I agree that most middle-aged autistics COULDN’T be diagnosed in school (the criteria were much narrower back then), and I hope that this is changing, but not in a way that shunts even more autistic people into lives of misery. I can but hope… 🤞
I think the biggest issue with global culture these days is the erosion of one's right to privacy. No one should be forced to disclose their medical conditions to someone they don't want to. The only person really privy to that information is yourself and the doctor who does your physical exams.
The lanyard is a wonderful tool to VOLUNTARILY indicate you may need assistance/more patience/anything... If my kid came home like this I'd be taking them out of that school immediately. If the school is capable of such a horrific thing, that indicates my child isn't safe there.
As for school corridors, I've always felt that logic dictates that in order to make these transfers to other classrooms more efficient, follow the same rules as in traffic, like motorway traffic. So you zip in, change lanes to the middle if you want to walk faster. But that's not how most teenagers function, do they? Most kids are pretty much dysfunctional in this phase of life.
It’s also we can be great socially… with some other autistic, neurodivergent people, etc. Depending on job, team, personnel, and many factors even better than neurotypical or others. This is very much case by case basis and not only dependent on autism but I’ve seen this with me. I’m either great in team or worse
As a former teacher, if staff need to identify pupils with additional needs such as SEND then it's not rocket science - using something like a seating plan with a note of what needs are present in a class is a pretty effective and importantly, discrete solution. This reminds me a bit of how pupils receiving free school meals can be made to unnecessarily stand out using things like quite obvious vouchers instead of a discrete credit on their account for the canteen.
I can only imagine how much worse the bullying would have been for me, should I have been forced to wear something that marks me out as an easy target. It was bad enough, even when our art teacher turned the art room into an inofficial safe space.
Thing is with history, an awful lot of people forget important things that happened like 5 or 10 years ago and fail to put today's events into perspective. So people forget how stigmatising it can be to force a mark on people just for 'easy identification', let alone failing to read into the meaning and intended use of the sunflower accessories. Some neurotypicals are just so quite exhausting!
Why is it that, the more people try to make the world inclusive for people who are neurodivergent, the more they make them stand out from their peers? That is the exact opposite of fitting in. I willingly got myself a sunflower lanyard as a 30+ adult but I would hate to be made to wear one if I was still a kid because other kids can be ruthless. I also don't know why ADHD and ASD keep being thrown in the same bag as learning disabilities or even mental illness, sometimes even by medical professionals.
What a terrible idea making wearing that thing mandatory. I wished I had a decompression room during high school (didn't know I was autistic back then). I expended most of the spare time between classes in the school's library, until one day they told that I should go out with the other kids.
I remember talking to the police after I'd had a car accident, the police made a commented about how honest I was. I told them everything, I was at fault and took full responsibility for it. I got a CD10 (driving without due care and attention) 😔. I was in a bad headspace while I was driving home from work and paid the price after I missed a car on a roundabout which was in my a-pillar blindspot. Now I always make sure to check this area.
School uniforms are such a wild thing to have in this modern age.. And people have to pay out of pocket for them? What happens if you cant afford one? Can your child then not attend school? School uniforms are so weird..
If the school is making kids wear the sunflower lanyard, they: 1. Don't know who is a SEND student 2. Don't care about pupils' welfare If I was made to wear one, I would've refused
I think another example of a lanyard that would be horrible to force teenagers to wear to maybe help people who think like that school forcing students to 'share' such personal information about themselves is a lanyard for periods. The 'logic' behind making students wear a lanyard if they have a period is so teachers can be more understanding if they need to use the bathroom more frequently then other times or need longer in the bathroom. Instead of making people wear something to proclaim information about themselves that they don't want to, I just wish we could do better about being better humans to people, period.
I don't know what the UK laws are concerning the privacy of medical information. But if they are anything like in the USA, the school system cannot mandate that you have to disclose private medical information to the general public.
I get wanting to talk about strengths that may go hand in hand with autism, but I don't think that it's always such a great focus. People think of characters like Sherlock or Sheldon, and then they create a whole new host of misconceptions about autism that get thrown on the pile. And then there are the "autism supremacists" who talk about autism being the next step in human evolution like some kind of ubermensch. You talked about not wanting to be label like Jewish people were and I agree, but it's not good to promote the other side of that bigoted ideology. (I don't think you're meaning to come off that way btw.) I think the best way to think about it is simple: differences. Differences aren't inherently good or bad. They just mean that people approach life in their own way, and there needs to be support for that (from coping with challenges to fostering successes)
Hi Mike, great video! I love the sunflower scheme. I wear my wristband on trains and in busy public spaces. In airports, I wear the lanyard. In Australian major airports it means I can go through the accessibilty security area. This has less queues and staff are generally very patient. My daughter wears her wristband to school voluntarily. In fact she had to ask for special permission to be able to wear it, as it is not "school uniform". She decided she wanted all staff to know she has a hidden disability, not just her regular teachers. But, it absolutely must be an individual choice. Singling out children without their consent is just not on.
I wear the sunflower lanyard when I fly because I know that my autistic traits can make me read as "suspicious" to security, especially since I stim more in high stress situations. I don't know if it helps but the last times I've flown I went through security without any problems.
