Protest at Ohio State -- Tuesday, 4/20 from noon to 3pm

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Some protest info below!

Basically, on April 1 and 2, Autism Speaks at Ohio State lined 110 signs on the campus lawn, the signs bearing "1 in 110" on the front and incredibly offensive slogans on the back, such as "for every locked mind, there's a key to find" and "More children will be diagnosed this year with Autism than with diabetes, AIDS, and cancer combined," etc.

In response, the ASAN-Central Ohio/OSU chapter is holding a protest on 4/20 from noon until 3pm. If you're in the central Ohio area, we'd love to see you on Tuesday, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Please distribute this widely! We really hope to draw some people.

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Neurodiversity Awareness: A Counter-Demonstration
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
12:00 - 3:00pm
South Oval lawn (behind the new Ohio Union)
Columbus, Ohio

In response to the ableist Autism Speaks autism awareness event on April 1 and 2, ASAN-Central Ohio/Ohio State will be holding a counter-demonstration on April 20, from noon until 3, on the south oval lawn. We welcome anyone and everyone to join us as we protest neurobigotry in all of its forms. We will have signs on hand (though feel free to bring your own), including some alarming facts about Autism Speaks, its eugenic aims, its fear-spreading propaganda, and its unrepresentative leadership.

ASAN-Central Ohio blog write-up: http://asancentralohio.blogspot.com/201 ... state.html

Facebook event listing: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119042264773679#!/event.php?eid=119042264773679

Contact: asan.ohiostate@gmail.com

Where do you get off complaining about "ableism"? Don't you try spreading lies at that demonstration, like the unproven claim that AS is aiming for eugenics. Don't ignore that they now have John Elder Robison on a scientific advisory board. It's not like those like you would be truly representative. None of that means I don't think AS is doing a very mediocre job, but I'd like to know who gave you the consent to speak about their condition as if you're looking out for them.

AS is aiming for eugenics http://www.ventura33.com/clock/ they fund most of the experiments to try to create a test to detect Autism in the fetus and allow the parents an option to abort the child. Which will become like Down Syndrome where over 90% of fetuses with Down Syndrome are aborted.

"We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism." - Autism Speaks taken from their home page.
That is eugenicist. Treatment and cure is impossible. You can't rewire a person's brain. You can't cure Autism yeah behavior modification. Take this analogy there is an ape in a circus. You can train him to "act" like a gentleman but he will still be an ape.

A clock next to a picture of a fetus? Classic ridiculous scare tactics. Selective abortion isn't cure/treatment, and such abortion isn't called cure for Down Syndrome. I wonder how wide your definition of "eugenics" is. Cure isn't impossible. You have no proof of that. What do you even know about brain wiring, and since when is "rewiring" impossible? Who has proven it's only due to "wiring"? Your analogy is reprehensible. Cure should be considered as ensuring that all have access to the abilities that other humans have, while not letting only some get to prosper with such abilities.

Cure IS impossible. You cannot change a persons genes. I have all the abilities NT's have. I may be less social but who needs like 1000 friends? Society is biased. Thinking that a person needs lots and lots of social interaction to be happy. You may be able to change a person genetically but you will not be able to remove being Ostracized like I was. That will still be in the person forever. It seems you don't understand. So cure = Ability to Function? So if a person with autism suddenly "acts" neurotypical. Is that person cured? The person is still autistic. The best we can do is help autistics by removing bigotry and ignorance from society and furthering the education of autistics and end dangerous "quack" treatments.

There is no proof it's impossible. I think genes could be changed. Consider the advances in gene therapy technology. I don't have all the abilities average NT's have, nor do many on the spectrum who also lack so many even basic ones. That is the problem. This doesn't concern how many friends anyone chooses to have.



Yes, cure is for increasing ability/function. All should have the same amount of abilities. This isn't about acting NT or whatever. So what if someone is still considered autistic? It's not the point.

Oh, suuure. Gene therapy, eh? I can just imagine that scenario. First they develop the all-coveted "cure" for autism and whatever other genetic disorder they can find the genome to. However, then people get greedy and say "Hey, why don't we make other gene therapies to enhance human ability, then sell them for profit?" However, in their greed they overlook the massive side effects cause by screwing around with people's genetic code, and before you know it we have people going crazy in the streets because of their messed up genes, etc. and you have a situation taken straight out of BioShock.


The human genome is a highly complex affair, where a single tweak in a strand of DNA could solve some problems but cause massive problems somewhere else. Most genetic mutations that occur in the womb, either inherited or via environmental factors, cause death. (Down's Syndrome is one of the few genetic mutations of it's caliber in which the fetus can still be born alive). I seriously doubt that we will fully understand the human genome ever, let alone this decade.

I understand that living with autism can be difficult, but I seriously doubt that gene therapy will help you more than it hurts you. It's a touchy subject as it is, while there is still a conservative in America able to vote research for gene therapy will most likely be underfunded, because most conservatives consider it to be "playing God."

