Trump's spokeswoman, Autism Speaks, Cure Autism Now

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docfox
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12 Jun 2016, 8:22 pm

wait what memo did I miss about autism speaks being bad?


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DancingCorpse
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12 Jun 2016, 9:17 pm

I've read a lot of erm... unsightly things about that organization. I used to think ''why do I keep seeing autistics bad mouthing them?'' when I first started reading up on the condition.



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13 Jun 2016, 12:07 am

docfox wrote:
wait what memo did I miss about autism speaks being bad?


Wikipedia Article On Autism Speaks
Read the controversies section.

This fundraising film which was made while Trump's spokeswoman was working for them.
Vimeo - I am Autism

New York Times

I would be completely remiss if I did not mention that Autism Speaks fufilled a key complaint of Autism Rights advocates by appointing two members to thier board of directors who are autistic and thier rhetoric has moderated considerably.

They are partnering with Google on the #MSSNG genome database project. I find that name repulsive Autistic people are not missing. See twitter #NOTMSSNG

They enthusiastically support what is known as Applied Behavoiral Analysis or ABA which is dispised by many Autism Rights advocates. ABA is a topic that is too complicated for this thread.


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13 Jun 2016, 2:23 pm

Autism Speaks feeds into the outdated idea (which many people still cling to) that an autistic person is either:

-A neurotypical person lost inside of the ice fortress of autism, just waiting to be released
-Someone who is missing a necessary part of humanity, that all other people have (no sh*t, this is a paraphrase but I can find examples of this statement if anyone would like me to look in my files)

There were similar ideas about black people in post-slavery pre-civil rights America. There were efforts to physically remove their skin pigment or to transplant white skin onto them. Lots of reprogramming efforts to make the black people act like white people. Lots of old writings about how some races lacked humanity and weird proposals about how to make them fully human. Gross, gross stuff. People just don't realize how similar it is to the curebie movement because we aren't usually exposed to those old horrible ideas.



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13 Jun 2016, 2:56 pm

SocOfAutism wrote:
Autism Speaks feeds into the outdated idea (which many people still cling to) that an autistic person is either:

-A neurotypical person lost inside of the ice fortress of autism, just waiting to be released
-Someone who is missing a necessary part of humanity, that all other people have (no sh*t, this is a paraphrase but I can find examples of this statement if anyone would like me to look in my files)

There were similar ideas about black people in post-slavery pre-civil rights America. There were efforts to physically remove their skin pigment or to transplant white skin onto them. Lots of reprogramming efforts to make the black people act like white people. Lots of old writings about how some races lacked humanity and weird proposals about how to make them fully human. Gross, gross stuff. People just don't realize how similar it is to the curebie movement because we aren't usually exposed to those old horrible ideas.



We see a lot of this in the LGBT "treatment" realm as well which is why a growing number of states have now prohibited "reparative" therapy for minors. Similar to what has been done to autistics, schizophrenics, bipolar, etc. ; since all of these concerned the brain or nervous system therapists and politicians figured they could just alter the brain or behavior in attempts to normalize the person. Shock therapy, drugs, surgery, etc.. - and the aforementioned 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapy. Largely all based on the 1950's - 1980's Blank Slate theory that assumed all human brains were the same at birth and anyone who didn't fit in did so because of learned behaviors. Which of course could then be blamed on something and then simply 'unlearned' via some pretty cruel, harmful & ineffective treatments.

While Blank Slate has been relegated to the dust bin*, it remains in our culture as a valid theory. Because of this and because of the way it so wonderfully snuggles into some subcultures' need for everyone to conform, it is now used primarily for fundraising efforts. Wouldn't be so bad except that they tend to be very well run and absorb all available funding away from programs that could otherwise do some good for both autistics and society as a whole.

*Much of current research is dedicated to actually discerning what is hard wired at birth, what is learned once forever (ie during developmental windows), and what is learned but remains plastic. And many things turn out to be a mix. But the ball is dropped in between those research findings and public policy because the solution becomes complex, and complex is so much harder to sell...


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13 Jun 2016, 3:00 pm

They're going to find the cause of autism soon and when they do, say goodbye to any future autistics. Never mind that autistic people are capable of great contributions; it's too inconvenient to accommodate us.

Understanding the Autism Genome Project's First Findings

It's easier to abort than it is to genetically modify.



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13 Jun 2016, 9:03 pm

all I know is that 2nd-guessing nature is full of pitfalls. if the PTB wanna breed us out of existence, then they may indeed reap a whirlwind not fully to their liking.



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13 Jun 2016, 10:18 pm

auntblabby wrote:
all I know is that 2nd-guessing nature is full of pitfalls. if the PTB wanna breed us out of existence, then they may indeed reap a whirlwind not fully to their liking.


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13 Jun 2016, 10:25 pm

yeh, I also suspect that the genes are just one means of expression.



