Autism speaks is a hate group

[VoidCat]

It's been condemned by over 60 disability activist groups. But why? Well first of all they claim to speak for autistic bit not a single autistic is on their board. Less then 2 % of their funds go towards family services. They spread fear and misinformation over autism. A parent said in front of their nonverbal autistic child they wanted to drive off a bridge with her in it so that they could no longer deal with their disabled child. And the autism speaks folk did not condemn them. They wanted to fight for a cure tho autistic dont want one and only removed that fron their site after public outrage. They made this video and their views haven't changed much since then they just more quiet about it:

Almost every autistic I know of condemns the organization. Calling themselves autism speaks while spreading hate when not a single autistic on their board is like if a group of all men started a group called Women speak and spread misogyny everywhere. And then all the folk and all the people donate to this group like yay women's rights. But meanwhile women are like no we arent ok with this group over 60 women's rights organizations condemn it we hate this group. But no one seems to care and Women's speaks stay the largest group for women's rights work.

Replace women speak with autism speak amd women with autistics respectfully. Yet not one finds this odd and when i bring this up many nonautistic folk get defensive especially parents of autistic children and folk who've donated there. I dont see any nonautistic folk condemning it with the outrage it deserves.

Thoughts?

 

[VoidCat]

I can give sources if needed but it may take a while I have read tons and tons of articles on autism speaks over the years so if anyone have any questions just ask about what specific thing you want a source for I'll send you one for said thing. It may take me a bit tho cuz like I said tons of stuff ive read and heard over the years.

 

[Debater Slayer]

They wanted to fight for a cure tho autistic dont want one and only removed that fron their site after public outrage.

I agree that the rest seems awful, but why is this specific one a bad thing? I've known multiple people on the spectrum who would welcome a treatment that would remove certain issues, such as difficulty in picking up social cues.

 

[VoidCat]

I agree that the rest seems awful, but why is this specific one a bad thing? I've known multiple people on the spectrum who would welcome a treatment that would remove certain issues, such as difficulty in picking up social cues.

Treatment and help yes. But most autistics dont want a cure. Let me explain why


It affects everything. Your personality. Your emotions. How you socialize and act. How you sense and experience the world. Most autistics(and many autism advocacy groups that are actually ran by autistic folk will agree...just look at AANE, Autism self advocacy network, and Autism women and nonbinary network) will tell you if you were to take away their autism youd be taking who they are as a person away. You'd legit change everything about them and they will no longer be recognizable. Without my autism i wouldnt be me at all. A cure is thought to be impossible cuz of how multifaceted and unlikely the best that can be done for one is eugenics aborting autistic children in the womb before they are born. Most autistics such as myself advocate for something different- acceptance and accomadations for our autism.

 

[England my lionheart]

Maybe there is no cure for Autism but maybe there is another way,I agree “acceptance and accommodation” along with enhancing what each individual can achieve and a plan B for when a barrier or dead end is reached to avoid frustration anger or despair,I’m o expert though,if my memory serves me well @9/10th penguins has experience of this.

 

[VoidCat]

Maybe there is no cure for Autism but maybe there is another way,I agree “acceptance and accommodation” along with enhancing what each individual can achieve and a plan B for when a barrier or dead end is reached to avoid frustration anger or despair,I’m o expert though,if my memory serves me well @9/10th penguins has experience of this.

I'll also add autism in my experience isn't a problem. It's living in a world that isnt accepting of autism that's the issue. I say this as someone who has a lot of strengths and weaknesses due to my autism and needs accomadations. I have no problem with my autism. It's the refusal to accomadate that I mainly have issues with.

