What is the truth about Autism Speaks??

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I couldn't agree with you more. Ignore posts from opposing views and that'll settle half the arguments. Well said.

Lau, I have to give you credit for actually trying to answer my questions without attack, name-calling and accusations. I appreciate that. But, being that Auties are more severe, they may have a hard time getting an organization off the ground, but I don't believe Aspies would. I mean, this whole issue boils down to Aspies being treated and seen as equal and having society accept them. That should be the foundation of them forming their own organizations and running with it. I think Aspies are totally capable of doing that.

Do you know many of the Autistics organizations were founded by moms, some of whom didn't have a dime in their pockets? They did it out of passion because they wanted more awareness and services for their children.

Like the one you mentioned above, there are many organizations here in the U.S. that don't do research and whatnot. However, there should be room for all. Autism spectrum disorders are not a one-stop, fit-all type of thing. The spectrum is huge. The needs are many. And, not everyone is seeking the same results. There are people out there dying for a cure. Whereas others are content to accept what they're dealing with either through treatment or without. Therefore, we should have organizations that represent a multitude of positions on Autism, approaches to treating or curing Autism, and bringing exposure/awareness to Autism. So...like I've said many times before, if Aspies truly feel this way about these organizations speaking for them, it is critical that they start their own so that they can have a voice as well. Seems to me that having an Aspergers Organization to rally behind would be a more constructive use of time and energy and one that wouldn't insult the positions of many in the community. That's the point I'm making.

NewportBeachDude, You raise some good points. An aspie with a special interest in the welfare of AS/HFA adults would have a lot of the skills and drive. What a lot of us lack is organizational skills in the planning sense; Long term goals for example, and how to get them done. We put our noses down and plow pretty well, but meta-tasking and people organizing are not so great.

But thats true of any organization. But the leader, the genesis, should be a people person. Thats why aspies make good engineers and not so great CEOs.

I have an old post about making an aspie home, or homes for disabled people. I'm having a hell of a hard time getting anywhere. I want to form a charity too.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt45102.html

There it is. Some Aspies really are working towards helping others.

the one thing that ticks me off is how they give you so many treatment option...but they leave out "not giving treatment"

as if thats a bad thing.

I don't struggle with anything. I'm very good, at keeping it, together. I'm sure that most of us, here can manage quite well, with life. Wouldn't most of you agree?

You know, you all have me thinking. I've oftened wondered what I'll be doing with my time once the children are fully grown. Go to work full time (I currently work part time)? Find volunteer work to replace all that I do at their schools? Do what many do and get involved at the church? The later is kind of what I've assumed. But maybe I should set my sights on helping Aspies pursue their goals ... I have a little business sense, and a little marketing sense. It just isn't on my horizon right now, while I have a 10 year old Aspie son and a 7 year old NT daughter to help through childhood. But ... would you all WANT a mostly NT parent in that role?

About this thread and other threads on this board,why are people so nasty to NewportBeachDude? am think it is not nice that he has been called a troll and other things when he isn't,NewportBeachDude is good to have in the WP community,he gives a different view to Autism just like everyone else, having a different experience of it should not mean bad.

There's nothing wrong with voicing a different opinion on things, but some of his posts seemed like he was taking our views completely out of context, as if he's going out of his way to aggravate us instead of voicing an honest, constructive opinion. Though I see that his last post has improved on things.

NewportBeachDude, even if I still don't agree with you, I apologise for calling you a troll if you're not.

Yes please.


Ah! So you admit it! You're already helping at least one aspie.


I see no reason why not. You're here, you're listening, you're thinking, you're maybe even beginning to understand ( ).



PS. NewportBeachDude, when I use the terms "autist", "autistic", "autism" and so on, I mean them to be inclusive of the whole spectrum. I feel that "Asperger's Syndrome" versus "High Functioning Autism" is largely an illusory distinction. I don't like to use "ASD", because that is taken as the official "Autism Spectrum Disorder". It would be nice if we could change that to "Autism Spectrum Difference", but so it goes.
I even blow hot and cold over calling myself an "aspie", but I wouldn't feel comfortable to encroach on the "autie" familiarism.

That's one of the things that bothers me the most about them and similar groups, the obsessive focus on "cures" and "prevention" rather than on accepting all those on the spectrum, recognizing their unique gifts and talents, and, especially, on combatting public misinformation, disinformation, misperceptions, false beliefs, stigmas and discrimination in most areas of life. THAT is the real problem and NOT autistics themselves. The main reason autistics, Aspies, and their parents and families have such problems is precisely due to the stigma and discrimination and misperceptions. It's society and the culture that need to wake up and grow up, not autistics.

So Autism Speaks' attitudes about "changing" and "curing" don't do any good at all, they do much and great harm. I am not "broken", my teenage son is not "broken", and my husband is not "broken", we do not need to be "fixed." We need acceptance and understanding and recognition of our gifts and contributions.

They also say nothing of the unique contributions those on the spectrum have made to history, science and the arts throughout the centuries. This world would be a much darker, harsher place without such contributions.

AS is nothing more than a kinder, gentler version of that horrible hate group, FAAAS, which should be shut down immediately.

Exactly. It's like with FAAAS, which makes it quite clear that Aspie adults are most assuredly NOT welcome at all. Screw them both.

And I apologize for treating you like one. Some of the things he said just put me off (not having a different view, but some of the ways you phrased your comments).

Last edited by morning_after on 21 Mar 2008, 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think Autism Speaks is well-intended, but I disagree with their attitude towards autism. Deep down I kind of wonder if they may actually not be much more educated on the NATURE of autism than the general population is in some ways.

Sorry, just a bit confused with the 'you-he' switch; you're talking to NewportBeachDude?

Whoops. Okay, I just fixed that switch.

Now, I know this is off topic, but I thought this would be appropriate to share here.

I used to post on the imdb (http://www.imdb.com. The imdb has several boards, basically a board for every genre of movies ever made, as well as one for every single movie ever released, everyone that has ever been in a movie, etc.

Which makes for a lot of boards, especially since the admins admit to not policing their site.

Some of their boards are known for being a magnet for all sorts of people, especially trolls and cyberbullies.

They have a general discussion board there called "The Soapbox". That was the one I called home.

For a while, until about a year ago.

The board was filled with all sorts of anti-social people. They would do things like cyber-sex on a public forum, curse, harassment, cyberbullying, and anything you could think of, and I wound up seeing death threats, comments about how I should die, people who talked about why they liked to rape or molest people (including one that said they thought I should be raped), porn, and basically all sorts of nasty stuff.

if there is one thing I learned, it's that discussions on the internet are arbitrary. As a result, I learned that if someone's comments rub you the wrong way, for any reason at all, whether or not they are a troll, the best thing to do is to make like it wasn't even posted (at least at first).

Sometimes the person might be in a bad mood. Or maybe they are not aware as to how to say what they have to say in a way that isn't anti-social. Maybe they like to post disgusting stuff to get it out of their system. Then, maybe, they're doing it to be disruptive.

But whatever happens here is not likely to come and haunt any of us in real life unless we let it.

So, if anyone posts something that seems wierd or angering (or just plain offensive), the best thing to do sometimes is to treat them like they're trolling and not give them the time of day, even if they are not a troll.

I am not saying this to anyone in particular. I just thought it should be said.

I contacted Autism Speaks to find out if they had autistic representation on their board of management. No acknowledgement, no reply.

Their name should be Autism Silenced.