자폐권리운동

자폐권리운동(영어: Autism rights movement)은 자폐를 치유되어야 하는 장애라기보다 기능적 다양성으로 정의하고, 자폐 당사자들과 돌보미, 사회가 신경다양성을 가진 자폐 당사자들의 위치를 받아들이도록 하는 장애인권운동의 일부다. 자폐권리운동은 자폐적인 행동을 사회가 더 많이 수용하도록 만드는 것, 일반신경적 동료의 행동을 따라하는 것에 초점을 둔 요법보다 자폐 당사자들이 기술을 익혀가도록 하는 요법, 자폐 당사자가 자신의 목소리로 사회화할 수 있도록 하는 사회적 네트워크와 모임 생성, 자폐 커뮤니티를 소수 집단으로 인정받고자 하는 등의 다양한 목표를 옹호한다.

Autism rights or neurodiversity advocates believe that the autism spectrum is genetic and should be accepted as a natural expression of the human genome. This perspective is distinct from two other likewise distinct views: the mainstream perspective, that autism is caused by a genetic defect and should be addressed by targeting the autism gene(s), and the fringe theory that autism is caused by environmental factors like vaccines and pollution and could be cured by addressing environmental causes.[2]

The movement is controversial. There are a wide variety of both supportive and critical opinions about the movement among people who are autistic or associated with people with autism. A common criticism leveled against autistic activists is that the majority of them are "high-functioning" or have Asperger syndrome and do not represent the views of all autistic people,[7] although some prominent figures in the movement (such as Amy Sequenzia[8]) are nonverbal and have been labeled as "low-functioning".