What is so bad about Autism Speaks?

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it never fails to astound me how this idea that 'we only have one life to live' just paralyzes people into seeing beyond short view.

Being a confirmed and convinced reincarnationist, I see such misery caused when people think they are not getting everything they possibly can out of this one life. And it makes me sad.

but it does not make me want to buy into the theory of only one life per spirit. !

Merle

Ugh. Where's the mudslinging? Can someone show me specifically where I slung mud at anyone in that post? That was an honest question based on every thread I've read here regarding Autism Speaks. Most people here DO NOT like Autism Speaks and are open about that. As a matter of fact, there are threads that were created only to insult Autism Speaks. So, what's your issue? I'm stating a fact not slinging any mud at anyone.

You've mentioned a few in your own country. What do these organizations do for you as an Aspergian in the United Kingdom? How have you benefitted from them and are they pro-cure / pro-treatment organizations? If you support these, more power. That's cool you've found groups that speak directly for what you stand for. So, why spend your time bashing an American organization that you hate? Why not talk more about these organizations and share with World Planet the good they do?

Last, I didn't know you were from the U.K. My wife used to live in London, we've got many friends throughout the U.K., and have been to many Autism conferences and have met other parents with Autistic kids from Great Britain. The overall concensus is that services and organiations there suck big time. Long waiting lists for basic services, jumping through hoops to find out where to go for services and who was funding, they tell us it's a nightmare. They couldn't believe the intervention programs our kid gets which is automatic through No Child Left Behind. They thought we were making it up. So, you may think the UK is great when it comes to organizations, but from those we know they're not doing enough to get treatment for their Autistic citizens.

Edited to add: I looked at these links and none of these orgranizations are remotely similar to Autism Speaks. One is a service organization whose platform is mostly Autism Rights advocay, just like our own Autism Society of America (http://www.autism-society.org) or NAA which is a supports research as well (http://www.nationalautismassociation.org). One link is broken. One link is a chat board like this one. Another is a small charity. But, that's fine, man. Cool. If these serve your needs, no problem. I'll stick with Autism Speak and the others I personally like. Peace.

Last edited by NewportBeachDude on 22 Feb 2008, 5:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

NPD, If you had bothered to look at any of the sites I told you about, you wouldn't've needed to write most of your last post. If you read my succinct WTF? reply to your bucket of sh*t post, you wouldn't've needed to write the rest and I wouldn't've needed to painstakingly tapped out this post on my cellfone. Try www.brookdalecare.co.uk and www.autismresearchcentre.com if you're genuinely intersted in learning more about autism in the UK. Otherwise go dump on someone else.

Dude, is this the way you talk to people in general or just over the internet? Because that cussing and hostility doesn't make an argument sound. It becomes a poor reflection on the person doing it.

I looked at every link. See my edit. These groups are nothing like Autism Speaks, but it's cool that you think they speak for you and what you need as an Aspergian. If they meet your needs, there's no need for you to go bashing other organzations that you have no affiliation with...ones not even in your own country. Tell World Planet how good these groups are and why you feel they're better than Autism Speaks for advocacy. Meanwhile, there are Americans who need what AS has to offer.

Anyway, I don't dig the cussing. And, I don't get why people can't have a sound debate without going hostile. Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't mean they're dogging you.

It's the way I talk to people who talk to me like that. See my WTF? post, for further clarification.

Yes, I saw the three-letter reply and chose not to respond to "WTF." I may talk that way once in awhile as an expression to make a point, but I don't do it AT the person I'm dialoging with. If my posts rattle you that much ignore them. But, I entered this thread because I felt I had something to say and it's an open board, open to members who want to state their opinions. My opinion is that instead of harrassing people on Autism Speaks, you should be spreading the word about the groups you support. I said that after you posted that you were going to stir up mess over there.

I believe that the way you build bridges in this community is by working with adversaries, not defaming them and flipping your finger just because you don't like their policy. The very people you're messin' with need that place for friendship the same way Aspergians need World Planet. No amount of cussin' is going to change my opinion.

