Thoughts on Osorio's I Am #ActuallyAutistic, Hear Me Tweet: TheAutist-Topoi of Autistic Activists on

I found this reading to be very interesting. I had only ever seen the use of the term topos (Greek for "place") in a philosophical or logical context; never in the domain of activism. In particular, I found it interesting that topoi aren't "static". Rather, rhetoricians use topoi to form new arguments and new topos. "Autistic activists have taken to social media to generate, circulate, and impart their own novel topoi that counter the dominant beliefs of autism and create space for autistic activists and their allies to generate novel lines of argument." (Osorio, 2). She explains the battle between movements like Autism Speaks - run by non-autistic activists - versus activists who have autism and fight behind the banner of #actuallyautistic. It was fascinating to read about how some hashtags began with good motives but have come to stand for something harmful. The idea that the creation of a topos can have good intentions but then become a place for misinformation and even hatred is concerning, but Osorio explains ways in which groups like #actuallyautistic are fighting to create topoi that foster appreciation, acceptance, and honesty.