Is Autism Speaks A Hate Group

Autism Speaks Is Genocidal

Not one person on their board is autistic and they have a place where they torture people called the Judge Rotenberg Centre where they claim to help people but they torture autistic people and use electroshock therapy. Also, a great deal of their funding doesn’t go towards helping autistic people and over 50 percent of their people don’t know what autism is. Their leader made 600,000 dollars a year. There are zero autistic people on their board and the only person that was autistic was John Elder Robison and he left because all they do is spread hate and they didn’t listen to his opinions. Furthermore, the majority of autistic people don’t want a cure and they see it as a fundamental part of who they are. They even have links with a white supremacist biker gang.

Autism No Puzzle Nothing Wrong With Us

Paula Jessop

Many autistic people strongly dislike the puzzle piece as a symbol for autism, writes Paula Jessop, Altogether Autisms former autistic advisor.

THE PUZZLE piece as a symbol for autism was originally used by the National Autism Society in UK in 1963. Time went by and it was used to represent autism by an organisation in America, Autism Speaks.

Autism Speaks then went on to use the puzzle piece in very big Autism Awareness campaigns in America, leading to the puzzle piece being adopted as the symbol for autism.

But the problem for many autistic people, is that Autism Speaks campaigns were particularly negative and problematic to autistic people.

Autism awareness campaigns historically have been modelled on campaigns to raise awareness of diseases, illnesses like cancer. Early autism awareness promotion was based on organisations and parents belief that autism is a disease. A tragic and terrible one.

Autism Speaks was the biggest organisation to approach autism awareness from this perspective that autism is a disease requiring fixing, curing. Therefore, their campaigns were the most hurtful, upsetting and offensive to autistic people.

She spoke of these urges in the film, while her daughter was in the room and could hear what she was saying. Autistic people continue to be horrified there was ever a time it was seemingly socially acceptable for people to discuss killing us while we listened.

The Idea That Autism Is A Childhood Disorder

Some Autistics dislike the symbol of a colorful puzzle piece because it appears childish. The bright primary colors and image of a toy most commonly associate with children identify autism as a childhood disorder and that attention should be paid to how it affects children. But those children grow up and they still are Autistic , and not enough media attention is paid to the specific supports that are needed post-childhood.

You May Like: Autism Death Age

Evolution Was Never Fair

Another concern is that this will widen genetic disparities, affording more opportunities to less and less people. This criticism falls away when we consider how uncaring about fairness evolution is. Being able to select and change bad genes people are dealt was never afforded to your ancestors who died of some unnamed genetic disease. Allowing nature to decide is random and devoid of fairness. We should rejoice in deleting diseases and enhancing the things about our genes we value and make them available to those who do not have it, but we must proceed cautiously.

The 3 Challenges For Parents Of Adult Children With Autism

Some decent, well-intentioned people are associated with the organization. They have been instrumental in, for example, passing state legislation requiring fully-funded health insurance plans to cover therapies for autistic children, including in Massachusetts, my own state. Some might still seek to reform the organization from within.

Whats the fall-out so far?

Less support for Autism Speaks, though for now, we can only guess its impact. A Diary of a Mom has sympathetically addressed the families who defend Wrights description of autism. John Elder Robison has expressed his concern that the autistic and scientific communities remain too far apart.Youre not neutral.

Who is? Instead of eliminating autistic people, lets seek to understand the complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors that can cause people to undervalue and marginalize others.

Where can I go for a quote that represents autistic people?

The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network is a nonprofit organization run by and for autistic people.

The Thinking Persons Guide to Autism is a one-stop source for carefully curated, evidence-based information from autism parents, autistics, and autism professionals.

The Autism Womens Network is an inclusive community of “autistic girls and women, their families, friends, and supporters.”

GRASP is an Asperger’s-focused organization in which the Executive Director, 100 percent of the Advisory Board, and 50 percent of the Board of Directors are diagnosed autistic.

Recommended Reading: Aspergers Life Expectancy

There Is Not One Member Of Their Board With Autism

Autism Speaks is one of few disability charities that refuses to include individuals with disabilities on their board or in leadership positions.

They are trying to make decisions regarding the future of autism without consulting any individuals with autism.

In fact, after being criticized so heavily for this, Autism Speaks added John Elder Robinson, an author and autism advocate who has autism, to the board.

He later resigned because the organization had no respect for individuals with autism and he could no longer align himself with their beliefs. You can read more about that here.

For those who say that its simply that there arent autistic people interested and qualified, the Autistic Self Advocacy Networks board includes several autistic self-advocates.

*Update: Autism Speaks has responded to this criticism and has added autistic members to their board. While its a teeny, tiny, baby step in the right direction, it doesnt rectify the damage this organization is done.