I love this argument so much. "You aren't compatible with the world, so instead of trying to change social attitudes, we're just going to try to change you, or, better yet, prevent you." So, because of racism, we need to prevent ethnic minorities. Because of anti-Semitism, we need to rid the world of Judaism. Cure homosexuals and sterilise the disabled. You talk about how complex the issue is, but you've failed to examine the complexity of your own statement. In saying something like this, you must be ready for it to be extrapolated thusly. I'll let Immanuel Kant do my speaking for me:



Regarding your rebuttals about freedom of speech, I will say the following: you are 100% correct in saying that the issue is not that simple. I never said it was. But you invoked a legal right: the right to free speech. I was simply citing the fact that even legally, free speech is not absolute. And even thought a person has the right to speak and print whatever he wants, that doesn't excuse him from the repercussions of those words. You have the right to say it, but what you say will have effects. According to the law, if someone is hurt, property or reputation is damaged, or legal procedure is halted and a person's words are a proximate cause of said damage, the person who said these words is legally liable barring other mitigating factors.

At no point in my rhetoric did I ever state that having an autistic child was easy. As my mother will testify, it is not. And I have very high functioning AS, so I can only imagine the difficulties of raising a child with severe autism. It is perfectly reasonable that a parent can become severely depressed about their child's future; it happens even with parents of neurotypical children. And said parents need to talk about those things to a close friend or to a psychologist. The venue through which she said it did not stem from a psychological need to express frustration, but to make a statement about how grim things were. In her mind, autism made her contemplate killing her child, not her own problems; so it is clearly not her fault. It is even understandable that a person might say this, but usually people who say it add in a statement to the effect of "I'm not proud of it." to state that this was not okay on their part. This woman makes no such statement because, once again, it is not her fault; her daughter's autism is responsible. The statement itself may be psychologically justifiable to some extent, but the venue in which she said it and her lack of remorse communicate many things on a very subtle level that are highly offensive. Moreover, the point of this video was to show only how grim autism can be. At no point did anyone show an autistic showing love, playing beautiful music, or just being happy. They set out to show that autism is not a gift, but rather a wretched curse. And I will be the first to stand up and say, "I am glad to be autistic." Autism has its benefits as well as its challenges. I might not be able to maintain an organised room to save my life, but I can spout out Constitutional Law from memory. I may have difficultly reading every social situation, but my friendships tend to be exceptionally deep. While understanding facial expressions may be difficult, understand Bach comes naturally. My skills as well as my challenges come from AS. Autism Speaks wants you to forget that. They want you to see only the grimness of autism.

And parents of autistic children do need to to have hope. I believe that hope is that your child can have anything that they want. Too often, the cure movement only focuses on what autistics' neurotypical parents want for them. And it is not inappropriate for autistics to receive help and support to help us function. But too often parents never get over the fact that the neurotypical child of which they always dreamed is not here, and often become very desperate for things that will compensate that loss instead of stopping and reconsidering their dream.


Lastly, I want to tell you that, while I respect your opinion, the tone in which you deliver is inappropriately belligerent. I do not use obscenities with you and I would appreciate it if you did not use them with me.

my favorite 'reminder' quote is from Mohandas Gandhi:




Merle

I'm sorry, but I don't understand the connection.

I'm also proud to be Autistic. If I wasn't, I'd be a sheeple, like the other females my age. If I was cured, I'd turn into a sheeple. I'd rather be me, than be a sheeple.

humm. . how long did you think about it?

Merle

Maybe one of us should start a new website called: Neurotypicals don't speak. It promotes the 'de-normalisation' of the neurotypical! MWA HA HA!! !

I just can't see what is so wrong with a cure, it's just that I heard that it made a documentary of a mother contemplating driving of a cliff or something like that. Now, that is bigotry for you.

wouldn't you be a sheepon? It's not like you'd replicate yourself if you were cured.

That same mother was kicked off of their board last year for promoting views that are more in line with what we agree with.

Dead serious.

that's disturbing