I’m autistic and was placed in the gifted program at school because I was far more intelligent than the majority of the class. If they made me wear a lanyard, it would only disclose that the people without them meant they were sublime and idiots. In fact, if they made fun of me, it would only prove how stupid they are to make fun of someone smarter than they are! 😂funny world
The bullying was bad enough at school without a diagnosis being different, letalone this. That said school in the 2000s was not kind to autistic children in my school
Honestly, that makes me cringe. Poor kids! I am on the spectrum but have chosen to not wear anything with the sunflower label. As I said to a colleague who once asked me why not, let's leave it to people who need more support (than me) in some situations. My vision concerning my autism is that it is a different cognitive setup, not a disability. IMO if people have disabilities, it is either on top (in addition to) of their autism or a demonstration that they are confronted to situations or environments which their body or brain read as dangerous. For me, if I happened to be in that case, I would need support for those things - not my autism. Example: a chronic health issue, to which in my experience, people are more understanding and can accomodate more concretely. At work, there are more people who know about my chronic migraines than my autism, as they are the main reasons for sick leaves or days-offs (outside holidays). Talking about material gimmicks, the only thing I have is a toilet card due to a GI condition, that I have in hard or on my phone. I have been diagnosed as an adult, and this may influence the way I see autism. However, my diagnosis led to the one of my siblings, still in their teens. Instead of opening up to the school directly, my mother gave the choice to my siblings whether they wanted to tell it or not. My brother chose to tell it in an informal way and my sister chose to keep it confidential. Interestingly, my sister was the one facing the most learning challenges at school. I think that what explains her choice is that at this time, she was in a school where alongside mainstream classes, there was a "SEND class", where there was quite a good number of students diagnosed with autism, ADHD and learning disabilities. She told my mom many times about these students being ostracised. In France, there is more people aware that autism exists, but many don't understand that it is a wide spectrum. I am now living in Denmark. Six years ago, I had to be assessed by two psychiatrist to see my eligibility for hormone therapy and validate my diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" (that's the condition to have hormones there). One was specialised in autism. Because of her, my ASD diagnosis is not written anymore in my medical record, as for her, I seemed to be "too high functionning". The fat file I had from France didn't change anything. Next time someone says Denmark is open-minded about ASD...
I think I'm just gonna tell people I have "a neurodevelopmental condition." I think "autistic" get's confused with "intellectually disabled" by the majority of people.
@@FerociousSniper At my son's last school all IEP students were put together, so students with autism were put in a class with intellectually disabled students
I like the idea of the sunflower lanyard to identify if we wish to be identified, it’s not just used for autism but any hidden disability apparently, I’m hyper against forcing somebody to disclose the disability teachers should be aware anyway if it’s relevant to the situation
Shout it loud please! I'm so sick of people who are "ND informed" telling me what I am like - and taking over without letting real Autistic people do what we can and are good at! Love that the second school did it so right - including the "we don't suddenly get normal at 18" thing
How is that even legal? Medical info is supposed to be private. And children are not kind. They bully those who are different.
Adults are worse. I experienced even more bullying as an adult. Parents are mean. What society needs to do is teach parents empathy so their kids don’t become bullies like them who gossip and exclude.
In usa, aus, and uk, it's not legal
Nope!
This school needs to be taken to Court immediately by the parents of those kids who are exercising their right to voluntarily NOT wear the damned things!
During the Chinese flu there were some British supermarkts that demanded that people with mask exemptions display their (yellow...) documents for all to see. Here in Belgium it wasn't that bad but I had complete strangers confronting me and demanding to see my documents. I always told them to phone the police to check me. There is no way I am going to share any personal information or even my doctor's name with someone who can't control their emotions. As a germanist it was quite shocking to see how propaganda-induced fear changes people.
💯 disability discrimination under the Equalities Act 2010.
I am a senior citizen. A nice woman asked me to lunch. I was delighted. As we talked, I mentioned that I am autistic. She asked me if I have a care giver. I laughed and said no.
Perhaps the next time I will say yes, I have a care giver that is an accountant who helps with my taxes. I have a care giver who repairs my car. One care giver grows food on their farm so that I can live in the city.
It’s a funny world.
That’s a fab story! 😅 Did you end up correcting her in the end? I need closure!! 😝😊
@ well, it turned out that she asked me to cosign an apartment lease. When I told her that I don’t have the financial resources to do that, I think that was the end of that relationship.
Few people are interested in listening to others to learn something new.
I am always looking to learn something new.
@@edwardlulofs444I went on a date with a fellow one time who was clearly looking for a “nurse with a purse” to care for him since his parents had both died. I also discovered he was 3 years younger than my parents. Worst. Date. Ever! 😑
@ yes, I am really, really happy to be single. I have many unpleasant memories of dating.
The gift of autism is enjoying being alone.
@@edwardlulofs444 I agree with this!
I like to talk about my dyslexia, autism and queerness. But if I was forced to it would no longer be by choice and it would no longer feel like something I do from a place of empowerment, I choose to do so other don't have to... and to break the stigma in a way. My choice for me. Not their choice, forced on me. If there is something autistic people need less of it is demands from others on how we should or shouldn't be, look like or act. VOLUNTARY is the point.
❤
I feel the same way. My words are hiding today, but you wrote what I am thinking. 👍
I am the same way! Its so important to be able to choose WHEN we disclose. I like to make sure people have a decent understanding of who I am as a person before I disclose. I want these things to just be an interesting fact about me, not the entire framework they view me under. If these things are forcefully disclosed before I even get to introduce myself, people will frame my actions and behaviors under what they THINK a queer autistic looks like. They'll put me in a box that I may never be able to break out of. Thats why having control over when we disclose is so important.
I could see myself wearing a sunflower bracelet and flashing it to the people who needs to know in places like the airport. But I definitely wouldn't wear it for everyone to see.
Many people would be bewildered, if their employer ask them to disclose their medical history. So why should it be okay, to force children to give up their privacy and let other people put them in categories, that doesn't fit?
Also it's not like our society is already ready for this kind of confrontation. The perception of autism often seems to be either rain man or a nonverbal high needs kid rocking back and forth in a wheelchair. Disclosure should be a choice.
Thank you, Lollie! (Your care package arrived today - I’ll re-open it on Tuesday’s live stream! Thank you so much, that’s incredibly thoughtful and generous of you! I love the sea flap flap mug (sans puzzle piece!).
