NBC and Kathie Lee Gifford make fun of Autistic Kid...

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Uh I wasn't diagnosed with Autism until my Freshman Year of College, and it took an expert to diagnose it. It is harder than you think to diagnose Autism.

^ Well comparing that video to the video featuring Graham, there are huge massive differences between the kids, both of whom are supposed to have AS. The AS is far more obvious in Graham than it is in Jacob which is why I question it. I mean you can have a 170 IQ, still have a thing for equations and still be NT. I do believe it's possible. But throughout this video Jacob was able to maintain excellent eye contact and constantly smile throughout and lacks a monotone voice. He was able to take Glenn Beck's jokes with good humor. It's possible that the doctor jumped to the wrong diagnosis squarely based on the fact that he stopped talking but didn't look for other signs such as poor eye contact and stimulation problems. I mean if it is possible that Jacob was diagnosed correctly then I sincerely believe that Graham might be a low functioning autistic in comparison. Watch the two videos again and note the differences. Graham is more the realistic looking portrayal of autism and I'm not saying that to be a downer or anything but I'm merely stating from my own experience and my constant observation of others that there are signs and symptoms that I look for more than others.

Inuyasha, I was a late diagnosis as well but I think the signs of my autism are pretty obvious and it mortifies me that I grew up with such signs of autism getting completely ignored by people all around me. I'm 100000x more like Graham than I am like Jacob. Perhaps you are more like Jacob, but I wouldn't know unless I saw you in person.

I am able to usually make eye contact and I don't speak in a monotone voice, I'm still autistic.

My point was the difference in how the two kids were treated. Glenn Beck treated Jacob with respect, while the idiots at NBC mocked Graham.

I'm sensing that you are making the implication that Beck showing respect for a kid on the autism spectrum has a direct correlation with his political affiliation as a conservative, and conversely, that Kathie Lee's disrespect for Graham correlates to NBC (and MSNBC) having a reputation for leaning to the left. You are trying, underhandedly, to use this incident to paint conservatives as compassionate and liberals as douchebags. That, however, is a logical non sequitur. Kathie Lee does not represent the whole of NBC, nor does she represent its viewers-- she's just some insensitive airhead they put on in the mornings.

Allow me to demonstrate the fallacy for you. Suppose I mention that Kathie Lee is a born-again Christian. I could rebut you by asserting that it isn't her network, but her religion which is more influential in her attitude toward autistics. Since the majority of American conservatives are Christian, I could easily extrapolate that conservative Christians are the ones who are insensitive. But you know what? That would be an incredibly futile and tactless line of inquiry, because I know that she doesn't represent Christianity as a demographic. Neither do her actions reflect upon any specific political stance. I lean more toward liberal than conservative, and I found what she did absolutely appalling.

Why, Inuyasha, do you insist on dragging politics into an issue where they really don't have any relevance? For once, please, put the petty war on "America-hating liberals" aside long enough to look at this ordeal as a human rather than as a conservative. Seriously. Using this to project your personal political perspective? That's really sleazy.

After listening to Howard Stern, it puts things into perspective. Now I realize how vile it was that this happened. I can't believe the parent would put their child on television to be subjected to that and I can't believe the show's producers would actually air something in such bad taste and it's so ironic because Howard Stern is the authority on bad taste and he finds something profoundly disturbing in it.

Nice Argument, except you failed to take into consideration a key fact.

The problem with your entire argument is the fact that if NBC and MSNBC didn't approve of what she had said mocking the kid, she would have faced disciplinary action and there would have been an apology. Fact of the matter is, considering the network issued no such apology to this kid and his family shows that they had no problem with her treatment of this kid.

You entirely missed the point of what I said. Was the channel complicit in what happened by its inaction? Well... yes. I'll at least give you that. Of course, NBC doesn't represent the views of all liberals either, so your implications are still falacious. But I digress. It doesn't really matter. The point of what I wrote earlier, and what I'm writing now, is really not a partisan defense of NBC.

My point was, this is about something other than the right-left political dichotomy that you're dragging into the discussion. You think what they did to Graham is disrespectful? Well, I believe it's just as disrespectful to Graham to watch that clip, and then to turn it into some sort of political football, when conservatism and liberalism had nothing to do with it. Nobody in the clip made any mention of anyone's political views, or of politics in general. I don't know what Kathie Lee's political views are, and I really couldn't care less. In the context of this incident, she's an insensitive airhead no matter what she personally believes.

