What is so bad about Autism Speaks?

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KristaMeth:

That someone is at a low point, or is having ugly thoughts, still does not give them the right to speak them in front of the camera for everyone to hear. The fact is, speaking in public like this is a huge RESPONSIBILITY, because it is not merely about sharing one's thoughts with the rest of the world. There is always a danger that some individuals will relate to certain ideas more than was originally intended, and in the wrong way, and might actually act on them. As it is, disabled people fall victim to abuse of all sorts far more often than their non-disabled peers, and nobody needs this to be encouraged further.

Even if they did have to include these words of hers, they should have stressed that this is not a normal reaction at all, that she is completely desperate and needs help, etc. But they did not; actually, the whole film is constructed so as to convey the message that this IS, indeed, a normal reaction in its own right.

Her words, along with the fact that the film was intentionally made to look as negative as possible (more so than the actual lives of the families involved), basically amounts to claiming that having such thoughts towards an autistic child is quite common and natural, and that autistic children are little more than a burden. At least, there will always be a number of parents who will take it precisely this way. One just wonders whether this was, in fact, the original intention of the film.

There were times when I felt quite unspeakable towards my mother, and occasionally I will still think I hate her after we argue. But this doesn't mean that, if I were to participate in a support group for members of troubled families and had to be filmed, I would just go and say - oh, you know, I can't stand my mother and there were times when I contemplated murder. I know that I do not REALLY hate her, and that this is just fleeting anger which shouldn't be shown to anyone lest the wrong message is conveyed; and, above all, I know that saying such a thing would be plain wrong.

Everybody has had ugly thoughts at least at one point in their life, I suppose, but it doesn't mean that everybody should go around voicing them to everybody else.

KristaMeth:

Man, this thread has good down the pooper since I last checked it.

Just like a discussion on the Autism Speaks forum...

Ever since I came across the first negative reference to Autism Speaks on this board, I have been looking through the YouTube Videos, and googling for information about them. Now based on the videos, screw them. They put out propaganda videos in order to get money. Yet, they do fight for other things. I don't trust their agenda, though. They treat autism as if it is a disease, and teach others to treat it that way. Even though, in their own research, they've found that it is how the brain itself is wired (more/smaller connectors in certain parts of the brain, less/larger in others) and that it is genetic.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/index.php

This is the link to the Autism Speaks Press Release page, from that page you can see the press releases that they posted for the last 2 years. I find it interesting that, in December of 2007, they got $5 million in grants to do research. Which they are spending on educating (not hiring) new research specialists, genome projects, the study of factors during pregnancy causing autism, and the study of 187 autistic children from Dx to adulthood.

Now, compared to that, they also received about $565,000 in community service grants. To be used in Education ($258,500), Recreation/Community Activities ($141,900), Adults Services ($85,400), and Equipment ($79,300). ok. Does anyone else see a disparity here?

Also, the Combating Autism Act, from a few day later, four parts. First part, good, it allows for Autism treatment and Dx at Health Resources Administration ($36,354,000). Second Part, I find insulting and vaguely disturbing, Autism surveillance and awareness at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ($16,212,000) (yes the CDC is watching us). The third part, again more research, this time it goes to the NIH($108,500,000). Now the fourth I kinda like, Implementation of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Commitee, ($1,000,000), If they all work together, we might just get somewhere.

{edited to add} Oh and if you look at the videos that are actually on their page, they show the basic stereotypical autistic behavior very well, and they show each different one in the same child over different ages. Yet, if this is how they are studying small children, I would consider it a form of torture. One child has an aversion to balloons popping, so whenever he sees a balloon, his hands clap over his ears, he actually begs the examiner not to blow the balloon up again and she laughs at him. Sorry, but that is terrorizing a small child.

Here's my question: It seems like most of the Aspergians in this community hate anything and everything related to Autism Speaks. So, which organizations out there that champion spectrum causes do you guys like? What do these organizations do and who are the beneficiaries of their advocacy?

Since there's been dozens of threads and hundred of posts on hating Autism Speaks, there should be equally as much if not more on the groups you all support.

Thanks.