#Actually Autistic -- My Take Aways

To begin I would say that this article by Ruth Osorio is a great exposé that covers the cultural phenomenons that take place online when it comes to movements. I learned about topoi and topos which I think is helpful language that aids in one's ability to practice discernment online and during general discourse. The best example of this was the juxtaposition of topoi about Autism online, and then topoi encompassed within the #ActuallyAutistic reclamation movement. The movement online served the function of reclaiming a narrative that would expand upon common notions about autism. And the act of reclaiming a label or expounding upon experiences related to an experience is done quite frequently today. An example of this today looks like creating a hashtag or forwarding an already existing hashtag with one's story. I find that moreover from reclamation a lot of hashtags that are intended to share information are used to participate in discourse and really inform people like a more engaging search engine.

What I think can be most impactful about movements that congregate under hashtags is that they can provide spaces for people to feel safe, be seen, and respected as they make strides to cultivate a community and forward more nuanced messaging which gives people a more qualitative understanding of an issue. Which was the exact thing that #ActuallyAutistic achieved. I also learned that movements online are actually referred to as e-activism, e-movements, or e-protest, which is fitting. And while terms like these can be interchangeable I do think that movements are models for change and more generally speak to people’s constant desire to improve discourse to evoke meaningful change as a group which is a commendable effort.