@Autistic_AF OMG, HAPPY STIM, HAPPY STIM 😍😍😍😍
I just looked up the tracking information and there still was no update on it, since last Tuesday. I thought it was held up in customs although I refrained from writing contains dopamine or endorphins instead of happiness on the box 😂
Can't wait for the next livestream ❤️ Your comment made my day 🤭
I feel like you just called me out except im a 44 yr old high needs woman who often rocks in my wheelchair and needs TTS 😔
@@AliciaGuitar I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or make you feel uncomfortable, or anyone else.
What I tried to say is, that there's not enough awareness in our society for people with different needs, whether it's visible or invisible. Also there's not enough awareness of how the different shades of autism can look like.
There was an interview in which a woman said, that she is happy, she could just stim along, because she has got a rather girly appearance. She also said that it would be a different story, if a 6,5 foot big, black man would start stimming in public. With a lack of knowledge people would perceive the odd behavior in a different way.
My biggest fear in regards of autism is having sensory overload and a meltdown in public. The thought of getting restrained while not being able to act rationally is scaring me a lot.
My darkest meltdown ended throwing a heavy table at someone while screaming rabidly. What other people wouldn't have seen was, how I got triggered repeatedly and that I tried to make the person stop multiple times. What other people wouldn't have understood was, that my PDA at some point kicked in, which made my brain think that I was in a life threatening situation.
We live in a world with so much technology and knowledge. At the same time there is still a lot of ignorance and unawareness. And too little kindness. People with different needs shouldn't be singled out and being forced to live life with fear or anxiety.
I'm really sorry if I made you feel bad in any way. I should have made it clearer, that the description didn't come from a place of malice.
That is a terrible idea!!! Oh, my goodness. I was a teacher and anything that singles out any child makes them stand out in a negative way. Most children aren't kind to that. That is abuse. Why cant people just be more patient with anyone and everyone. In the US some places are putting a patch on the seat belt to identify an Audist to the police offer that pulled them over. How about educating the police? Hm? The "good stuff" is great, though. Thank you for including it so it was easier to take the terrible part!
Absolutely, younger people in school really don't want to stand out. I'm so glad I didn't have to do this as a student. *SHUDDER*
Marking any group of people by forcing them to wear something reminds me of how the Nazi regime treated Jews...
How about we spend some time educating people about what autism actually is, that would be so helpful? Nah. Let’s just make the kids look as different as they already feel 🤦♀️
The second one should be a witness in the Court case against the first one!!!
No point in doing that unless the autistic individuals learn about it. Regardless of whatever people say it is a disability and will always be viewed negatively. It's a sociological disorder, it's a wake-up call for society to examine itself (but not in a destructive de-constructionist way obviously)
From what I understand, the school has already backed down over this, but the fact that it was even a possibility to be mandatory represents a lack of understanding of how kids that age operate.
This made me sad, I wear my sunflower lanyard when I'm outside in public, but it is my choice to do so...
Kids can be so mean, I can't imagine being forced to wear something that makes them stand out against their will.
I know. I'd have hated this and probably been one of the 'defiant' ones.
Reminds me of something germany did.
YIKES!!!! to that first bit. The Gold Star for Jews is EXACTLY what it reminds me of! Especially in school when you're a pre-teen and younger teen, kids can be brutal as it is if you're any slightest bit outside the norm. But forcing autistic kids to wear a very obvious lanyard that practically screams "I'M DIFFERENT!!!!" is just inviting MORE bullying and MORE ridicule, and not just from students. Many TEACHERS also have this "autism is problematic" mindset and so they automatically expect autistic kids to be extremely high-maintenance and probably expect them to be rough and a little violent (like some - SOME - non-verbal people can be). What is so wrong with kids just raising their hand silently until the teacher comes along to help them with a problem? That's almost worse than those Blue Pumpkins for Halloween.
As soon as I read the title I thought the lanyard should include a yellow star. It just seemed so familiar.
Exactly
Is this not a textbook example of a discriminatory practice? How is it even legal to force something like this on anyone, let anlone children? You don't owe anyone your diagnosis, and all the people that need to know in a school setting should presumably already be aware of it, so what good would it even do?
As a person with autism and a parent of an autistic child, I know that there are some times when it's important for children with hidden disabilities to be clearly identified. However, if a child can participate in a regular school setting then they are capable of making the choice if they want to be visually labeled or not. School is hard enough socially for a lot of kids regardless of neurotype of leaning abilities, add being different and forcing a visual identification on them sounds like a punishment for being different. Your comparison to the yellow symbol is spot on. It's not a way to help the student, it's a way to single out.
Absolutely ridiculous to make this mandatory 😔
G.D. so what did the kids can be bullied more!? The absolutely stupid idea.
I tried to look up what the sunflower is meant to symbolize. As far as I have been able to gather: they had NO reason! They just picked it out of all flowers! No thoughts of analogies, history, science, mythology or poetry went into it choosing it! That's a bad sign right there.
I would rather people who are trained to know how to support Autistic people or orgs/stores that are Autistic friendly would clearly identify themselves. Kind of like LGBTQ+ friendly places having pride flags up or people wearing pride pins. Much better for allies to identify themselves as opposed to forcing Autistic people to identify themselves.
Thank you for your rational and real approach to asd and other nd people. This is such a bad trend. If asd people want to be publicly known it should be voluntary. Not some school mandate. Because next is govt mandates. Plus it opens them up to predators.
That would be like classifying, being color blind as having a learning disability!
I find that really horrifying. I left school at fourteen , not because I had a disability, rather because I hated everything about being in a classroom and forced to conform in a way I couldn’t. If I had to wear a label, hate to think of what that would have done to me. I couldn’t stand being noticed because of terrible anxiety.
