a plan to destroy autism speaks

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Aghogday wins this round in my eyes. I have to say I'm not impressed by using emotive rhetoric as a substitute for facts; it just doesn't work for me, it looks like the person hasn't got a leg to stand on. I was pretty skeptical of the organization because of all the bad press it gets, but looking at the facts aghogday has presented I can't help but alter my views.

Yeah this thread and another one I am going to have to go back and read through some time.

You can't just say an example isn't valid because it's tangential; there are a lot of parallelisms between how autism and homosexuality is treated believe it or not. That's like saying that because the Indian Revolution happened in India, the South African Revolution is unrelated even though Mandela and many others took a page from Gandhi's book.

"If someone is that functional, cure wouldn't have a meaning. It's not possible to cure impairments that don't exist."
Being 'functional' obviously has different meanings for you and I. My definition of 'functional' in this case is able to communicate with relative efficiency. It would mean someone who is able to communicate that they do or do not want to be "cured," not someone who is truly lacking in impairments.

And by your logic it was OK for the parents to have their children drink bleach, because the children couldn't make decisions for themselves and the adults had to make the decisions for them. Believe it or not a so-called "professional" recommended this treatment in the first place.

I'm not saying that you should be happy to be autistic or unhappy, but I am saying that it's unfair for you to support forcing others who might be just peachy with it to be "cured" because their legal guardian doesn't want to deal with them.

Well, about 90% of the reason I oppose Autism Speaks is because my dad supports them and brings up the 'autism' when he disagrees with me. ["You're too autistic to understand this!" then says, "You're too high-functioning to understand this!"] And yes, my dad is an a**hole, but he's also an a**hole who is legally responsible for me and could in fact force me to take a cure if one existed.

They're both topics of politics. Issues of mental capacity don't have anything to do with sexual orientation.


Nobody is arguing parents have absolute authority over their children. In modern societies, they're not allowed to do things like injure them or make them work in dangerous conditions. But they have rights to look after their upbringing and well being. They're not allowed by law to neglect them through lack of care or abuse. They are not allowed to keep them from medical care, and along with that, they aren't allowed to have dangerous "treatments" administered to them which aren't approved of by licensed medical authorities. Childrens' rights to decide for themselves are superseded by parental rights, which themselves are superseded by governmental authority. Even if a licensed professional recommends it, it doesn't mean they have the right to do so, as the standards of their professions have to be followed to keep their licenses and to not be reprimanded. This reference to the bleach incident is also irrelevant as such blatantly ridiculous practices are way below the standards of science and treatment that coincide with actual research into cure from Autism Speaks and the government.


Nobody who is suffering from this is just "peachy" due to it. For the ones who have severe impairments, self-injurious behaviors, lack of communication, etc., curing wouldn't be an overreach of parental or of government authority. I'm not sure how effective you will be in trying to isolate me as the only impaired autistic who isn't content with it.


I'd have to agree with his latter statement. Lots don't get along with their families. I don't like my family either. That's why I'd like to have a living of my own. But I can't because I lack functioning and am therefore dependent on my mother, and have to continue to put up with manipulative crap indefinitely. I don't see why it makes sense to get back at family by fighting something that would ensure basic independence from family.

Nobody has said that nobody wants cured, or that you're the only one who wants cured.

All people have said is that not everyone wants cured. All people are saying is that your statements about everybody wanting cured or nobody choosing to be that way are wrong.

I've already covered just a few posts in this thread ago reasons I've heard given by people who are severely impaired as to why they would not want to be cured.

It's not mental capacity to sexual orientation. Autism is not a direct indicator of mental capacity either; it varies a lot. The analogy this: group of people : current treatment of said group : : group of people : potential treatment of said group.


They went to an actual lab with someone who was actually licensed and gave them a bleach enema. The government does not moderate that.


And now I would like to point to Tuttle. Thank you Tuttle. You could try to stop putting all of your arguments in black and white. Sure some people want a cure so they can take it, but some people don't want a cure because they might be forced.


Riiiiiiiiight. I guess the scans of my brain lighting up oddly are just wrong, and I'm actually neurotypical.

Why not just withdraw your analogy rather than trying to change it. All know that the capacity varies a lot. That's the problem.


If your side gets their way, there won't be any cure devised through research, and then nobody will get it.


You're high-functioning. I don't care that you're autistic. You likely have too much aptitude/functioning compared to others. Those with extra functioning/aptitude should have to share it with others.

I didn't change the analogy; I explained it.


Wow, really?


...AMON?! IS THAT YOU?!

Didn't read many replies but I do think the whole autism speaks madness is kind of dumb. I mean they are not speaking for me, they are speaking for themselves and the way they want everyone to fit into their nice, neat world. They are trying to be holier-than-thou. Anyone who contributes to charity is just trying to make themselves feel better about themselves but in some cases they are doing harm.

I see Autism Speaks as blaming the victim. There are plenty of autistic people who don't need help but help is trying to be forced on them in the form of "social skills", harmful medications, etc. It is the neurotypicals that just need to chill out and accept autistic people the way they are.

Where did they say they were speaking for you? Unless your name is Autism, then don't assume they are.


Where do Autistic people with severely impaired communication like my son fit into your own version of a "nice, neat world"? Not being able to communicate is a real problem, a simple example being when he is sick or has pain he cannot tell us where or what the problem is. No amount of changing of attitudes, or neurodiversity is going to make any difference to that. Autism Speaks are funding research that one day may help improve that situation.
They have well organised and structured impartial information for parents of kids. I just see they have incorporated an improved and easy to use version of the MCHAT test on there which is an excellent and easily used diagnosis tool.
I'd like to know whats wrong in any of that?!

In that case, Heavenlyabyss' statement is still valid though, as they're not speaking for us but for themselves on how they perceive Autism based on their studies. However with the way their media campaign target mainstream audiences, it does give off the impression they're speaking on our behalf.

If only you'd bothered reading the thread you might have gained a broader, more informed view...

Actual attempts are being made to force help? How is that done - are people tied down or something?
Otherwise, what nostromo said.

You can start by boycotting Dollar General since they do a lot of the fundraising through their stores.

I think you're projecting.


I think you're projecting again.


The large majority of them do. And help can only go so far. Quit trying to shame actual ordinary disabled autistics out of being realistic about their situations. The acceptance of NTs is not to be sought. This concerns basic rights. The acceptance of NTs by many autistics would be sought after a cure is achieved, as there would then be no disability based power disparity. I don't like that these acceptance enthusiasts are constantly putting us in the position of beggar. Your tactics are getting increasingly gruesome as your side loses allies and sees other figures standing against them. You won't be permitted to bring us back to the dark ages of psychiatric treatment.

I really hope you reconsider this one point; as much as I dislike Autism Speaks and believe that some people do this, not everyone who gives to charity is doing it to inflate their self-image. What about people who adopt dogs or donate to support cancer patients?

I couldn't disagree more. You can accept people; but what about the people who can't even take care of themselves, can't hold jobs, who come here daily complaining about how lonely they are.

NTs should be more aware; and more accepting, but even that has limits.