Editing Autism rights movement (section)

=== 2000s–2010s: The rise of self-advocacy ===
[[Aspies For Freedom]] (AFF) was founded in 2004. They established June 18 as [[Autistic Pride Day]] starting in 2005. AFF member Joe Mele initiated a protest against the [[National Alliance for Autism Research]] in 2004.<ref name="Harmon" /> AFF also initiated protests against [[Cure Autism Now]] and the [[Judge Rotenberg Center]].{{Source?|date=September 2024}}

In 2004, Canadian autism researcher [[Michelle Dawson]] challenged [[applied behavior analysis]] (ABA), a common behavioral intervention for people with autism, on ethical grounds. She testified in ''[[Auton (Guardian ad litem of) v. British Columbia (Attorney General)|Auton v. British Columbia]]'' against the lack of required government funding for ABA.<ref name=RogerCollier>Collier, Roger. [http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/observer/story.html?id=71fae5dc-7eb5-48fd-8f60-78deebee9879&p=1 "Autism".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226143403/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/observer/story.html?id=71fae5dc-7eb5-48fd-8f60-78deebee9879&p=1 |date=26 February 2008 }} ''The Ottawa Citizen'' (1 December 2007). Retrieved 2008-02-17.</ref> That same year, ''The New York Times'' covered the autism rights perspective by publishing journalist [[Amy Harmon]]'s article, "How About Not Curing Us, Some Autistics Are Pleading".<ref name="Harmon">{{cite news|last=Harmon |first=Amy |title=How About Not 'Curing' Us, Some Autistics Are Pleading |date=2004-12-20 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/20/health/20autism.html |access-date=2007-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202073041/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/20/health/20autism.html |archive-date=2 December 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2006, [[Autism Acceptance Project|The Autism Acceptance Project]] (TAAP) was founded by Estée Klar, the mother of an autistic child, with help from an autistic advisory and board.<ref name="TAA" /> The project is affiliated with the [[Autistic Self Advocacy Network]] (ASAN) and other activist groups in North America.

From 2005 to 2007, TAAP organized arts-based events.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 7, 2019 |title=What was: The Autism Acceptance Project (TAAProject) |url=https://au-ti.com/2019/04/07/what-was-the-autism-acceptance-project-taaproject/ |website=AU-TI}}</ref> TAAP also sponsored the Joy of Autism: Redefining Ability and Quality of Life events and lectures in [[Toronto]], featuring dozens of autistic artists and speakers such as [[Jim Sinclair (activist)|Jim Sinclair]], [[Michelle Dawson]], [[Phil Schwartz]], [[Morton Ann Gernsbacher]], and [[Larry Bissonnette]].

In 2007, an ASAN initiative helped halt the New York Child Study Campaign. The advertising campaign launched in 2007 depicted conditions like autism and ADHD as kidnappers holding children for ransom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ne’eman |first=Ari |date=December 8, 2007 |title=An Urgent Call to Action: Tell NYU Child Study Center to Abandon Stereotypes Against People With Disabilities |url=https://autisticadvocacy.org/2007/12/tell-nyu-child-study-center-to-abandon-stereotypes/ |access-date=September 19, 2024 |website=[[Autistic Self Advocacy Network]]}}</ref> The campaign was canceled two weeks after its launch when the center's director had received an estimated 3000 e-mails and phone calls, most of them "expressing anger and hurt".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Joanne |date=December 4, 2007 |title=Ransom-Note Ads About Children's Health Are Canceled |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/business/media/20child.html |url-access=limited |work=The New York Times}}</ref> ASAN halted another advertising campaign in 2008 where [[PETA]] had implied a link between autism and [[gluten-free, casein-free diet|casein]] in milk.<ref name="peta.org">{{Cite web |date=2009-10-30 |title=Learn About the Link Between Dairy Products and the Disorder |url=https://www.peta.org/features/got-autism-learn-link-dairy-products-disease/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821084550/https://www.peta.org/features/got-autism-learn-link-dairy-products-disease/ |archive-date=21 August 2019 |access-date=2019-08-21 |website=PETA |language=en-US}}</ref> Phone calls, letters, and petitions organized by ASAN contributed to the removal of the advertisements.<ref name="PETA Billboard Removal">Ne'eman, Ari. (October 2008) [http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=35 PETA Billboard Removal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216034223/http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=35 |date=2012-02-16 }}. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network.</ref>

The internet has provided a space for members of the autism movement to organize and communicate independently without relying on non-autistic people, such as family members, healthcare workers, or events hosted by non-autistic individuals, especially considering the geographical distance and communication and speech patterns of autistic individuals.<ref name="ANIHist"/>