Changing Societys Actions Determining how to change the views of people in society is challenging and ambitious depending on the

goals. Many rhetors fail to communicate their goals properly or aim to reach the wrong audience or, simply, take ineffective measures to accomplish their goals. The previous and ongoing campaigns to raise autism awareness lack in their ability to communicate to the audience properly. Autism Speaks has been working to increase awareness of autism spectrum disorders, among other things, since 2005. The fundamental problems I see with this campaign is its inability to relate to those with autism and a goal which does not align with those who are meant to be aided by the organization. Looking on the site, many people with autism have commented in the comments section on the About Us page about their disconnected feelings toward Autism Speaks. This comment was made by an individual named Marty: Don't listen to Autism Speaks. They say they help autism when they actually don't. They don't let us autistic people speak out, they just go around telling you people to feel sorry for a retarded kid. Let me tell you. Some deeply autistic kids lose their traits as they get older, and believe me, there is no cure for autism, and they say they are trying to find a cure? Some autistic kids have a talent or a gift. They could be good at playing the piano, at Mathematics, at science or Music. So don't take autism as an illness, it is a nuruel development disorder which just gets communication problems, lack of imagination and rules problem; what I mean by that is if they were on a routine, they would be uncomfortable if it changes. Another comment by an anonymous author stated: As someone with Autism I find it offensive that you say that you are researching for a cure. Autism is not a disease, we do not need to be cured. We just think and compute things differently then other people, and in history there is a sound belief that a lot of the big changes that have occurred were due to an idea put forth by some one with Autism because they were the only one thinking differently then everyone else. If you try to erase Autism, which by the way is not a new thing, you will only cause

society to become stagnant. If you really want to be the people that 'speak' for those who have Autism try actually having some people who have it on your board of directors, otherwise you have no idea what it is like. (Autism Speaks) These sentiments reflect poor understanding on the part of Autism Speaks decreasing the level of ethos they possess. On the other hand, the Autism Society is well organized and often incorporates people with autism into its campaign. They have members on the autism spectrum serving as active members on the board of directors. (Autism Society) Indeed, Autism Society has a great deal of ethos, but they need to utilize more rhetorical velocity to share their information and materials. The Autism Society is one of the leading sources for information on autism, but they do not share their materials as easily as possible; if they did, more people would be aware of autism and what it entails. Most people are lazy and do not actively seek out information unless they feel directly impacted by it, so if you were to provide people with individual works/pieces to hand out or share with others, you will increase the chances of spreading the news. The website is a good source of information and has a multitude of statistics and stories readily available, but I believe they need something easier to distribute rather than having interested parties search through the website for information they need or want. They could also begin a television campaign giving some facts or information about autism, then suggest they visit their website to learn more. Learning from the mistakes of previous rhetors, I am running a campaign to raise autism awareness at UCF by a minimum of sixty percent while addressing the rhetors previous misjudgements. My initial survey findings of students on the UCF campus were dismal. Although one hundred percent of the participants claimed to have heard of autism, only thirty seven percent could define autism as a social disability, not merely a mental one. Moreover, forty two percent stated they had treated an individual with autism, or another mental disability, poorly in comparison to how they treat the average

citizen they encounter. These statistics are proof of the lack of ability to convey the intended message by the previous rhetors. On the one hand, ensuring rhetorical velocity is as simple as possible for the audience, I will develop a multimodal approach. I will begin by writing facts about autism and links to both the Autism Society, as well as the links to my YouTube videos discussing autism in chalk on the sidewalks throughout the UCF campus. Some of the facts I will include are: 1 in 88 children are diagnosed with autism (Autism Society); Adults with autism have reported greater unmet healthcare needs (Autism Facebook); The labor force participation rate for individuals with disabilities is only 20.5% (Autism Facebook); Autism is a developmental disability that causes problems with social skills and communication (ASHA). My hope is to draw attention to the cause and bring it to the forefront of peoples minds. Furthermore, these facts will be a use of logos in my argument as they are reasoning to support my cause, as well as pathos since the facts appeal to the audiences emotions (ideally, anyway). Moreover, writing the link to both the Autism Society and my YouTube video will increase the probability of rhetorical velocity. I am giving the audience the ability to view more information on the subject and providing them with something easy to access and share so they may influence others with these sources. It is critical to have multiple sources sharing similar information with the public if a significant change is going to occur. In addition, I intend on developing and distributing a flyer/fact sheet. The flyer will include similar facts to those mentioned above. Repetition is critical to imprint an idea or a belief in anyones mind and necessary to ensure retention of facts. What is more, the flyer will include tips on how to interact comfortably with people with autism in hopes to promote positive encounters and develop understanding. I completely agree with and plan on using the tips recommended by Steve Summers; his feelings are reminiscent of my brothers. He is an autistic man who lived much of his life not knowing

why he never fit in until his 11 year old son and Summers were diagnosed with Aspergers. Summers tips are as follows: 1. Please always keep in mind that communication difficulties are common with Autism. We have difficulties in reading social cues and body language. Be patient and understanding. 2. We tend to take things literally and have often trouble reading between the lines. We may repeat back to you in our own words to try and get on the same page as you. 3. If we misunderstand something that you say, please be patient and expand on what you said and explain what you meant. Keep in mind that communication can be difficult for us. 4. Please dont get offended by our communication style. We tend to be frank, honest and matter of fact. Some people may interpret this as blunt or rude. We dont intend to be rude. Please dont get defensive or assume that we are attacking you. 5. Please dont expect eye contact. We may be able to force eye contact, but it is not comfortable for us. I tend to look at a persons mouth more often than their eyes. Other autistic people will rarely look at your face. 6. Please keep in mind that we most likely have been rejected, excluded, ridiculed or bullied in the past. If we seem anxious or insecure this may be due to living in a world that misunderstands us and is often hostile to us. 7. Please dont speak down to us. Treat us as equals. 8. Please dont talk too loudly or yell at us. It is very jarring to us. 9. Please do NOT touch us without warning. It will make us jump. We dont like unexpected touches. 10. Please dont assume that we lack empathy or emotion. We pick up on negative or judgmental attitudes. We know when people look down on us or are hostile to us. We will shut down if you show us a lack of respect. (Steve Summers) If any uncertainty is present, I will give all credit to Summers on the flyer for the tips he provided. Overall, the intentions of the flyer are to further promote rhetorical velocity and increase the amount of

people promoting the same cause. A flyer, if not just tossed in the trash, is a raw material someone can offer to another individual or copy and make duplicates for their own campaign or promotion. Over and above all that, I will incorporate a series of five YouTube videos. The quantity of videos is not set in stone, but I will determine whether or not to continue making them based on the impact they have and if they are even being viewed or not. The first video will be relatively short and be an introduction of who I am, the reason I am making the videos, an introduction of my brother, and some basic items about autism. With the introductory video I hope to establish ethos with my audience by building on my credibility as an experienced and understanding individual in terms of autism. Additionally, I will encourage people to share the message of autism awareness and information about autism to further the possibilities of rhetorical velocity. My second video will be a discussion about the results of my survey on the UCF campus, as well as any other statistics or information which explains the lack of autism awareness as a problem. I am not opposed to including statistics that are not supportive of my idea because in any persuasive argument it is important to recognize all possible viewpoints. I believe it is important to introduce the situation and explain why this is something that will need to be addressed, not only by me, but all of society. This video will improve upon both my ethos and my logos because it uses reason and facts to support my claims, while increasing my credibility by proving a problem truly exists. The third video will incorporate more facts and information about autism, recommended suggestions for treatment from professionals, and hopefully some interaction with my brother. The latter depends on whether or not he will talk and interact with me in front of the camera. The facts and information will provide more material for rhetorical velocity to take place, while the recommended suggestions for treatment will give insight to new parents of autistic children and possible courses to take to learn more about caring for an individual with a mental disability.

Next, the fourth video will include personal stories about my brother and his encounters with the public or other individuals. I will also incorporate other individuals or familys stories about positive or negative experiences regarding the disability. Here, I will further improve my ethos by creating credibility through my past experiences and the experiences of others and increase the effect pathos with the stories and experiences of my brother and others with autism which will impact the audience emotionally. Essentially, in the fifth video I will provide tools to improve interactions with autistic individuals. I am hoping that raising awareness about autism will encourage people to better the lives of people with autism and improve the way they decide to treat them. The fifth video will simply be advice on how to have positive interactions with people with autism. I will explain why one should act one way and not the other based on the characteristics of autism, as well as why an autistic person may communicate in a certain way, or not communicate at all. In conclusion, I hope to improve society by making changes to the way UCF students think about and treat people with autism. Creating changes in how young people act will influence the quality of societys interactions in the future because some day soon these will be the leaders of the nation. Moreover, young people are becoming influencers throughout society due to the advent of social media. This could be extremely impactful in terms of rhetorical velocity. Indeed, by addressing the errors of previous rhetors I will be able to develop a successful and impactful campaign that may improve the level of respect given to those with autism. Collaboratively, we can make a difference and prove to the world everyone, no matter what condition they may have or what stigma they may possess, deserves to be treated equally.

Sources: "About the Autism Society." Autism Society -. The Autism Society, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. "Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorders)." Autism. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. About Us." Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks Inc., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Summers, Steve. "10 Tips on How to Communicate with Autistic People." Autismum. Autismum, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. "The Autism Society of America - Facebook." Facebook. Facebook, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013.