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14 Jun 2016, 6:57 pm

Edenthiel wrote:
SocOfAutism wrote:
Autism Speaks feeds into the outdated idea (which many people still cling to) that an autistic person is either:

-A neurotypical person lost inside of the ice fortress of autism, just waiting to be released
-Someone who is missing a necessary part of humanity, that all other people have (no sh*t, this is a paraphrase but I can find examples of this statement if anyone would like me to look in my files)

There were similar ideas about black people in post-slavery pre-civil rights America. There were efforts to physically remove their skin pigment or to transplant white skin onto them. Lots of reprogramming efforts to make the black people act like white people. Lots of old writings about how some races lacked humanity and weird proposals about how to make them fully human. Gross, gross stuff. People just don't realize how similar it is to the curebie movement because we aren't usually exposed to those old horrible ideas.



We see a lot of this in the LGBT "treatment" realm as well which is why a growing number of states have now prohibited "reparative" therapy for minors. Similar to what has been done to autistics, schizophrenics, bipolar, etc. ; since all of these concerned the brain or nervous system therapists and politicians figured they could just alter the brain or behavior in attempts to normalize the person. Shock therapy, drugs, surgery, etc.. - and the aforementioned 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapy. Largely all based on the 1950's - 1980's Blank Slate theory that assumed all human brains were the same at birth and anyone who didn't fit in did so because of learned behaviors. Which of course could then be blamed on something and then simply 'unlearned' via some pretty cruel, harmful & ineffective treatments.

While Blank Slate has been relegated to the dust bin*, it remains in our culture as a valid theory. Because of this and because of the way it so wonderfully snuggles into some subcultures' need for everyone to conform, it is now used primarily for fundraising efforts. Wouldn't be so bad except that they tend to be very well run and absorb all available funding away from programs that could otherwise do some good for both autistics and society as a whole.

*Much of current research is dedicated to actually discerning what is hard wired at birth, what is learned once forever (ie during developmental windows), and what is learned but remains plastic. And many things turn out to be a mix. But the ball is dropped in between those research findings and public policy because the solution becomes complex, and complex is so much harder to sell...



While states are outlawing LGBT conversion therapies Autism Speaks successfully lobbied 42 states to force insurance companies to insure "gold standard" behavioral therapies that aims to make autistics "indistinguishable from thier peers". But they only cover children and teens. The ignore Autistic adults mentality is probably a good thing in this regard SMH.


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16 Oct 2016, 6:40 pm

SocOfAutism wrote:
Autism Speaks feeds into the outdated idea (which many people still cling to) that an autistic person is either:

-A neurotypical person lost inside of the ice fortress of autism, just waiting to be released
-Someone who is missing a necessary part of humanity, that all other people have (no sh*t, this is a paraphrase but I can find examples of this statement if anyone would like me to look in my files)

There were similar ideas about black people in post-slavery pre-civil rights America. There were efforts to physically remove their skin pigment or to transplant white skin onto them. Lots of reprogramming efforts to make the black people act like white people. Lots of old writings about how some races lacked humanity and weird proposals about how to make them fully human. Gross, gross stuff. People just don't realize how similar it is to the curebie movement because we aren't usually exposed to those old horrible ideas.


And yet you support someone who believes that...



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18 Oct 2016, 2:19 pm

Oh, wonderful more people jumping on the autism cure bandwagon. I'll admit that more than likely my great grandfather was autistic but, that did not stop him from living a decent and worthwhile life. Personally, I'm not in the mindset of wanting myself being cured, though if others want that go right ahead but, all things have negatives or repercussions one never fully sees.


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19 Oct 2016, 3:19 pm

Fnord wrote:

If the "Go Trump" crowd succeeds, be afraid. Be very afraid.


I am voting for Trump. I am voting for him because he is dreadful. If elected he could wreck the U.S. government, which I have come to dislike a great deal. Trump is my politic I.E.D. and voting for him is perfectly legal.

He has already destroyed the Republic Party (which sorely needed destruction). I wonder what he could do the government if he is elected. Well, we shall see.


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19 Oct 2016, 3:24 pm

BaalChatzaf wrote:
Fnord wrote:

If the "Go Trump" crowd succeeds, be afraid. Be very afraid.


I am voting for Trump. I am voting for him because he is dreadful. If elected he could wreck the U.S. government, which I have come to dislike a great deal. Trump is my politic I.E.D. and voting for him is perfectly legal.

He has already destroyed the Republic Party (which sorely needed destruction). I wonder what he could do the government if he is elected. Well, we shall see.


It is arguable that it will cause more people to die. And that is not hyperbole.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2263690.stm

From the BBC:

"More suicides under Conservative rule"



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19 Oct 2016, 4:18 pm

Lukeda420 wrote:
It is arguable that it will cause more people to die. And that is not hyperbole.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2263690.stm
From the BBC:
"More suicides under Conservative rule"

that is because the righties deny the rest of us a most important thing- HOPE. without hope there is nothing left to live for.