Second person to resign from Autism Speaks

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Second person to resign from Autism Speaks over vaccines
http://asplanet.info/index.php?option=c ... Itemid=149

Maybe Autism Speaks should be simply called NT Speaks

Not getting your kids or your pets their shots is just WROUNG!! Even if the shots cause my sons austism and all real studys on the subject point to NO why is putting your child in danger from know killers that can be easly avoided better then maybe having a child with autism I find the very thought of it insulting.

The issue here is not about science anymore. It is about money.

The treatment of autism is expensive and no one wants to pay for it. The health insurance companies say that it is an educational issue or that the treatments are experimental and as such do not want to pay (which is why states are trying to force them to pay through legal means). The educational system says it is a health issue and either will not pay or will provide the minimum required by law and no more. The government feels that the it is not their domain to pay for the treatment and unless both parents make 6 figure incomes, cannot afford the treatment.

Now, here comes a study which panders to the parents against the big drug companies which people see as having quite a bit of money. Now the parents are hoping that by proving that autism is caused by vaccinations, they can force the drug companies to pay for the treatments (which really does not make sense because most of the companies would end up bankrupt).

Autism Speaks is primarily a group of parents. Therefore, the organization will pander to its main audience and its main audience wants to believe that vaccines cause autism. They will therefore fund studies to that effect. They are not bad people. There are many organizations such as the AMA, the NRA, and so on who pay for scientific research which shows their position.

As for parents not getting their child vaccinated, there needs to be better collaboration between the medical community and the parents. A choice of schedules would not hurt either. For a doctor to simply say this is the way it is and too bad is only inviting for criticism and fight in this arena. The parents have an important say in the medical care too. At the same time, parents need to understand that these vaccines protect the child from diseases that really kill. As a genealogist, I have looked through enough death registers from the 1800s and early 1900s where you can see what happened before vaccines.

The only solution I see to this issue either the government or private insurance actually stepping up to assist the parents in treatment and more collaboration between physician and parent. Otherwise, no science in the world is going to change the minds of the membership at Autism Speaks.

Maybe this is a good sign for people who hate the a-holes at NT Speaks.

I actually have an account on NT Speaks forums. Even though I agree that many of the people on that forum are misinformed on many issues, I also say that many are just looking for information. As someone from the more severe part of the spectrum, I can provide it. To tell you the truth, most of the parents there repsect my answers and ask further questions. I respect them because they seem to really want to know. There are also those who refuse to believe that I am severely autistic because of the fact that i can type a coherent paragraph or due to the fact that I spent some time in the Navy. If these people would have seen me as a child, there would be no doubt.

What I am against though is the finding of genetic markers that will allow people to abort autistic fetuses. If Autism Speaks wants to help us, then they would concentrate on training parents on how we learn and teach behavioral modifications. Also helping adults navigate the NT world would be a big plus.

There's a HUGE difference between NT Speaks, as in the people that are employed by them, and the forums. The forums are made up of parents of autistic kids that are just wanting to connect to others, and gather support, much like WP. The organization of NT Speaks, however is made up of (mostly, as i'm sure there may be exceptions) people with a hidden agenda, and dollar signs in their eyes.

Even though I probably don't support the type of research that Dr. London is advocating for ( I really don't know what he is researching specifically), I do applaud him for sticking to his ethics, and morals even against a big name like NT Speaks. That had to take courage. