It’s not what people say it is, surprisingly enough. Its not because it’s somehow appropriating things from disabled people, and its far bigger and far worse than them getting them means a neurodivergent might lose their chance to get one as well.
Neurotypicals taking and using fidget/stim toys in schools and work places can make it so that NDs aren’t allowed to use it or even stim in class or at work.
oh, I wish this were a joke. Let’s take a good example I’ve got experience with now: the fidget spinner toys. They’re all over. Everyone and their mother has one. And guess what? Since everyone seems to have one and most NTs focus their attention onto the toy when they use it, teachers see it just as that: a toy. Something to play with and ignore class with. And unlike phones for AAC devices, even with a 504 or an IEP its a lot harder for them to drop the rule or make an exception for an ND person. They don’t want to do it! Its harder to deal with and explain exceptions.
because of spinners becoming so popular, when I get mine my teachers are going to become more and more skeptical and much more adamant to letting me stim in class. They’ll see it as just being another distraction, especially on the days where my exhaustion kicks in and I can’t focus on anything.
NTs popularizing stimming as a distracting fun way to not deal with class is making teachers see it as a disturbance and not something ND people need to do in order to communicate, feel okay and survive throughout the day and that is disgusting.