There are other ways of treating autism that are cheaper and much more effective at any rate. Myself, I don't appear autistic at first glance, while I am high functioning I still had major problems when I was younger, it took a lot of social skills therapy to bring me to the point I am at today, but I think overall I was better off for it. My diagnosis hasn't changed, but my perceptions have; I was able to LEARN how to socialize, rather than rely on innate ability. You could too. I believe you have the capacity to do so. The road will be difficult, but the rewards at the end are much better.

As for Autism Speaks, I personally think that even if they could find an autism gene, they wouldn't bother researching how to cure it, because that would take time and money. Instead I think they will take the easy way out: develop a prenatal test and then convince people to abort a fetus if the test confirms. From a economical standpoint it'll be much cheaper.

I strongly doubt genetic modification would be approved and implemented without considering and circumventing side effects, as such precautions may be necessary to success of the results of such modificiation. Don't bring up the complexity as an excuse. There isn't much of a limit to the knowledge capable of being deciphered over time. They eventually can understand the genome and its roles in controlling biological processes. Lots of resources already go to complex endeavors nearly unquestioned. The same poindexters who don't care about doing such a progressive thing, are the ones focusing on selfish complex goals. If they can devote time to the intricacies of building brutal new weapons for wars, designing ridiculous financial instruments that wreck the economy, and to making anti-impotence drugs, they should be able to spare some time to devise a remedy to mental disability so nobody has to be deprived of aptitude.



I won't be discouraged by pessimistic attitudes. I don't care what fascist scumbag conservatives think if they even want to object to such a thing. They wouldn't be allowed to get in the way forever, no matter how much they self-righteously kick and scream to support the elites.



Some of the treatments out there help some on the spectrum substantially while yielding hardly any results for others. Some gimmicky treatments don't seem to even pretend to promise anything concrete. Not that many will be as lucky as you as they don't have your circumstances. I certainly am not one of the lucky ones and I get worse with time. And I've lost enough of my life. I don't think Autism Speaks even has much of an organized approach to their genetic research, to get a reliable prenatal test available. I don't think such a test would be payed for unless it has enough reliability. Considering all the huge donations AS receives from powerful business entities, I think AS will try to get something for them in return. And prenatal tests won't yield anywhere near as much money as well-promoted yet possibly lackluster behavioral treatments and pharmaceutical drugs. There is a lot of money to be made by various entities, and I think vultures are out there to get their cuts. AS as it is now of course won't come up with a genuine cure.

Ok, so maybe they can. The question is, WILL THEY? Once again, you're talking about a society devoting its time to building war machines and wrecking the economy. And while we're on the subject of economy, even if there was a gene therapy for autism, would the standard autistic individual (usually unemployed - don't flame me, it's in the stats) be able to afford it? My guess is that the time and research required to create such a miracle cure will render it either unprofitable for pharmacies or unaffordable to the common man. As for government vouchers and insurance, the way things are going today with the healthcare debate, it's a waste of data even mentioning them.




Firstly, whoever said I was being pessimistic? I'm simply stating that the ethical implications of that kind of research is hotly disputed, and until the dispute is resolved, it will not advance. That, unfortunately, is how politics in this country works.



I'm not saying anything against you wanting to be cured. That is your decision, no one can make it for you. However, I really don't see how one can be autistic and yet support AS. I do not believe AS is a hateful organization; they want to cure autism as they see it; however, it is in the nature of autism that they are sadly misinformed. The entire nature of this protest is to inform the general public, as well as Autism Speaks, of their misinformation. We are not against a cure in its entirety; but we want to stop being ostracized and stereotyped. This is what we are about, and I fail to see what you find so wrong about that.

If you really believe being autistic is that much of a curse, then go ahead and invest in that genetic research. That is your choice to make, I won't stop you, but I WILL warn you to be careful what you wish for and to look before you leap. Do your research beforehand. Best of luck.

Those are important considerations. There are a lot of hurdles because of society's priorities, and lots of advocacy and organization are needed to get society to do what needs to be done. Of course one who is unemployed cannot afford it, but somehow, the government should be made to provide it. I consider this a long-term goal, as the way things are politically/economically are a disaster. I know a lot has to change. I know it will cost a lot to make a cure, but I think the benefits will make up for that. With reported prevalence rates of autism going up, and consequently, the ever increasing costs of caring for those with it and lack of economic production by those impaired by it, spending the money to cure it wouldn't be that costly compared to the costs cure would obviate and to the production through work that would be possible with cure.




I've heard of some of the ethical implications. I think over time they will be resolved in the favor of those who want to make things better. I think those who want to prevent progress seem so worn out and lacking in ideas. Such groups are never on the victorious side when issues of societal change come up. Conservatism never permanently withstands the force of forward change.



I don't see any reason to support AS either. I just don't want others to use ideological propaganda that goes against basic goals that those with a stake in the issue can agree on, in their efforts to contradict AS. I'd like to see AS harshly criticized by spreading information of their mediocrity and corruption. I think stereotypes should be handled in a practical and proportional way that lets others know how things really are as clearly as they can. I know their awareness campaigns are pointless and convey a lot of misleading concepts and don't help. I just don't want the situation to be told to others in a misleading way designed to promote the intentions of the ones who want to hinder cure. I think quite a few wouldn't think highly of the views espoused by these counter-demonstrators, and I think that would undermine valid messages of how AS is a disappointment.