I’ve received a lot of inquiries as of late about why I and other people dislike Autism Speaks, and I think its important that people understand why I think Autism Speaks does not in fact support Autistic People, read more for some examples
Please not that the following is my personal opinion, and does not express the views of anyone else.
- Autism Speaks as far as I know does not have one Autistic Person making policy decisions on what the organization will lobby, spend research money on, and portray autism as in the media.
- Autism Speaks continues to portray Autism in a very negative way, using phrases such as “disaster”, “hopeless” and “epidemic”. While I’m aware that there are some challenges that come with Autism – its not all negative.
- Autism Speaks implies by its name, and how it interacts with the media that it is the ultimate authority on what Autistic People need – its not.
- Autism Speaks continues to bully, threaten, harass and intimidate Autistic People who stand up against their organization.
- Autism Speaks’ negative portrayal of Autistic People has caused many people significant hardships in social interaction – more so then what Autism in itself would cause.
- An Autism Speaks employee who has an Autistic Daughter said in a widely distributed and often aired on television documentary that she wanted to drive her Autistic Daughter off a bridge.
- There is no accountability of where the money donated to Autism Speaks goes.
Its these reasons, and many others that make me want to make a stand against Autism Speaks – because its time for them to listen and learn how they harm the Autistic Community by speaking.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
What the h*ll is wrong with those people? Especially the one that said she wanted to drive her daughter off a bridge! Thank you so much, Zach. Every time I say that Autism Speaks can go f*ck themselves, people look at me like I’m crazy. Now I have written proof that they are just a bunch of heartless bullies spreading lies and bigotry! *prints out article* Thank you again!
I just put up a post regarding this article at autistics.org/forum. I’ll get back to you on how people respond.
Even worse, the person who made the statement about driving off the bridge wasn’t just an employee, but a *vice president* of the organization.
It’d be nice to see some sources.
hi I have aspergers and live in australia. I have never heard of Autism speaks before but hope to learn about them and therefore must keep an open mind but I must say what you are discribing sounds distressing unfortunatly this atitude is directed at all people with some form of special needs such as dyslexia e.t.c. I have faced discrimmination my whole life and am angered and saddened everytime I hear a discrimmintive comment about people with special needs e.g retard, spazz. when I was ten I lived in a difficult area where there were special needs facilities when I was about ten a large group of people attempted to assualt and occasionaly attempted to kill people for having special needs I was one of those people who were attacked I left the area and moved to coffs harbour when I was twelve the intolerance and iggnorance directed at any people with some form of special needs must stop. We are all different and if my differences are so hard to live with then perhaps it is possible the problem is with much of soiciety’s views instead of with me. I of course do not belief everything should be tolerated such as cruelty or actions that may hurt others but I believe it is wrong to discrimminate against poeple who are radically different. As such I am concerned with people who believe being called gay or retarded is an insult or a joke. Although if the joke is made to get people to laugh with people with special needs or who are gay instead of at them than I am cool with it as i that there is a difference between laughing with and at.
Well, I’m never in favour of being harassed for a disability. I’ve got bi-polar, a learning disabilby, partial blindness and a permanantly lame foot.
Yet, I’m being continually harassed, for over a year, on the internet, by an autistic teenager—I used to know his mom from her blog, and she’s not all there (genuinely believes in spirits and fairies), and she’s admitted her son was stalking me.
I’m told I can do nothing to this boy, who is making life on the internet a misery for me.
I’m sorry for autistic kids…but it’s hard to be sorry for a child who is mean. He takes special delight in harassing me when I blog that I am seriously ill (I have a potentially fatal illness too, by the way), or experiencing a crisis of some sort. But…hey, it’s taboo for me to pick on him, cos’ hey, HE’S autistic.
No one ever takes into account, the harm unsuprevised autistic people do, to innocent by-standers.
I mean, why is it OK for autistic kids to bully people like me, but not me to bully him back? OK, sure, as an adult, me bullying an autitic child after he’s bullied the hell out of me, would be beneath me…but sorry, after my experience for the last year with this kid from Minnesota, I have NO sypathy for autistic kids who get bullied.
You know what? I’ve been bullied for over 40 years, based on my looks, my weight and my learning disability (dyscalculia, and borderline DCD).
Get over yourselves! Bullying is a fact of life, that some of us never can escape from, no matter how old we get…the human race if full of human turds, who take pleasure in hurting other people. That’s just the way it is.
Bullying is a fact of life. So in that case, it is alright for someone to beat up anyone with a disability, because hey, it’s human nature?!
BS! Bullying is wrong no matter to whom it is happening to. NT, autistic, someone with a mental illness (I happen to have PTSD as well as Aspergers), it doesn’t matter. Just because bullying is a part of life doesn’t mean it should be!!
And tell me something. Say this bully repeatedly acting like he was sticking up for you. That he had your best interests at heart, you and those like you. Went around telling people how great he was because he supported your cause. And then turned around and continued to bully you and go against everything you, and many who are like you stand for.
That is Autism Speaks.
On another note, blaming the kids autism for him stalking you is redicoulous! So is saying nothing can be done! Have you ever tried, I don’t know, BANNING him from your blog?! Many here on the autism blog ban trolls all the time.
How about reporting him from the company you get the blog from? Interenet harrasment can be dealt with. It is not something you just have to lay down and accept, anymore than we have to lay down and accept anyone who wants to bully us.
Point being NO ONE deserves to be harrassed or bullied for any reason, PERIOD!