Autistic people have the same rights as everyone else

Did you know that in the past few weeks in America three Autistic people have been murdered by their parents? 

Their names are Randle, Damien and Vincent. 

The news reports about their deaths consistently focus on the fact that they were Autistic and bemoan the plight of the killers. They make statements like *difficult to care for*, *parents exhausted and struggling to find services* and *this was an act of love*.

This is not excusable because their parents found caring for them hard. 

This is not understandable because their parents needed more support. 

Violently ending your sons life is not an act of love. 

This is not OK in any way.

Randle, Damien and Vincent were human beings with rights who were murdered by the people they trusted to protect them. 

This has to stop. 

We must stop referring to Autism as a disorder separate from the person. 

We must stop calling Autism a tragedy that steals children away from their parents and ruins whole families lives. 

We must stop sympathising with murderers.

We must start calling out those who do. 

This is not OK. 

Autism is a neurological divergence that exists within the wide range of what is normal for humans. 

Autistic people have the same rights as all other people. 

As Amy Sequenzia  says, "Autism rights are human rights".