What could possibly go wrong with punishing people with a condition with one of the most common symptoms being questioning of authority for not doing something? I'm sure it will result in them getting treated better /s.
Also why not just make them wear a shirt saying "if you are a bully I'm an easy target" in massive letters?
That organization at the end bit sounds really good, though. It's nice to see autistic people regarded so well as to be First Responders over there. Over here in the US, we're very lucky to be considered for anything other than Tech jobs or Librarian assistants. Autism is not regarded very well over here unfortunately, even with all the new criteria and research that keeps coming out each year. I wish there was an event like that over here.
Icb how anyone could think the idea of force-outing anyone is a good idea in this day and age.
I don't think a lanyard would stop the staff at ALDI from holding down the button for the PA system.
Made the mistake of arriving at 15:40 (closes at 16:00 on Sunday). The *whole time* it was non-stop 'The store is now closing' 'The store is now closing' 'The store is now closing'.
If it weren't for my noise cancelling headphones (which were barely masking the constant announcements), I would have had to break through the fire exit to escape the situation, no doubt setting off the alarms and causing quite a bit of panic. No-one else seemed in the least bit fazed with the sonic terrorism.
@@csmatthew that does my head in. The store is closing in 20 mins. As long as they haven't decided to reorganise the shelves (local Tesco seem to want to shake the store up every 6 months) I can do my shop in 15 mins, so let me get on with it rather than shouting the store is now closing.... When it isn't closing yet!!
@@JoeAshton-g1y this is why I avoid other supermarkets. Aldi is predictable, and doesn't bombard with needless decisions between brands. Two options per product is plenty.
I have a theory about uniforms. I'm American and I lived in England for a year or so. I was amazed at how greater of a variety of fashion there was amongst the Brits, especially compared to the US. I wondered if having to wear a uniform would become so dull as to incentivise a backlash into more creative ways of dressing? Also, as a mum of 3, once my kids did go to a school with uniforms. But it was just jeans a the school tee-shirt so it wasn't expensive. But it made mornings easier as no one had to worry about choice and there was far less pressure to look good, ie; have money to afford all the latest fashions. And less to wash! Anyway, my 2 cents.
Thanks for your post. A valuable thread. I know nothing about fashion so I think jeans and T shirts are a great uniform.
America is very regimented and I expect more of this in the future.
I think sometimes people try to help from a place of sympathy rather than empathy, or worse, self interest in making the teacher's work "easier" somehow; which ends up being more dehumanizing than helpful.
There is wonderful, easy alternatives you can implement to help these kids while integrating and not singling them out. As an autistic girl myself, who was undiagnosed during student years for example, I would love it when I had a sport injury that prevented me from joining everyone in the hallways. Beign allowed to leave after everybody else and entering class late, plus having that permission extended to another studing designated by a teacher to help me with the books and such; did improve my highschool life a lot. No only sensory wise, but also by providing other students with an incentive to interact with me between classes.
Simmilarly, I've recenly seen in a primary school here in Spain a workshop were kids would write supportive messages about ASD and ADHD on ribbons, and decorate the school fence with them for passerbys to read. And talking to these kids, seems like they understand a lot more about integration and about their classmates with some neurodivergency than these teachers.
Yeah this is not ok. Wearing the lanyard is a choice. Sometimes it helps like in airports and things, but it can also make you a target in other setting. It is not ok for the school to mandate this and I would question the legality of it.
Whhhaaatt... this is extra crazy to me because I literally refused to carry my lanyard around when it was required in middle school because I hated the texture of it
I was forced to have a learning support worker in school. They wee nice enough but I didn’t need them. It just marked me out for further bullying.
Forcing autistic pupils/students (and others with hidden disabilities) to wear lanyards would make them a more clearer target for bullies.
Great vid as always Mike. Say hello to Pierre for me. He's an absolute gem of a comedian👍
Cheers, Quinn. Come along Tuesday to the livestream and you can say hello to him yourself! :)
The social aspect of school was already difficult enough for me as a child even without anybody knowing I was autistic. The fact I was "weird" already made things difficult enough. I was such an easy target for people who wanted a "pet" or punching bag.
I cannot imagine being forcefully outed as disabled to all the mean kids in school. Especially since teachers LOVE to make excuses for bullies.
Even if this policy is retracted, their classmates won't forget which of their peers are different. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the disabled children in this school are transferred in the coming years due to this horrible rule.
The number one thing that all autistic people could benefit from is to teach empathy to neurotypicals. I find they tend to be very unempathetic to anyone with a disability, especially hidden disabilities. They get angry at us and often we get fired or not hired. Usually it’s for doing the exact same thing neurotypicals are allowed to do.
Teach adults not to bully so they don’t teach their kids to bully. Most people I know who bully other adults are parents and have kids. Bullies (children) learn it from their parents. They see their parents treat other people this way and gossip about them. Teach parents empathy.
And of course, they were already planning to punish autistic kids for doing what neurotypicals are allowed to do /exist (surprise surprise)
When you started listing those quiet spaces and how adults react to kids in those spaces my heart sank. I was both undiagnosed autistic and experiencing abuse at home, so finding those kinds of hiding spots was my #1 leisure activity at school. I was a Good Kid TM so I didn't usually get in actual trouble when caught, but I was always made to feel as though I was doing something wrong. Aside from school, my second home was our church and I felt like I had more freedom there. I was the best at hiding in plain sight and emerging when ready to the "hey where were you??" of my friends.
The second half of the video is so heartwarming- it’s so good to see our strengths focused on, rather than just our weaknesses.