 

[VoidCat]

@9/10th penguins

It didnt tag them let me try

@9-10ths_Penguin

You did / instead of a -

 

[JustGeorge]

It's been condemned by over 60 disability activist groups. But why? Well first of all they claim to speak for autistic bit not a single autistic is on their board. Less then 2 % of their funds go towards family services. They spread fear and misinformation over autism. A parent said in front of their nonverbal autistic child they wanted to drive off a bridge with her in it so that they could no longer deal with their disabled child. And the autism speaks folk did not condemn them. They wanted to fight for a cure tho autistic dont want one and only removed that fron their site after public outrage. They made this video and their views haven't changed much since then they just more quiet about it:

Almost every autistic I know of condemns the organization. Calling themselves autism speaks while spreading hate when not a single autistic on their board is like if a group of all men started a group called Women speak and spread misogyny everywhere. And then all the folk and all the people donate to this group like yay women's rights. But meanwhile women are like no we arent ok with this group over 60 women's rights organizations condemn it we hate this group. But no one seems to care and Women's speaks stay the largest group for women's rights work.

Replace women speak with autism speak amd women with autistics respectfully. Yet not one finds this odd and when i bring this up many nonautistic folk get defensive especially parents of autistic children and folk who've donated there. I dont see any nonautistic folk condemning it with the outrage it deserves.

Thoughts?

Also not a fan of Autism Speaks.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It's been condemned by over 60 disability activist groups. But why? Well first of all they claim to speak for autistic bit not a single autistic is on their board. Less then 2 % of their funds go towards family services. They spread fear and misinformation over autism. A parent said in front of their nonverbal autistic child they wanted to drive off a bridge with her in it so that they could no longer deal with their disabled child. And the autism speaks folk did not condemn them. They wanted to fight for a cure tho autistic dont want one and only removed that fron their site after public outrage. They made this video and their views haven't changed much since then they just more quiet about it:

Almost every autistic I know of condemns the organization. Calling themselves autism speaks while spreading hate when not a single autistic on their board is like if a group of all men started a group called Women speak and spread misogyny everywhere. And then all the folk and all the people donate to this group like yay women's rights. But meanwhile women are like no we arent ok with this group over 60 women's rights organizations condemn it we hate this group. But no one seems to care and Women's speaks stay the largest group for women's rights work.

Replace women speak with autism speak amd women with autistics respectfully. Yet not one finds this odd and when i bring this up many nonautistic folk get defensive especially parents of autistic children and folk who've donated there. I dont see any nonautistic folk condemning it with the outrage it deserves.

Thoughts?

How has it been since they changed things? I don't assume well, as they seem to have added a token Autistic person or two to the board, but I've not looked much into it. They have at least renounced the myth of vaccines being linked to autism, last I heard.

 

[VoidCat]

How has it been since they changed things? I don't assume well, as they seem to have added a token Autistic person or two to the board, but I've not looked much into it. They have at least renounced the myth of vaccines being linked to autism, last I heard.

They still dont have an autistic member on their board. Last i check the person they added who was autistic quit cuz of how they were treated. They did renounce the vaccine myth that is true.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

They still dont have an autistic member on their board. Last i check the person they added who was autistic quit cuz of how they were treated. They did renounce the vaccine myth that is true.

What I don't get is they have the audacity to want to cure autism and try to make is like something we're not. I hope they choke on pig crap. We shouldn't be expected to change and be someone we are not just because our particular weaknesses and traits may unusual, weird, or inappropriate to ***** normies who demand the world nicely fit in their boxes of black and white.
Now, I do have actual traits and habits that bother me that I try to work on. But autism? Definitely, 100% and very much, it's other people who have a problem with that and think it should change and I should act differently. Like, does it really bother them or do them any harm that I often fidget with things? No, so they can sod off.

 

[VoidCat]

What I don't get is they have the audacity to want to cure autism and try to make is like something we're not. I hope they choke on pig crap. We shouldn't be expected to change and be someone we are not just because our particular weaknesses and traits may unusual, weird, or inappropriate to ***** normies who demand the world nicely fit in their boxes of black and white.
Now, I do have actual traits and habits that bother me that I try to work on. But autism? Definitely, 100% and very much, it's other people who have a problem with that and think it should change and I should act differently. Like, does it really bother them or do them any harm that I often fidget with things? No, so they can sod off.

They have this audacity with not a single autistic on their board it's crazy.

