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Nutbush City Limits, the Tina Turner song about an O so proper, small American Town, and surely I don't have to tell a California Girl, what South Central's like... A relative of mine grew up there...

Because people who turn to bio-med treatments in general believe that they are taking heroic measures to heal their children. Bio-med treatments are based on the belief that autism is, at heart, some kind of toxic invasion on the body and brain. To heal the body and brain, you pursue these bio-med treatments and that's how kids "get better." That is the thinking. When someone questions the treatment of choice, the parent feels attacked for being devoted to the health of his child.

they want to cure autistics, most people on this site don't.

Hi Diva!

Your points are well taken. I agree with most, if not all, of what you've pointed out. This struck me as especially funny

because I have no idea how one can tell parents that chelation and the like is quackery, not to mention, dangerous. Over the course of the years, I am finding that I can be cordial, but certainly not close, with parents who choose iffy autism treatments. And as I said, being cordial involves not speaking of certain things. I have a mom friend here in RL who does the whole DAN thing and it just breaks my heart. She knows that DAN is not for me, but were I to thoroughly tell her how I feel, things between us would be very tense. My MIL asks me how autism can be such a contentious subject. "Oh you don't know the half of it!" I usually reply.

I am grateful for you and for others who choose to speak plainly and loudly. I have neither the guts nor the knowledge to say much about DANs and such. I like to think that in my own quiet way, I am doing my part and focusing on helping parents understand the positive aspects of autism. Guiding them to appreciate their precious child just as he is.

For me it's not so much that, but more the fact that they seem to think adult autistics don't exist.

I would agree here. What happens when their kid's grow up? Do they still have Autism then? I think they say it so that they can avoid themselves from being Autisic too.

Little Bo peep, Autism Diva, Zarathustra, TLPG, and Basshead! It is really great to see we are all united on this one.

Autismdiva you wrote.

I know this all to well!

That's it. I think that also some of the parents' faith in what they are doing is shaky so they really get defensive when anyone questions their actions/motives or their favorite doctor. Some of the doctors lurk on the biomed the boards, too, so some parents on some boards might be speaking up for their doctor/therapy because they don't want to seem ungrateful or lose the doctor's friendship etc. I don't think that's common, but I know Bradstreet lurks on at least one of the really popular biomed groups.

It's a tough call, because parents are ultimately the deciders in most all health choices, rarely does anyone want to interfere with a parental decision, but it's kind of too bad that there isn't a way to interfere with what Geier is doing and what Bradstreet and Buttar has been doing... I mean these guys are BAD news. The State Medical boards don't discipline doctors until they are WAY out there and have started to obviously hurt their patients... multiple times. They are more likely to jump on a complaint of sexual abuse than some kind of "treatment choice". And the FDA is severely hamstrung ....

Yeah, they daggered you right off the board!

Bo Peep,

I totally understand. I don't think we need loads more like me, but it's good if more people understand the science (not) behind what they are pushing.

I don't think it's necessarily the right thing to do to try to get everyone else to do the right thing. I mean you can make yourself crazy with that....

"The best current thread on WP". Autism Speaks - for only 5% of the Autistic Spectrum.

Actually from what I've heard, Autism Speaks support the genetic basis argument - but they want to fund research to find the gene and then "breed it out" - that is, they support eugenics.

I guess in the way that's a cure as well, but I don't see it that way. I think eugenics is worse.

Maybe Autism Speaks might consider brain transplants as a cure?

Yes, Dr. Frankenstein!

I'm sort of bothered by this and don't know where else to ask this, so I was wondering if anyone here can help me out with something. Why are the AS forums so full of personal attacks and accusations on Amanda Baggs? Ms. Baggs' blog and essays have greatly influenced my thoughts on autism and neurodiversity, so naturally it bothers me to see such vitriol and accusations levied at her. Can someone help me out here? Thanks. I've had a hard time responding to these attacks when they've come up.

The only person on there who attacks Amanda Baggs is droopy, and that's only because she was brainwashed into thinking that Amanda is a liar.