I Resign My Roles At Autism Speaks

building neurodiversity on campushigh school to work transition programsnowtwo years agoJohn Elder Robison is an autistic adult and advocate for people with neurological differences. Hes the author of Look Me in the Eye, Be Different, Raising Cubby, and the forthcoming Switched On. He serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee of the US Dept of Health and Human Services and many other autism-related boards. Hes co-founder of the TCS Auto Program and hes the Neurodiversity Scholar in Residence at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The opinions expressed here are his own. There is no warranty expressed or implied. While reading this essay may give you food for thought, actually printing and eating it may make you sick.

Also Check: Autism Awarness Symbol

Because We Love Our Boy And Want To Support All The Other Ipads Out There We Want To Acknowledge World Autism Awareness Day Without Furthering Support For Autism Speaks

There are other options!

Some people choose to follow the Red Instead movement. According to Learnfromautistics.com, Blue is typically understood to be a symbol of loss, grief, and despair. Not surprisingly, many autistics prefer to be associated with a color that symbolizes fire, passion, and heart. The #RedInstead movement seeks to spread a message of acceptance rather than awareness. The world knows about autism its time to start teaching the world how to accommodate, rather than seek to cure, autistic people.

Another option is to Light It Up Gold. AutisticUK.org explains, The Au suffix has become quite common in its use as it uses the Autis = Au* = Gold idea to self-identify and as a community had started #LIUG, Light it up Gold, in response to Auti$m $peak$ . This was not the only use of Gold or Au we found, but it was the most common and seemed to have struck a loud chord in many groups and individuals in other countries as well as the UK.

We love this one in our house. Every year on April 2, I post the following: Au is the chemical symbol for gold. Gold is valuable, and so is Walker! Hes AUtistic and AUsome! We dont feel BLUE about Walkers autism! We are lucky to have our PRECIOUS boy sparkling and shining just exactly as he is! We are lighting it up GOLD for Autism Acceptance Day!

Read Also: What Is The Difference Between Autism And Sensory Processing Disorder

The Good Kind Of Eugenics

We should be very wary in giving any power to the government over its citizens, and the exact wording of detrimental disease should not be taken lightly when handing this to a government. I take these requirements for ethical enhancement from Julian Savulescus paper again and also say this works as criteria for editing out diseases:

What is an ethical enhancement for a child or incompetent human being?

All the above plus:

Also Check: High Functioning Autism Definition

Johnathan Yarrow Is A Successful Defense Attorney Until He Takes On A Personal Case He Cannot Win Ruined By The Loss And Haunted By His Past Yarrow A Man Who Desired To See The Good In All People Starts To Learn That Not Everyone Can Be Good Not Even Himself

There are heaps of different jobs you could be doing to earn extra cash while youre in college. However, youll probably want to give some thought to how each of your prospective job opportunities might impress prospective employers when you launch your actual career after graduation. The following jobs are ones youre probably qualified to do, and theyre likely to be more impressive additions to your resume than the usual Mcjob options would be:

Crispr And Better Tomorrows

CRISPR allows us to make precise changes to DNA in humans, allowing us for the first time to loosen the chains of our genes from our fate. Should we make it illegal to not give your child a vaccine as well as to no edit out their genetic diseases? The main concerns are encroaching upon parents rights and destroying disability culture by curing diseases. I argue neither encroachment is sufficient to allow diseases that narrow human experiences and limit happiness to exist.

With germline editing we can permanently change DNA sequences before conception, which is a bit beyond the horizon technologically as of now but editing non-germline DNA is closer than you might think. The downside is that the alteration will die with the individual but can perhaps be administered after birth. I will argue why non-germline editing is something that should be seen as no different than vaccines and should be mandated.

Read Also: Nick Eh 30 Vs Ninja

Since I Am Not Autistic I Am Choosing Not To Speak For The Autistic Community

Rather than explaining in my own words, I am encouraging you to use some of your precious time to seek out this information on your own and read the many, many accounts available from autistic people. To get you started, here are a few direct quotes from autistic adults who have written their opinions about Autism Speaks.

In an article posted on the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Networks website, writer Amy Sequenzia says, Autisms Speaks reaches out to families by listing the deficits, difficulties and pain an Autistic child will experience forever Autism Speaks makes videos that paints autism as the cause of all the troubles in the world Autism Speaks has no problem in allowing a board member to advertise her macabre wish to murder her Autistic daughter.

In an opinion piece for The Student Life, the newspaper of Claremont Colleges, writer Donnie Denome declares, Its not that I want Autism Speaks to get with the program. Its that I dont trust Autism Speaks, or organizations like them that treat disabled people like suffering burdens on our family members, to change in any meaningful way or to value neurodiversity without distorting the concept beyond all recognition. I have no time or energy for groups that view me as a parasite or infected appendage on the body of my neurotypical loved ones.

