Autism Speaks

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I went to Autism Speaks a couple of weeks ago, just to read their forums, see what they were like.

This one mother of an Autistic toddler was talking about how her life was and how she loved her little boy. Fairly neutral stuff.

Anyway, this absolute bully of a woman replied, basically telling her to leave the forum. She told the new mother that she didn't know what she was talking about, because the new woman's son was only five or so and thus she had no right to speak. The bully said that her own son was 16 and that she had suffered with what she called a living hell for that time and so she alone had the right to tell people what it was like to be the mother of an Autistic boy. She fairly summed it up by telling the new woman to go to Hell, maybe come back in ten years time or so when she had the pain and shame to give her the authority to speak again.

Nobody else defended the new poster.

I left, sickened, and haven't been back since.

^ The very same thing has happened on this forum. I think it probably happens in all of them.

NocturnalQuilter, why are you defending them?

You would know, you are the one who does all the bullying.

If anyone would like to PM a complaint to the moderators, they will follow up on complaints of bullying.


Merle

It happened quite a time ago because I avoid NocturnalQuilter these days.

so,I am certain you are not trying to provoke a response, then, since you want to successfully continue your policy of avoidance.

Merle

Last edited by sinsboldly on 24 Jan 2009, 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Knowing Autism Speaks as a "charity" which supports screening for autistic foetuses, and making the parents talk for the kids (provided these parents claim their kids have destroyed their lives), I would have to agree in it being a load of big fat hairy bollox.

I gather this forum is meant primarily for autistics, particularly those with Asperger's Syndrome, a population which is threatened and often directly bullied by Autism Speaks. Also, everything I've heard from and about Autism Speaks suggests they have very little sympathy for ("high-functioning") autistics themselves, but rather direct all of their attention to the parents and other NTs affected or inconvenienced by autistics. Generally, when I read Autism Speaks' statements or discussions, I feel as if someone has just called me subhuman, as if I should never have been born, which seems to be the gist of such statements as 'autism should be eradicated' and of Autism Speaks' general disdain for autistics and unwillingness to listen to them.

That said, I'm sure it would be nice for so-called Low-Functioning autistics to be cured (or however you want to say it), but pre-natal screening would prevent them from even being born, not to mention reduce the incidence of autistic creative and scientific geniuses, or just people of average intelligence who happen to function differently.

I think an after-the-fact cure for autistics who are suffering severely from internally caused symptoms is OK, but autistics with that "transability" mentioned earlier should be nurtured and, I think, allowed to "act autistic" a bit too when it doesn't harm anyone, just as gay people are allowed to act flamboyant.

At any rate, all-out genocide, which pre-natal screening would likely cause, is unnecessary, unjustified and inhumane. Autism Speaks often treats us like animals; that's why many of us dislike them.

Also I should add that many autistics--at least aspies; I don't have the statistics for other kinds--are late bloomers, so it may be best to wait for some time before administering a cure; indeed, I was quite a nuisance until I turned nine, when I suddenly overcame a lot of previous difficulties, became polite and excelled in school.

Well, I'm also not sure how reliable a "cure" could be, autism is such a fundamental and pervasive difference. I wonder how you even make one.

Hey Ixtli, welcome to WP.

By the way, I can't look at your avatar without Julie Cruise singing "Falling" in my head. Don't worry, it's very welcome.

Not to worry, Merle. It is my general policy to avoid engaging in a discussion with children. As a result, DD and I have had nothing to say to one another. That is until a few posts ago...

I don't owe you any kind of explanation. More to the point, any effort on my part to explain my position to you is wasted energy.

well, now that we got that tit for tat out of the way, I will bask in the glow of both of you avoiding each other. Thank you. . . thank you very much.
Merle