From Outrage to Activism

I have a new post up on BlogHer, titled Autism: From Outrage to Activism. Here's an excerpt:

"...imagine a kid like my Leo, with autism, at school, but without Leo's educational supports and accommodations. What do you think would happen to that child? In the case of Zakh Price, an eleven-year-old from Arkansas, the answer is charges of felony battery."

If case's like Zakh's make you itch to do something, I also list actions you can take -- from major to minor. Do add anything I've missed.

Take Action: Ask Michelle Obama to Help Create an Autism Corps

Jennyalice and I have taken the Autism Corps idea one step further: We have created a petition asking Michelle Obama to meet with us, to discuss creating an Autism Corps based on the Teach for America Model.

We welcome feedback from all families affected by autism, and from autistics themselves. Would four to fourteen hours of one-to-one support make a difference in your life? You can comment below, or even better leave a comment next to your signature on the petition.

Petition excerpts:

"We would like to propose that Michelle Obama meet with Shannon Des Roches Rosa and Jennifer Byde Myers, two parents representing two different autism families' perspectives, and Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg and Lindsey Nebeker, two adults on the autism spectrum, to discuss creating an Autism Corps so as to address one of the most pressing needs of autism families and adult autistics: one-to-one in-home support.

"We would like to discuss taking those three factors and combining them into a nationwide organization dedicated to training volunteers to aid kids and adults with autism: an Autism Corps based on the Teach For America urgent action model, with the goal of providing autism families as well as adult autistics in need with between four and fourteen hours of weekly care."

Please forward this post to anyone who might be interested.