 

[JustGeorge]

What I don't get is they have the audacity to want to cure autism and try to make is like something we're not. I hope they choke on pig crap. We shouldn't be expected to change and be someone we are not just because our particular weaknesses and traits may unusual, weird, or inappropriate to ***** normies who demand the world nicely fit in their boxes of black and white.
Now, I do have actual traits and habits that bother me that I try to work on. But autism? Definitely, 100% and very much, it's other people who have a problem with that and think it should change and I should act differently. Like, does it really bother them or do them any harm that I often fidget with things? No, so they can sod off.

I remember trying to find literature to better understand autism after we realized Ares was autistic, too. Too many of the books were written from a parent or medical/academic standpoint. I found it overwhelming and depressing.

And then I found John Elder Robison's book(Look Me In The Eye). And this helped me so much. He actually is autistic, and helped give me insight into some of the behaviors of my children(and left me wondering at some of the diagnosises that were likely missed in some of the older members of my family). I felt 100% more at ease, and his work inspires much of how I've handled things with the kids.

I believe he's renounced Autism Speaks, too.

 

[Brian2]

It's been condemned by over 60 disability activist groups. But why? Well first of all they claim to speak for autistic bit not a single autistic is on their board. Less then 2 % of their funds go towards family services. They spread fear and misinformation over autism. A parent said in front of their nonverbal autistic child they wanted to drive off a bridge with her in it so that they could no longer deal with their disabled child. And the autism speaks folk did not condemn them. They wanted to fight for a cure tho autistic dont want one and only removed that fron their site after public outrage. They made this video and their views haven't changed much since then they just more quiet about it:

Almost every autistic I know of condemns the organization. Calling themselves autism speaks while spreading hate when not a single autistic on their board is like if a group of all men started a group called Women speak and spread misogyny everywhere. And then all the folk and all the people donate to this group like yay women's rights. But meanwhile women are like no we arent ok with this group over 60 women's rights organizations condemn it we hate this group. But no one seems to care and Women's speaks stay the largest group for women's rights work.

Replace women speak with autism speak amd women with autistics respectfully. Yet not one finds this odd and when i bring this up many nonautistic folk get defensive especially parents of autistic children and folk who've donated there. I dont see any nonautistic folk condemning it with the outrage it deserves.

Thoughts?

It would probably be better to promote inclusion of all people than to make "autism" the enemy and with that to make autistics feel less included.
Could you explain how you feel about what this group does and what you see as it's attitudes?

 

[Truthseeker]

Treatment and help yes. But most autistics dont want a cure. Let me explain why


It affects everything. Your personality. Your emotions. How you socialize and act. How you sense and experience the world. Most autistics(and many autism advocacy groups that are actually ran by autistic folk will agree...just look at AANE, Autism self advocacy network, and Autism women and nonbinary network) will tell you if you were to take away their autism youd be taking who they are as a person away. You'd legit change everything about them and they will no longer be recognizable. Without my autism i wouldnt be me at all. A cure is thought to be impossible cuz of how multifaceted and unlikely the best that can be done for one is eugenics aborting autistic children in the womb before they are born. Most autistics such as myself advocate for something different- acceptance and accomadations for our autism.

Hear, hear, for acceptance and accomodations for autistics. I have some strengths because of being on the autism spexctum, too. I am a math whiz. I am an open book, and am honest and truthful.

My son cannot speak because of autism, and I love him.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

I agree that the rest seems awful, but why is this specific one a bad thing? I've known multiple people on the spectrum who would welcome a treatment that would remove certain issues, such as difficulty in picking up social cues.

Now, I do have actual traits and habits that bother me that I try to work on.

Well for me, I was in spec. ed for 8 of the k-12 years, and my elementary school teacher thought I was severely autistic

Now I don't know really anything about autism speaks, or any other organization. I really just go off of my own anecdotal experience and reflection, which I feel is enough. And in my reflection on this issue, with 36 years on this earth, I can say that there are some traits I really don't want. I made a thread on how I hate driving. What I didn't mention in that thread, is the possible autism factor: that when the world becomes a rapid array of changing colors, lights, and noise, that it is this, that I likely sometimes have difficulty processing

Another thing is, yes, the social cues and socializing aspect. Why am I spending so much time on an internet forum? Not that it is a wrong thing to do, some people really like it. But am I here because I like it, or am I here because things aren't really working out there, outside the internet. I think you might argue that I am here, firstly because I am poor at socializing outside the internet, and learning to like foruming was secondary to that.