🤔 Terrible idea to have to wear badges. Great way to attract teasing, even severe bullying
Seems one way to stop being treated as a fellow human due to prejudices, the loss of having nonjudgemental treatment in school days to practice how to balance life, or being accepted as a friend or group member,
Exception would be if it were voluntary to wear the badge and were used during needed circumstances, such as for people who need extra time or understanding in certain circumstances.
I agree but those who need extra time etc should be personally known to the staff, or at the least noted on the register where it doesn’t need to be public.
@@Autistic_AF That strategy with having extra time allowed or other as needed, the needs being known only to staff, and having a notation on a non-public register could certainly help.
Oof. I've seen these exact lanyards on sale in a local supermarket, which I don't think is abad idea, but mandatory? Oh no...looks like a recipe to bullying or abuse.
One thing I've always believed about tools is that they can be used to either build up or destroy. This school sounds like it's leaning towards the latter.
There's no wonder the school is failing if they don't understand that kids who are still developing their minds are often horrific towards people/things that are different in some way.
The “policy” is focused solely on the liability of teachers (jobsworth excuse-making asserting that teachers need not be sensitive and are somehow being tricked by autism). No. If all teachers were sensitive and interested in authentic communication (and trained to be so) it would be far better than viewing teachers as authoritarians seeking standard iteration of lessons and actions and behaviour of themselves and their students. Children do not need to wear identifying labels, rather teachers need competent awareness tailored to each student. Should teachers wear labels saying whether they are either (1) authoritarians with a red-flag label or (2) good at human communication and a yellow label?
I love that the paramedic picks up on nuances. The usual indicator we hear is that autistic people can't read between the lines, but I'm definitely a nuance and body language person and it helped me pick up on unsaid issues in my healthcare role too.
Unbelievably divisive for a school to be forcing children into wearing a badge. I wear one (on occasion in shops etc) but it's my choice! No one should be made to do that, it angers me. I hope they scrap it, immediately. It should be a choice for the children. The teachers should treat everyone with care, maybe a mark on the (confidential) register would suffice if the teacher needs a reminder. Same as allergies and other documentation.
Managed to graduate school without being outed. One of my kids is the same. I was terrified of being “singled out”. We’re different enough, as it is. A level 2, or level 3, autistic child would certainly benefit from being recognized as being somewhat disabled, because you can’t often look at us, and tell. The sunflower is universally recognized now, so I think it’s just fine.
This was interesting, Mike. I would have loathed this as a child if I had been diagnosed then...I never wanted to stand out or to have notice called upon me. And I would not have liked to have to do all the talking/interaction that would result from all the other kids asking about it, not to mention the teasing, etc. And it kind of reinforces the feeling that the autistic child is different and separate, probably making them feel like a "freak." We already feel different and alienated enough. Good intentions, but not the best execution. I don't think the lanyard is really a thing here in the U.S., but I do support it as an option for autistic adults in places like airports.
When I was in 5th grade, a teacher told me in front of the whole class that I was retarded. (I'm not. A combination of things make me learn differently.)
I also was bullied by a teacher in 5th grade. When me and my friend came back from special ed he told the class to tease us about how much fun they had without us and called us names too. He was the "buddy" teacher that all the kids seemed to love. He also told my little sister she could use missing a few meals and she developed an eatimg disorder. He was highly regarded and they ignored my moms complaints
What the absolute F 😡
The UK is getting as bad as the US!
Edit: Damn! You got the "computer science autism"?! I just got the "unemployable" version in my blind box! 🤣
Me and my sister often joke that UK is the USA of Europe
I am autistic and have severe rheumatoid arthritis, which makes painful moving around, like walking, standing for long periods and sitting, a constant thing in my life. My level of disability varies, with weather or other factors, so sometimes I appear to be moving normally with no pain. I say appear to be because, like my autism, I am very good at masking it when I need to.
The sunflower system for cars would be wonderful in certain situations here. Because my disabilty is not always apparent, I sometimes have trouble with non-disabled and neurtypical people treating me like those handicap parking places are meant for "real disabled" people, so I need to move my car. With some sort of visible label on my car, it would be more clear that my disability is not always visible. If handicap hang tags and license plates had an insignia that denoted that my disability may not be detectable on sight, people would see I am indeed eligible to use one of those parking slots.
The reason I don't promote the magnets is that they would be easily stolen, and believe me, they would be stolen.
I would suggest a not all disabilities are visible sticker. I got a patch for my service dog
For what it's worth, when I had a car I had disabled plates (for fibromyalgia, so just as not-apparent as arthritis can be), and I put a magnet next to my plate that said "Not all disabilities are visible." I think I got it on Redbubble? It had a cool design with a standing stick person whose shadow was the wheelchair icon.
Nobody stole the magnet, but I only had the car for a few years, so maybe it would have occurred to someone to take it later. I leased the car so I couldn't put a sticker on it. I'm lucky it didn't melt into the car though, because where I lived, for about 5 months out of the year it's very likely that the temperature will be at or close to 100°F (~38⁰C).
I think I forgot to take the magnet with me when I had to return the car to the dealership when my lease was up. But thank goodness I remembered to ask them to give me the plates. I was able to show those, and my receipt showing that it had been registered in my name, to my new provider here in a different state to convince her to fill out the form to get a disabled parking tag.
@resourceress7 That's a great idea. I think if it was a commonly recognized symbol, that's when they would be in danger of being stolen by people who wanted the good spots. They wouldn't have a hang tag or license plate, but if someone sees the magnet, the lack of other legal insignia like those might not be noticed. I don't know, but thanks for the tip anyway. 😊
@@Irisarc1 well it's not real disabled parking license plate and it's not a tag. It's more like a bumper sticker but in magnet form but it's a thin magnet so I don't think most people can tell that is not a sticker. If that helps. I would imagine that a lot of people know that the license plate is the official thing. Those are really easy to take off with a screwdriver and come to think of it haha
@resourceress7 I understand
The mild temptation to join a (nunnery, in my case) is a thing. Structured days, limits to when one is allowed to talk (let alone required), elimination of clothing decisions, potentially learning a trade or craft in a non-customer-facing environment....