Put the political rancor away. This isn't the time or the place for it.

If you read what I wrote, you'll note I was specifically bashing NBC, I didn't know every liberal worked for NBC.

That said, personal experience has shown that I have been discriminated against more by Liberals than by Conservatives. Liberals act like because I have Autism, that I can't do something; while Conservatives have actually pushed me to not accept that notion and not give up.

This isn't about you or NBC. It's about that little boy and that uber-b*tch, Kathy Lee. I do wish you would take what Chevand said to heart, because s/he(?) is right on the money. This has nothing to do with politics. You're cheapening Graham's story for your own personal agenda.

Actually this was more about pointing out the facts quite a few people here have bought into the song and dance routine that Conservatives are somehow bigots. Yet here is a perfect example demonstrating that what you all have been led to believe is a bunch of garbage.

While there may be some bigots on the right, many people called bigots whom are Conservatives aren't bigots. It's like the left spamming the race card repeatedly, it's gotten to the point that being called a racist doesn't mean anything.

Also you and Chevand would have more credibility in your comments if you weren't being hypocritical.

I agree it's not about which station or which political party. However, I don't think it's even about Kathy Lee Gifford or Glen Beck. I think it's about the framing of the stories and why the boys were booked to appear in the first place. In the Kathy Lee Gifford segement, the boy has been booked because of his social disability (and subsequent friendship, which they are depressingly over-amazed by) so the focus of the show is all about feeling sorry for the boy because of this.

In the Glenn Beck segment, the boy has been booked because of his math ability so the focus of the show is all about being impressed by that ability.

In general, NTs feel sorry for disabled people and impressed by extra-abled people. I realize that autism frequently means having both things reside within one brain. But the two shows focused exclusively on one or the other and so came off very differently.

It would be fascinating to see what both hosts would have done if the guests were reversed. It's probably possible to guess if there is youtube history of Kathy Lee Gifford booking somebody with an amazing academic talent and also Glenn Beck booking two people who are unlikely friends because one is socially adept and one is not. However, I don't think I can bear to spend hours watching archival footage of both hosts just to figure this out.

Supposedly the kid that was on Glenn Beck's show has problems socially with NTs. It seems like Glenn Beck was trying to show that we are not simply defective, that we have talents and are also fellow human beings. Glenn Beck is also ADHD and possibly on the Spectrum for those of you that didn't know that, so he probably wouldn't have conducted himself like Kathy Lee Gifford did.

Hi, Everyone, just want to ask 'How can any mother publicly humiliate a child?'. any child, for any reason..I don't get it. sylkat

But your implication was crystal clear. It may not be my first nature as an Aspie, but I've had plenty of practice with reading between the lines. You decided to frame this as the woman on the "liberal channel" treating an Aspie like a nobody, and the man on the "conservative channel" treating an Aspie as an intelligent human being, and you played up the contrast between their political backgrounds as the reason for the difference in their behaviour, as if it could never have happened the other way around. I'll come back to why this line of logic is problematic below.

If you're outraged at NBC for enabling this travesty, then I honestly can't fault you for your outrage. But if you're taking a particularly intense umbrage to this specific instance because of NBC's political reputation, then I believe you've completely missed the point of this incident.



Listen, I can appreciate your personal experience. I personally had the opposite experience, which may partly account for why you and I have such totally different political outlooks. But this isn't the right place for either of us to air our hang-ups about the political views of the people who persecuted us. It's about Graham.



I just don't see why you had to bring politics into this discussion at all. Nobody in this thread accused conservatives of bigotry until you yourself implied that liberals were guilty of the same. I didn't use this story to illustrate how "I think conservatives are bigots because they persecuted me when I was a kid". I didn't, because that's the behaviour of a sleazy opportunist. It doesn't matter what you are-- liberal or conservative. It's the behaviour of a sleazy opportunist either way. Not to mention, it's also a completely unfair generalization.

I'm not castigating you because you're conservative and I dislike your politics. I'm doing it because "liberal" and "conservative" shouldn't even have a place in this discussion.



