Editing Disability rights movement (section)

=== Autism rights movement ===
{{Further|Autism rights movement|Neurodiversity}}
{{See also|Autism friendly}}
The autism rights movement is a [[social movement]] that emphasizes the concept of [[neurodiversity]], viewing the [[autism spectrum]] as a result of natural variations in the [[human brain]] rather than a disorder to be cured.<ref name="Solomon">{{cite news |work=New York |title=The autism rights movement |last=Solomon |first=Andrew |date=2008-05-25 |access-date=2008-05-27 |url=http://nymag.com/news/features/47225/| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080527025140/http://nymag.com/news/features/47225/| archive-date= 27 May 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> The autism rights movement advocates for several goals, including greater acceptance of autistic behaviors; therapies that focus on coping skills rather than imitating the behaviors of [[neurotypical]] peers;<ref name="Bigthink">{{cite web |last1=Ratner |first1=Paul |title=Should Autism Be Cured or Is "Curing" Offensive? |url=https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/should-autism-be-cured-or-is-curing-offfensive |website=Big Think |access-date=16 June 2019 |language=en |date=10 July 2016}}</ref> the creation of social networks and events that allow autistic people to socialize on their own terms;<ref name="Autreat">{{cite web |url=http://ani.autistics.org/autreat.html |title=Autism Network International presents Autreat |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011214035623/http://ani.autistics.org/autreat.html |archivedate=2001-12-14 |date=2008-05-23 |website=AIN}}</ref> and the recognition of the autistic community as a [[minority group]].<ref name="Bigthink" /><ref name="Jaarsma2012">{{cite journal |last1=Jaarsma |first1=Pier |last2=Welin |first2=Stellan |title=Autism as a natural human variation: reflections on the claims of the neurodiversity movement |journal= Health Care Analysis|year=2012 |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=20–30 |doi=10.1007/s10728-011-0169-9 |pmid=21311979 |s2cid=18618887 |issn=1573-3394|url=http://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:457919/FULLTEXT01 }}</ref>

Autism rights or neurodiversity advocates believe that the autism spectrum is primarily genetic and should be accepted as a natural expression of the [[human genome]]. This perspective is distinct from two other views: the medical perspective, that autism is caused by a genetic defect and should be addressed by targeting the autism gene(s), and [[fringe theories]] that autism is caused by environmental factors such as [[vaccine]]s.<ref name="Solomon" />

The movement is controversial. A common criticism against autistic activists is that the majority of them are "[[High-functioning autism|high-functioning]]" or have [[Asperger syndrome]] and do not represent the views of "[[Low-functioning autism|low-functioning]]" autistic people.<ref name="Jaarsma2012" />