Even better if I could get into one with really spiffy old architecture.
But I'm also an atheist, so I don't know that it would be appropriate for me to join one :\
To the broader point of the video, I agree - disclosure should be a choice. I like the idea of the sunflower lanyard, but only if the person wearing it is doing it of their own volition.
Growing up in Ireland, I didn't like wearing a school uniform but I believed the reasons we were told we needed them. Then in my final year, I switched to a school with no uniforms and I realised they were pointless and didn't actually address any problems.
In Brazil's schools autistic kids have to wear these, but it's colorful puzzle pieces instead, and there's an id card with their names, face, and parent's phone numbers.
😢
🤔 Interesting. Was switched for me with adult years having limited choices, late teen years and college being fine with highly suitable matching environment and much personal flexibility, but younger kid years challenging with restrictions in alienating non-matching uncomfortable for me environments with the result being needing retreat time at school (required many strategically placed nurse office visits in the day, a different teacher’s class whenever possible alternating to avoid notice, but the nurse noticed.)
As an older kid and young adult I had many more flexible choices. Was very well balanced. As an adult became especially restricted and limited, having to stay in certain environments for work, and being reprimanded when asking for alternatives. The result was a fairly well balanced older teen and young adult, a challenged strategising kid and a complete mess later as an adult as eventually the cup was over full, or the spoons ran out, not for the day, but for the decade.
Why such an impractical thing as a lanyard? They could catch it in something and hurt themselves. Much better to sew a star to their chest pocket...
They probably have to wear their school IDs on them
@@d-meth I was being sarcastic and you're not getting the historic reference.
@@bakakafka4428
Oh, I totally got the star reference.
Still the school probably makes them wear lanyards vs pins because they require all kids to wear their school IDs on lanyards.
I'd flip if I was forced to wear a lanyard, those things suck.
And tattoo a number to their wrist
It wasn't just jewish people, they had different color stars and triangles for different things. Mentally ill and disabled people were amongst those who wore a black triangle, which was general "antisocial". Autists were also classified with a black triangle.
So yes, forcing people to wear a badge for identifying these things has a direct precedence. Even if the school means well as opposed to those who were trying to get rid of the unwanted folks.
When I watched the moment about Autism and Wonderfully Wired Ambassadors Conference in Sussex, and I saw all those autistic kids together playing, without any anxiety apparent, I had tears in my eyes.
As you might have heard, the secret to write poetry is to try it during those moments when experiencing extreme emotions, and channel them out of own head, metaphorically speaking
Hope
We are coming out of the shadow of grief
Cautiously probing the outside world
Hurt again and again we were in the past
Let us hope now, so in the sun we bask
It is a part of an ongoing experiment I started some 2 years ago, when I met someone whose hobby is writing poetry, and he told me how it happens for him
Ah yes, lets segregate the autisms! What could go wrong? /s
The sunflower symbol is great, but you can not and should not force anyone to disclose any condition or w/e they don't want to. Doing so is just wrong on so many levels..
Absolutely, Auren!
Based on the other problems with the school, is anyone else getting the vibe that this is the head of school "sticking the middle finger to the authorities"? Like I could totally see him reading those reports and being like "oh so now we have to give them special treatment?!? how would the teachers even know which child to treat specially?!?!". Has major toxic masculinity vibes to me.
Als Deutsche war es das Erste an das ich denken mußte! Seit wann kennzeichnen wir wieder Menschen für irgendeine Eigenschaft? Wenn es die eigene Entscheidung ist und das System es wirklich als Chance für Betroffene nutzt dann ist es vollkommen okay. Aber bitte nie wieder gezwungen. Nie wieder!
Chance für Betroffene, naja. Ich sage besser niemandem, dass ich autistisch bin, weil es vermutlich ausschließlich Nachteile gibt, aber niemand Rücksicht nehmen will. Da heissts eher "Stell dich nicht so an"
Not noticeable enough, should be a yellow star, I've heard that works well for identifying people you intend to treat differently.
Edit: Just in case, I'm being sarcastic to make a point about how bad this is, not advocating for actually doing that.
Here in Austria I get the feeling, no one really knows what autism is and that you are not automatically Rain Man or a Savant. So if I had to wear a sign in my school time it would have been horrible. I already was the strange girl, no need to have a sign to point me out. Now, as an adult, hardly anyone knows my diagnosis - what for, I dont get any support or help, people would just asume I am, dont know, dumb or cant live on my own or must be treated like a child. No thanks.
Much gratitude to you. Will be sharing 🙏
Every time a group of people has been made to wear a symbol for others to identify them, it's never had good outcome.
I still remember when I got poison ivy as a kid and I had to stay in the library during recess. I was kind of bummed when it went away because that meant I had to go outside again.😅
So glad for the good news at the end ! I'm stunned by the ridiculous policy of the lanyard school...no wonder they are failing!
Hi Wendy! I did wonder what you'd think of that. It feels to me like they're clutching at straws trying to find that one thing that might just fix something. But this isn't it! The West Sussex County Council event looks fabulous!
@@Autistic_AF in a good school the teachers would know which children in their class are autistic they shouldn't need a lanyard to be reminded!
@@Autistic_AF any good teacher would know who was autistic in their class and therefore wouldn't need to see a lanyard to be reminded!