I really don't care if or why you think I'm a hypocrite. For continuing to try to reason with you and keeping this argument alive, I'll admit that I probably do deserve the label. That's my failing, for trying to be rational, and I won't try to hide it.



I can't attest to the veracity of your statement, about the likelihood of Mr. Beck being on the spectrum himself. I'll take you at your word. If what you say is true, then don't you think that his being on the spectrum is more relevant to this discussion than his being conservative?

For the sake of argument, let's say I have my own TV show. As I mentioned before, I lean toward the left politically. I vehemently oppose most if not all of Beck's positions on political issues. However, I would be inclined to treat autistic guests with much more dignity (and the issue of autism itself with much more reverence and understanding of its subtle complexities) than Kathie Lee did. It isn't because I'm liberal-- it's because I'm an Aspie, and I have knowledge and firsthand experience.

People have all sorts of reasons for their beliefs and their judgments of others. But I don't think, in this case, that politics played any role in either host acting the way they did. I think the more integral factor is experience with autism. What Kathie Lee displayed in this clip was not an air of condescension stemming from her religious or political beliefs-- it was the ignorance of a neurotypical who didn't bother to do proper research before bringing up the subject.

And, as an aside... this isn't to criticize Beck specifically, but I take issue with autistics being oversimplified for our savant abilities as much as for our social handicaps. "Rain Man" may make for an incredibly entertaining couple of hours, but in the long run it does us the disservice of presenting us as cardboard stereotypes rather than complex human beings like everyone else.

You mean like how you guys called Glenn Beck a bigot, when one can clearly see he treats people like us more like human beings that a bunch of people over on NBC.



Except their management staff that thought this was okay is the same one that deals with politics.



I'm bringing it into the discussion because of other threads, both in PPR and in News Events where Conservatives have been charecterized as bigots. Here is a glaring example that there are bigots on both sides, as well as the fact that many people whom are called bigots, racist, etc. aren't bigots, nor are they racist.



Sorry but it does, I'm showing how someone whom has been called by multiple people here, a bigot, anti-semite, racist, etc. treats us as human beings that may be different from NTs but we aren't defective. While people that consider themselves the shining example of tolerance, mock a young kid simply cause he's on the spectrum.

I'm looking at this as a prime demonstration why a lot of people here need to take this lesson to heart. You should always do your own research rather than simply listen to what the media says. People on the spectrum are not good at telling when NT's are lieing to their faces, I'm sorry but we have a hard time reading facial expressions and body language.



Chevand, I'm glad enough you're man enough to admit you've failed at this yourself. I can respect someone that is honest.



Good argument, except for the following (which I wasn't aware of till today from a conversation with my Grandmother whom watches that show):
Named for Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford’s son, Variety Cody Gifford House focuses its early intervention on infants and toddlers who live in poverty and struggle with severe developmental disabilities and delays and serious medical conditions.


34 Children from birth to three receive special educational and developmental therapies as they play and flourish in beautifully and vibrantly appointed classrooms and therapy rooms. Variety Cody Gifford House serves infants and toddlers with developmental, educational, physical, medical and behavioral disabilities including but not limited to: pervasive developmental disorders, autism, cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, seizure disorder, hydrocephalus, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, kidney disease, cerebral and peripheral nervous system disorders, central nervous system disorders, central nervous system damage, brain lesions, hearing and vision impairment, cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS and spina bifida. Half of all the children in the program have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum.

http://www.a-b-c.org/educationprograms.htm

Sorry, but I think she knows damn well what Autism is.



However, Beck did not treat the kid on his show as a savant, by saying we are savant, you are saying we are incredibly gifted in a single area and pretty much complete dunces in everything else. He treated the kid just as a gifted kid, he didn't act like, 'oh wow how cute that this little autistic kid can do math problems,' he showed the kid was gifted but really not that different from anyone else. That we weren't freaks of nature or space aliens, etc.

I would say Glenn Beck's program with that kid, probably was a lot more helpful to getting NTs to understand that we're not defective, we're just different and that difference should be embraced not shunned.

I'm sorry that I started the mess of getting this thread off-topic...

Now can we please get back on topic again...like steering away from the politics stuff?