Should I learn to like, even love, my strengths? I have long history of doing 'creative' things, I can play music, draw or paint, do computer art, and write poetry etc. Even forum writing can be creative writing. And I feel that I can kind of do all of these things 'differently' than many other people, though that is of course subjective anyway. And I guess I can 'see things differently,' for whatever utility that has. But that is subjective too, for the most part

I don't feel like there is a cure for the condition anyway, beyond controversial gene editing and stuff like that; all the pre-birth selection type technology. It seems like it is indeed, mapped onto the whole identity. All of that might be ruled out due to ethical concerns, and much less can traits seem to be edited out of a living person, being so integrated with the whole, as any of them might be. So in that case, I see no choice but to try to love the strengths.

But would I trade those 'strengths,' right now, for improved functionality, were that possible? In my opinion, for me, if that were on the table, that would probably be something to think about. I just don't like certain things about myself, certain things which I feel probably do stem from the very likely probability, that this condition is a part of who I am. And I feel that I have a right to feel that way

 

[Truthseeker]

Also not a fan of Autism Speaks.

Haven't really checked it out. If two people I know who are affected by autism agree on this, I think I should conclude I shouldn't have relied on it in the first place. It was on the internet anyway long after it could affect my son, and I've done the best I can with it, and I have some strengths with it, though I have weaknesses, too. I didn't suspect I was on the spectrum until my son was diagnosed with it when I was 40 in 1991, and I read about some of the characteristics of it.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I think you might argue that I am here, firstly because I am poor at socializing outside the internet, and learning to like foruming was secondary to that.

Actually, I believe that as societies became more individualistic and especially as the size of family and our social support circles were diminished that this lead to a situation where people such as autistics lost the vitally important access to social network that not only understands it's just how the person is, but also there to help in teaching things we are slow to pick up on.
I would argue many of us are here because we don't have what we need that we've tended to have in times past, were our strengths would have worked tremendous advantages for us such as being food tasters, the eyes on a crows nest, sensitive ears hearing things before others, even our unique approaches to problem solving would have given us an advantage in some situations.
I'd argue society really just sucks the way it expects us, and everybody else, to fit into this absurd and ridiculous notion of what's supposed to be normal.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Actually, I believe that as societies became more individualistic and especially as the size of family and our social support circles were diminished that this lead to a situation where people such as autistics lost the vitally important access to social network that not only understands it's just how the person is, but also there to help in teaching things we are slow to pick up on.
I would argue many of us are here because we don't have what we need that we've tended to have in times past, were our strengths would have worked tremendous advantages for us such as being food tasters, the eyes on a crows nest, sensitive ears hearing things before others, even our unique approaches to problem solving would have given us an advantage in some situations.
I'd argue society really just sucks the way it expects us, and everybody else, to fit into this absurd and ridiculous notion of what's supposed to be normal.

Your idea might give a lot to work with actually, good food for thought. A sort of whiskers-of-the-cat theory, the stones that the new builders reject. It kind of works against modern ideas of homogeneity, as it seems that modern western society wants a sort of monic conformity of mind and body for every individual, against one set standard. It feels the need for genetic hygiene, it thinks something is 'wrong.' In truth, the total organism of society might be more like st. paul's description of how people are; some are 'eyes,' some are 'noses,' some are 'ears,' etc.

But that is a view that I haven't really explored as much, I suppose

 

[JustGeorge]

I'd argue society really just sucks the way it expects us, and everybody else, to fit into this absurd and ridiculous notion of what's supposed to be normal.

Forget society. It doesn't seem its doing all that well for itself these days, despite presenting itself as knowing all the answers...