My neurodivergent brain, made the same link to yellow stars as soon as you said it was made compulsory. The means well but has no clue policy makers may have wanted to help, but in this case the result was a kick me sign. It's a great shame so dirty is still so ninety about what they find acceptable and if you don't fit their boxes, you are the one at fault. The analogy I use when explaining neurodivergence is zebras vs horses. Similar, but not the same. A zebra isn't a rubbish horse, and a horse isn't a rubbish zebra. I love putting things into groups of categories too, but I know to have an extra box, for things that don't neatly fit my theme. I tell people I have Creative wiring, my traits are Defo the creative ones, art, music, making. Maths n technical stuff true my brain. I need to know; who, what, when, where,why and how, to be able to process information. Anyone else process that way too?
I am literally allergic to sunflower oil.
I remember reading about something similar. Something to do with yellow stars and pink triangles.
My teenage autistic daughter is making all on her power to don’t stand out in her high school, she would get so anxious if she would be force to let everyone know her condition. Teachers and school stuff knows and she has accommodations of some kind but her peers don’t know and if she doesn’t want to disclose it for them is her decision and we respect it.
Don’t teachers know which students have conditions that could be of significance, whether diabetes, dyslexia, asthma, impaired hearing, epilepsy, severe food allergies, or, yes, autism, or ADHD, from day 1? Also, “med-alert” bracelets already exist, to help others know about these kinds of conditions in the event the person is having trouble communicating. Why not encourage (not force) students to wear one of those? 🤨
No, a school nurse would probably have that info. Teachers can be bullies as well, and I would t have been comfortable with them knowing. Many bullies become teachers to boss kids around. I’ve had many teachers make fun of me and called me slow. I’m not slow. I have a higher IQ than most neurotypicals as most autistic people do. Yet, I don’t like reading out loud. It’s distracting. I wasn’t diagnosed until an adult (like most autistic people), so empathy helps more anyway
@@JDMimeTHEFIRSTI’m sorry to hear you had many bad experiences with teachers (I had some, myself), but as a fellow twice-exceptional, I’m going to have to call you out; firstly for the simply wrong information that most autistics have above-average IQ’s; we don’t, about 1/3 of diagnosed autistics have BELOW average IQ’s, like far enough below average as to be a disability, in and of itself, and while I accept that many undiagnosed autistics lack an intellectual disability, there’s no reason to think autistics are mostly high-IQ; and secondly, for thinking withholding information regarding developmental/health conditions from teachers is the solution to teachers being bullies. Bully teachers will be bullies, informed or not, and actual decent teachers will be assisted by having more information. In conclusion, I agree that most middle-aged autistics COULDN’T be diagnosed in school (the criteria were much narrower back then), and I hope that this is changing, but not in a way that shunts even more autistic people into lives of misery. I can but hope… 🤞
I think the biggest issue with global culture these days is the erosion of one's right to privacy. No one should be forced to disclose their medical conditions to someone they don't want to. The only person really privy to that information is yourself and the doctor who does your physical exams.
You know, we really should have such quiet secluded places at every office!
The lanyard is a wonderful tool to VOLUNTARILY indicate you may need assistance/more patience/anything...
If my kid came home like this I'd be taking them out of that school immediately. If the school is capable of such a horrific thing, that indicates my child isn't safe there.
Thank you, Mike. This is so freaking horrible. Greetings from Uruguay
As for school corridors, I've always felt that logic dictates that in order to make these transfers to other classrooms more efficient, follow the same rules as in traffic, like motorway traffic. So you zip in, change lanes to the middle if you want to walk faster. But that's not how most teenagers function, do they? Most kids are pretty much dysfunctional in this phase of life.
😬 Not a million miles away from the pink triangles, yellow stars etc! Academies have rotted the whole school system in England. Great video 💚
It’s also we can be great socially… with some other autistic, neurodivergent people, etc. Depending on job, team, personnel, and many factors even better than neurotypical or others. This is very much case by case basis and not only dependent on autism but I’ve seen this with me. I’m either great in team or worse
17:17 Having _sensory friendly_ places _are good_ for _everyone._
As a former teacher, if staff need to identify pupils with additional needs such as SEND then it's not rocket science - using something like a seating plan with a note of what needs are present in a class is a pretty effective and importantly, discrete solution. This reminds me a bit of how pupils receiving free school meals can be made to unnecessarily stand out using things like quite obvious vouchers instead of a discrete credit on their account for the canteen.
I totally agree with your thoughts.
I can only imagine how much worse the bullying would have been for me, should I have been forced to wear something that marks me out as an easy target. It was bad enough, even when our art teacher turned the art room into an inofficial safe space.
If that was me id refuse because it feels like im making myself stand out and feel like it would make people patronise me
Thing is with history, an awful lot of people forget important things that happened like 5 or 10 years ago and fail to put today's events into perspective. So people forget how stigmatising it can be to force a mark on people just for 'easy identification', let alone failing to read into the meaning and intended use of the sunflower accessories.
Some neurotypicals are just so quite exhausting!
Why is it that, the more people try to make the world inclusive for people who are neurodivergent, the more they make them stand out from their peers? That is the exact opposite of fitting in. I willingly got myself a sunflower lanyard as a 30+ adult but I would hate to be made to wear one if I was still a kid because other kids can be ruthless. I also don't know why ADHD and ASD keep being thrown in the same bag as learning disabilities or even mental illness, sometimes even by medical professionals.
What a terrible idea making wearing that thing mandatory. I wished I had a decompression room during high school (didn't know I was autistic back then). I expended most of the spare time between classes in the school's library, until one day they told that I should go out with the other kids.
I remember talking to the police after I'd had a car accident, the police made a commented about how honest I was. I told them everything, I was at fault and took full responsibility for it. I got a CD10 (driving without due care and attention) 😔. I was in a bad headspace while I was driving home from work and paid the price after I missed a car on a roundabout which was in my a-pillar blindspot. Now I always make sure to check this area.
