ACAP and what I remember about it.

 Ok, here's what I remember about going to ACAP back in 2007: First of all, I'd just like to say the only reason I ever went into that program at all was because I had this case manager at the time who didn't know what the hell she was talking about, who thought it would be "brilliant" for me to be in a day program with a bunch of physically and intellectually disabled people, and she wouldn't take "no" for an answer! And she'd just keep pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing and insisting on me joining the program. And I knew it wasn't going to be appropriate for me, but the bitch wouldn't listen to me. My parents didn't either, when I had told them, "NO!" When I was supposed to go on a tour there to see what the program had to offer as well as what kind of things were there, the lady who even started the program said a couple of things to my mom and me, that really should have viewed as red flags. My mom probably doesn't remember it, unfortunately, but I still do. One of the things she told me that should have been viewed as a red flag was that, a lot of people at ACAP didn't like her because they thought she was mean. Well, I later came to find that, those members didn't just think she was "mean". They KNEW that she could be mean! In fact, that woman could be EVIL! And if there was anyone there that didn't like her for those reasons, I would say, rightfully so! And that should have been viewed as a red flag when she said that, because that should have been viewed as a warning that I could end up being potentially abused by people working in that place if they're openly admitting that they can be "mean" to disabled members. I mean, honestly, if you're looking to put a member of your family in some kind of program just because they have a disability, why would you honestly want to put them in a program when the people working there tell you that they're mean and that people don't like them? That should have been viewed as a red flag that your disabled family member could end up getting abused in there!

Another thing she told me was that she knew nothing about Asperger's/Level 1 autism spectrum disorder. Not only did she know nothing about it, but she clearly didn't want to know, and she clearly didn't care to know. That should have been viewed as another red flag for me not to have to be in there. And let's be fair, that place is for people who are very physically and intellectually disabled, who can barely take care of themselves. That place was never meant to be for people on the milder end of the autism spectrum. What's sad is I knew this, but NOBODY would listen to me. Probably figured that because I'm "disabled" that they don't have to listen to me because I'm inferior to them. And when people see you as "inferior" just because you have something making you profoundly different from everyone else, making you a minority, they figure they don't have to listen to you or take you seriously, when maybe they should! 

Also, I don't know if people working at ACAP have that same attitude towards autism or if they know a lot more about it now, because they care to know about it. But either way, I wouldn't recommend anyone on the milder end of the spectrum go into a program with people like that.