Wrong Planet (Alex Plank) own Autism Speaks

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If Wrongplanet.net (Alex Plank) owns Autism Speaks, why is Autism Speaks still getting negative reviews?
It mentions in the article that Alex planned on removing all staff members and replacing them with Autistic individuals.

This happened on Tuesday, 1st of April 2013 (I suspect)
http://www.wrongplanet.net/article366.html

But then, two months and twenty days later, this happens.
http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... =0&thold=0

Can someone please explain what is going on?

You didn't notice the date then?

If the date didn't give it away this bit sure does:

Last edited by TallyMan on 13 Nov 2013, 9:45 am, edited 2 times in total.

He doesn't.

April 1st, the day that the first article was published, is often known as "April Fools Day," a day in which elaborate practical jokes are played; the article in which Alex Plank claims to acquire Autism Speaks is an example of such. WrongPlanet never did acquire Autism Speaks (for one, the article claims that WrongPlanet paid $80 million, a price that a website that does not charge its members and that receives income only from ads cannot afford, nor is Alex Plank himself that rich).

I hope that this clears up some of the confusion.

It's a prank. A joke. A tongue-in-cheek social and political statement.

It would be great if it were true, but it's gallows humor.

In other thoughts-- WP has several hundreds of thousands of users. Even assuming that they're not all active, there are A LOT of us here.

Wanna bet that, if we each sent what we could afford into a pool (and trusted, say, Alex or one of the long-time denizens-- you up for the job, DW_a_mom??-- to administer it), we'd have a sum that would definitely get Autism Speaks' attention????

I think I read somewhere that John Elder Robison now sits on one of their boards. Yes, he's a curebie who's turned himself over as a research guinea pig in the hopes of finding a way to "fix" it-- but be realistic, it's a neurotypical world, and a humane cure would be the best thing, realistically, that could happen to us. Cubby is a big Aspie now-- and when I don't have kids to raise, and I can afford to risk my life, health, and functionality reaching for a star, I just might do the same.

He's also an Aspie who likes himself...

...so maybe, if he really is helping to drive that boat (I note it's been a few years since I've seen ads like "I Am Autism"), there's hope for AutSpeaks yet.

If one wants a "cure" that person should have the option to do so without judgement of others.

And for survival sakes if you are a small minority you have to make brutal sacrifices all to often. But the compromises should never become acceptance or worse yet Stockholm Syndrome. Since this is a post about realism what worries me about the coming cure is that people who choose not to be cured will be further stigmatized or worse yet even forced to take the cure. Let's hope that by the time your kids have kids your grandchildren if they so choose will be allowed to be as autistic as they want to be without judgement of others. One should never lose sight of that goal even if one is forced by necessity to take backward steps.

Back to the topic. Before posting joke threads one should realize you are dealing with people who take statements literally

Nope...
John Elder Robison resigned his position yesterday. Click the link to the right to read his reasons in his own words... I resign my roles at Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks could be decapitating autistic adults to study their brains without interference and there are people on this forum who would make excuses as to why that's acceptable.

The problem is those who dont want a "cure" will be the ones judged and ostracised for refusing to get one.

The discussion will shift to how they are being stubborn for railing against having their 'illness' removed.

Autistic adults, proud of their identity but struggling to find work within the neurotypical paradigm will get their welfare cut and end up economically co-erced into having their brain cut up against their wishes. Schools, the education system and society at large will pressurise adults into getting their child's brains operated on.

The funds being put into cure research needs to instead go into advocacy, awareness raising and creating education and employment within an autism-friendly context. Ignorance is the enemy, not autism.

Oh, and Autism Squeaks doesn't have any autistic staff. They only speak for, and acquiesce to neuro-chauvinist bigotry and arbitrary social norms, not autistic people. They can go to hell as far as I'm concerned.

Why does AS hate people with Autism?

The same reason the church hates gay people I guess.

They just hate difference.

I think the other component of it is 'Autism moms' who indulge in their own inability to understand their own children's traits. The other thing is moneygrabbers within associations like AS who see their despair and want to make a quick buck.

Autism squeaks are charlatans and opportunists. Stay away from them and don't give them any money.

I don't know about the USA but here in the UK we have the NAS. They're not pro cure and are open to the neurodiversity angle. I would support them first. Unlike AS, they also welcome autistic staff and volunteers.

I was alerted by my housemate late last night that the post was indeed a joke.

I'm failing to see the humor.

With less detail I said I fear just that that in the next paragraph. Why should it be a zero sum game where a "cure" or education and employment are funded. How about both?. I tell you why not, the problem is bigger then Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is a symptom of the social attitude of America post 9/11/Columbine. In an earlier age their fear appeal would never have worked. Before most of us did Devo saw it coming it back in 1981 "Freedom of choice Is what you got Freedom from choice Is what you want" . Fierce individualism built the USA. In an earlier time if the government announced it was forcing your kid to be vaccinated to change who he is it would have been violently resisted. In an earlier time if the TSA searched people privates, If it was announced that the government was spying on everybody the reaction would not have been" I do not care because I have nothing to hide". I know there have been a few satire posts about "Neurotypical disorder" but I wonder. The NT's always had their social cliques that were a part of their lives. But now it is the be all end all of everything.

Protesting Relatives of Autistic People speaks is necessary I suppose but without a fundamental change in the way people think about letting people be who they want to be is ultimately a fruitless en-devour.

Fierce individualism didn't build the USA. European colonists, genocide of indigenous people, and enslavement of African people built the USA. There was also economic exploitation of working class labor, to the point that we eventually had labor laws and child labor laws to prevent such exploitation.

This sort of fear existed before 9/11. This kind of talk about autistic people existed before 9/11. It's not new, it's frustrating and exhausting because it never stops. Jim Sinclair wrote "Don't mourn for us" 20 years ago.

Bad stuff and fear existed 30 years ago but it is much worse now. By fierce individualism I was not thinking of unadulterated capitalism of the 1700 and 1800's. I was thinking with the few obvious exceptions(if you were black) people and companies made choices based on what they wanted. Hiring choices were more logical more skill based less personality based. Fear of offending, fear of lawsuits, fear of government spying did not drive economic, lifestyle and political choices. In the education of cooperate world was less group based. You can say all you want when fierce individualism ruled USA was on top in industry, culture. Since Columbine and 9/11 the country at many levels is pretty much dysfunctional. While the fear and loss of individualism and freedom is not the only reason in my view it is the main one.