Jimmy Kimmel Is Slammed For Signing Up To Host Star

• Jimmy Kimmel has teamed up with former NASA engineer Mark Rober on ‘Color The Spectrum: A Livestream To Support The Autism Community’
• The three-hour YouTube fundraiser will stream on April 30 and has already raised nearly $1 million for NEXT for Autism
• Celebrities slated to appear include Maya Rudolph, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Mark Hamill, on Stewart, Conan O’Brien, and Stephen Colbert
• But critics are slamming NEXT and the other autism nonprofits that it supports, including the controversial Autism Speaks
• Critics say Autism Speaks, and NEXT by extension, support Applied Behavior Analysis , which some describe as ‘torture’ and ‘abusive’
• Autistic TikToker Paige Layle said they ‘work toward preventing autism, a.k.a prenatal screening for autism, a.k.a. aborting specifically autism babies’
• NEXT had accused critics of spreading ‘outrageous misinformation’

Also Check: Autism Life Expectancy United States

Recognize Autism Speaks As A Hate Group And Revoke Its Nonprofit Status

Signature Count

Autism Speaks claims to be a charity, yet its goals are opposite the interests of the people it allegedly supports. The leadership of Autism Speaks consists of not a single autistic person. Its “awareness” campaigns frequently compare autism to diseases and sympathize with the murder of children.

Autism Speaks spends only 4% of its budget on family services. The largest portion, about 44%, goes to research aimed at causes and prevention. Autistic people do not want to be “cured” of their autism any more than blacks want their skin bleached to look more white.

As an autistic person, and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, I urge the Obama administration to revoke the status of Autism Speaks as a 501 nonprofit, and to publicly declare that Autism Speaks is a hate group.

Civil Rights & Equality

Sleeping On Your Belly

Do you like to sleep on your tummy, but experience problems oftentimes? The position might not help you. If you experience insomnia, chances are that youre not comfortable sleeping in this position. It can tense your neck and your lower back. But if this is how you like to sleep, you might consider using a very soft cooling pillow to keep your neck comfortable.

Recommended Reading: Printable Visual Cards For Autism

How This Insidious Organization Controls The Narrative Of Autism And What To Support Instead

May 23, 2020-= Image Graphic Edits and Image Manipulation by Keira Fulton-Lees, As.D =--= Image of Square Peg/Round Hole Character Image by fliegenwulfshutterstock.com =–= Image of Blue/White World Map by titoOnz on =-

If you search up charities for autism, Autism Speaks will probably be at the top of the list. If you use Instagrams donation feature to fundraise for a charity, Autism Speaks is one of the first popular charities to pop up. Thousands of well-meaning people who wish to support the autistic community light it up blue and proudly display the puzzle piece symbol. These are good people, not evil autism haters. Autism Speaks is a master at publicity. Thats where most of its money goes making its brand image look better. Its no wonder people fall for it. I did myself.

Yet Autism Speaks is one of the worst organizations to donate to when it comes to supporting autism rights. Their agenda may not be as frank as some others. You wont find any articles screaming about the evils of autism and vaccines. They supported the anti-vaxxer movement for several years but have since attempted to wipe it from their image. Sesame Streets partnership with Autism Speaks features ads that emphasize acceptance and love for autistic people. If thats all I knew of Autism Speaks, I would have thought they were a great organization.

Why Autism Speaks Doesn’t Speak For Me

Cover via Amazon

Autism Speaks, founded in 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, sometimes seems to have taken over the entire conversation about autism in this country, what with their blue puzzle pieces littered all over the landscape, coming to symbolize, wrongly, autism itself. Yet in spite of their ostensible role as a voice for autism, they’ve got a poor track record of showing respect for autistic people. One example is their intensely offensive “I am autism” video from 2009, promising a threatening, ominous autism that “knows where you live” and “works faster than pediatric AIDS, cancer, and diabetes combined.” Oh, and guaranteeing also that autism will make your marriage fail. It doesn’t.

But that little fact and any number of others didn’t get in the way of Suzanne Wright when she settled in to pen her organization’s recent “” on autism, this time switching pronouns to assert repeatedly in boldface, “This is autism.” She claims that the country has failed autism families, “let them split up.” According to Ms. Wright, families who have autistic children are “not living.” Except that, almost in the same breath, evidently we are living

… moment-to-moment. In anticipation of the childs next move. In despair. In fear of the future.

Autism “moms” , she avers, live like this:

Read Also: Autism Symbols Puzzle Piece

Who Is Actually Speaking

It would be strange if the leading advocacy group for the LGBTQ community was made up of straight people, or if a POC advocacy group was run by white people. Yet it isnt viewed as strange that there are only two Autism Speaks board members out of over thirty who are autistic. The rest are neurotypical, and the organization entirely caters to neurotypicals. In all its testimonies and information, we never hear from autistic people. We only see examples of autistic children, not adults, and we never get to hear autistic adults speak about autism. We dont even get to hear the children talk about their experiences or opinions.

The information Autism Speaks gives out is written by and for neurotypicals. All its guides, toolkits and ads focus on how families and peers will feel. We are told how the parents will be sad, how siblings will be confused, how friends will be upset. We are never taught to question how the autistic person might think or feel. Its like autistic children have no ability to communicate for themselves, and autistic adults are non-existent.

At the end of the toolkit, Autism Speaks encourages parents to seek out the autism community, which according to them is made up of therapists and parents of autistic children. Guess whos not part of the autism community according to this list? Autistic people.