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androbot01
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21 Dec 2014, 11:21 am

Suzanne Wright spoke at the Vatican this past week.

Pope Francis tackles autism as families seek hope and support - Desert News link

Kerima Çevik blogged on WAN about this and quotes Wright as saying:

Quote:
“Autism is forcing parents and caregivers to slow down the frenetic pace of our modern world and look into the eyes of our (autistic) loved ones…as Saint Francis did with the leper.” Suzanne Wright, speaking at the Vatican


For God’s Sake Stop Speaking - WAN link

Really? Lepers. The co-founder of the most powerful autism advocacy group in the world thinks of us as lepers. That's great.



Fnord
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21 Dec 2014, 11:28 am

Considering how I've seen most "normal" people treat people with autism, it would seem that people with leprosy get the better treatment.

I think that Ms. Wright was trying to associate proper treatment of people with autism with the way that Francis of Assisi treated people with leprosy - with kindness, compassion, and respect.

However, I also think that Ms. Wright coulld have chosen a better analogy.

I think she meant well.


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androbot01
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21 Dec 2014, 11:32 am

Fnord wrote:
Considering how I've seen most "normal" people treat people with autism, it would seem that people with leprosy get the better treatment.

lol - true.

Quote:
I think that Ms. Wright was trying to associate proper treatment of people with autism with the way that Francis of Assisi treated people with leprosy - with kindness, compassion, and respect.

However, I also think that Ms. Wright coulld have chosen a better analogy.

I think she meant well.


I agree that her intent was benign, but it just shows a casual callousness that bothers me. No one would say the same about people with, say, multiple sclerosis. "Lepers" is too charged a term.



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21 Dec 2014, 11:35 am

True, but considering the audience she was addressing, what other religious parable could she cite as analogous to the proper treatment of people with autism?

Seriously, I'm asking ... I haven't the vaguest idea.


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androbot01
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21 Dec 2014, 11:38 am

Fnord wrote:
True, but considering the audience she was addressing, what other religious parable could she cite as analogous to the proper treatment of people with autism?

Seriously, I'm asking ... I haven't the vaguest idea.


Why bother to make the comparison at all? She didn't have to.

But since you asked, I'm gong to go with unicorns. ;)



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21 Dec 2014, 11:45 am

Perhaps Matthew 18:6 might work - "If anyone causes one of these little ones ... to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."


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androbot01
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21 Dec 2014, 11:55 am

Fnord wrote:
Perhaps Matthew 18:6 might work - "If anyone causes one of these little ones ... to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

It would seem so.



androbot01
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21 Dec 2014, 12:21 pm

That should be AWN in the op, not WAN (Autism Women's Network,) but it won't let me edit. My bad.



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21 Dec 2014, 12:33 pm

Fnord wrote:
I think she meant well.


I'd agree if this was the first thing I'd read about her.



androbot01
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21 Dec 2014, 9:14 pm

PlainsAspie wrote:
Fnord wrote:
I think she meant well.


I'd agree if this was the first thing I'd read about her.


Yeah, she seems immune to criticism.

I was reading an interview regarding the Vatican visit:

Prominent American Couple Praise Vatican For Embracing Autism Community - Echoes link

Quote:
Suzanne: ... Christian is now a teenager. Christian got worse and worse. He was speaking ... We thought he was great, and now he's non-verbal. And when I go to see his school, see his classroom, it's obvious the school is full, mainly of boys, who have severe to moderate autism ... It doesn't matter --It's still autism. It's just the degree and the spectrum.


I'm sorry to hear her grandson isn't doing well.

With the Catholic Church supporting Autism Speaks they will have access to huge funding.



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21 Dec 2014, 9:27 pm

There's a big rift between B&S Wright and their daughter, Katie (Christian's mother). I've read an article saying she's not on speaking terms with Bob. She's a hard-core anti-vaxxer and biomed proponent who writes for Age of Autism (they're worse than A$). I wonder if the regressions have anything to do with trauma from boomed therapies.



androbot01
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21 Dec 2014, 9:34 pm

PlainsAspie wrote:
There's a big rift between B&S Wright and their daughter, Katie (Christian's mother). I've read an article saying she's not on speaking terms with Bob. She's a hard-core anti-vaxxer and biomed proponent who writes for Age of Autism (they're worse than A$). I wonder if the regressions have anything to do with trauma from boomed therapies.


Checked it out - AA is nasty. I'll stay away from it. I can't imagine how much that kid is struggling.



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21 Dec 2014, 11:57 pm

Fnord wrote:
Considering how I've seen most "normal" people treat people with autism, it would seem that people with leprosy get the better treatment.


I've been to a leper colony/hospital in a third world nation. And yes, they do tend to be treated better.

They are cured (not hard at all) and then are given large amounts of rehabilitation services. People seriously deformed by leprosy are taught how to be artisans... painting, pottery, weaving... and many other tasks at high quality levels... even if they don't have hands anymore. Until they are self-sufficient, they are given full services including housing, food, clean water, and additional medical services.
So they learn to survive. This is in a third world nation.
I don't know of any first-world nation that has programs for autistic people of any level of functioning that is that comprehensive.
Applying for any rehab here is a very laborious process.


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22 Dec 2014, 4:04 am

Quote:
Suzanne: And I'll tell you, when I was having children, I never knew anybody with autism.

Yes you did. Like everybody else you ignored us or called us by another name.


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22 Dec 2014, 1:25 pm

Protogenoi wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Considering how I've seen most "normal" people treat people with autism, it would seem that people with leprosy get the better treatment.


I've been to a leper colony/hospital in a third world nation. And yes, they do tend to be treated better.

They are cured (not hard at all) and then are given large amounts of rehabilitation services. People seriously deformed by leprosy are taught how to be artisans... painting, pottery, weaving... and many other tasks at high quality levels... even if they don't have hands anymore. Until they are self-sufficient, they are given full services including housing, food, clean water, and additional medical services.
So they learn to survive. This is in a third world nation.
I don't know of any first-world nation that has programs for autistic people of any level of functioning that is that comprehensive.
Applying for any rehab here is a very laborious process.


This is literally one of the saddest things I've read in a while. Unfortunately, this is true. The only solution in my opinion would be "for us, by us" private programs that actually could set a model on how to treat a person with autism.... I don't think we're too far off, but still.

Also, I feel seriously sorry for the kid. School in general is absolute f*****g hell for a person with autism. Treating him like they would a "normal" person is just going to make him worse.



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23 Dec 2014, 3:02 pm

Side issue, but I am of the opinion that Saint Francis of Assisi was an Aspie.