Jim Sinclair (activist)

“Cultural Commentary: Being Autistic Together”

“Archived Website of Jim Sinclair at Archive.org”

“Website for Autreat and ANI”

“You didn't lose a child to autism. You lost a child because the child you waited for never came into existence. That isn't the fault of the autistic child who does exist, and it shouldn't be our burden. We need and deserve families who can see us and value us for ourselves, not families whose vision of us is obscured by the ghosts of children who never lived. Grieve if you must, for your own lost dreams. But don't mourn for us. We are alive. We are real. And we're here waiting for you.”

“When parents say,”

“There is no inherent conflict between accepting and working with autism on one hand, and promoting increased skill development on the other. It is the role of all teachers, counselors, and therapists to promote growth and learning. For professionals working with autistic people, the important issue is that autistic people should be assisted in growing and developing into more capable autistic people, not pushed to become like non-autistic people.”

“Well, I know for a fact that there are at least some parents who are not unhappy and miserable about having autistic children, and do not want their children cured--though they'll move mountains to get appropriate education and support programs for their children. I have yet to hear of even one parent of a child with cystic fibrosis or cancer who would be content to have a dead child, just as long as the child got good educational and support services.”