It was bad enough hearing kids call me the r word when the special ed teachers came to get me. This is just a sign that says "bully me"
Thats why i hated having a helper same when the teacher in college gave me a special chair for scoliosis because my mum said so
What about a yellow star ? 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
"Learning disability" Okay, I'll hand in my expert qualifications in multiple fields then. /s xD
School uniforms are such a wild thing to have in this modern age..
And people have to pay out of pocket for them? What happens if you cant afford one? Can your child then not attend school? School uniforms are so weird..
If the school is making kids wear the sunflower lanyard, they:
1. Don't know who is a SEND student
2. Don't care about pupils' welfare
If I was made to wear one, I would've refused
Damned straight I'd have told them where to stick it too at that age!
I think another example of a lanyard that would be horrible to force teenagers to wear to maybe help people who think like that school forcing students to 'share' such personal information about themselves is a lanyard for periods. The 'logic' behind making students wear a lanyard if they have a period is so teachers can be more understanding if they need to use the bathroom more frequently then other times or need longer in the bathroom. Instead of making people wear something to proclaim information about themselves that they don't want to, I just wish we could do better about being better humans to people, period.
I don't know what the UK laws are concerning the privacy of medical information. But if they are anything like in the USA, the school system cannot mandate that you have to disclose private medical information to the general public.
I get wanting to talk about strengths that may go hand in hand with autism, but I don't think that it's always such a great focus. People think of characters like Sherlock or Sheldon, and then they create a whole new host of misconceptions about autism that get thrown on the pile. And then there are the "autism supremacists" who talk about autism being the next step in human evolution like some kind of ubermensch. You talked about not wanting to be label like Jewish people were and I agree, but it's not good to promote the other side of that bigoted ideology. (I don't think you're meaning to come off that way btw.) I think the best way to think about it is simple: differences. Differences aren't inherently good or bad. They just mean that people approach life in their own way, and there needs to be support for that (from coping with challenges to fostering successes)
Hi Mike, great video!
I love the sunflower scheme. I wear my wristband on trains and in busy public spaces. In airports, I wear the lanyard. In Australian major airports it means I can go through the accessibilty security area. This has less queues and staff are generally very patient. My daughter wears her wristband to school voluntarily. In fact she had to ask for special permission to be able to wear it, as it is not "school uniform". She decided she wanted all staff to know she has a hidden disability, not just her regular teachers. But, it absolutely must be an individual choice. Singling out children without their consent is just not on.
I wear the sunflower lanyard when I fly because I know that my autistic traits can make me read as "suspicious" to security, especially since I stim more in high stress situations. I don't know if it helps but the last times I've flown I went through security without any problems.
I’m autistic and was placed in the gifted program at school because I was far more intelligent than the majority of the class. If they made me wear a lanyard, it would only disclose that the people without them meant they were sublime and idiots. In fact, if they made fun of me, it would only prove how stupid they are to make fun of someone smarter than they are! 😂funny world
The bullying was bad enough at school without a diagnosis being different, letalone this. That said school in the 2000s was not kind to autistic children in my school
I immediately thought of the yellow star when I read the title
Honestly, that makes me cringe. Poor kids!
I am on the spectrum but have chosen to not wear anything with the sunflower label. As I said to a colleague who once asked me why not, let's leave it to people who need more support (than me) in some situations. My vision concerning my autism is that it is a different cognitive setup, not a disability. IMO if people have disabilities, it is either on top (in addition to) of their autism or a demonstration that they are confronted to situations or environments which their body or brain read as dangerous. For me, if I happened to be in that case, I would need support for those things - not my autism. Example: a chronic health issue, to which in my experience, people are more understanding and can accomodate more concretely. At work, there are more people who know about my chronic migraines than my autism, as they are the main reasons for sick leaves or days-offs (outside holidays). Talking about material gimmicks, the only thing I have is a toilet card due to a GI condition, that I have in hard or on my phone.
I have been diagnosed as an adult, and this may influence the way I see autism. However, my diagnosis led to the one of my siblings, still in their teens. Instead of opening up to the school directly, my mother gave the choice to my siblings whether they wanted to tell it or not. My brother chose to tell it in an informal way and my sister chose to keep it confidential. Interestingly, my sister was the one facing the most learning challenges at school. I think that what explains her choice is that at this time, she was in a school where alongside mainstream classes, there was a "SEND class", where there was quite a good number of students diagnosed with autism, ADHD and learning disabilities. She told my mom many times about these students being ostracised. In France, there is more people aware that autism exists, but many don't understand that it is a wide spectrum.
I am now living in Denmark. Six years ago, I had to be assessed by two psychiatrist to see my eligibility for hormone therapy and validate my diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" (that's the condition to have hormones there). One was specialised in autism. Because of her, my ASD diagnosis is not written anymore in my medical record, as for her, I seemed to be "too high functionning". The fat file I had from France didn't change anything. Next time someone says Denmark is open-minded about ASD...
I think I'm just gonna tell people I have "a neurodevelopmental condition." I think "autistic" get's confused with "intellectually disabled" by the majority of people.
It also gets confused with Down Syndrome a lot.
@@FerociousSniper
At my son's last school all IEP students were put together, so students with autism were put in a class with intellectually disabled students
And sometimes people confuse it with psychopathy (which is not an official medical term, btw) :(
I like the idea of the sunflower lanyard to identify if we wish to be identified, it’s not just used for autism but any hidden disability apparently, I’m hyper against forcing somebody to disclose the disability teachers should be aware anyway if it’s relevant to the situation
Shout it loud please!
I'm so sick of people who are "ND informed" telling me what I am like - and taking over without letting real Autistic people do what we can and are good at!
Love that the second school did it so right - including the "we don't suddenly get normal at 18" thing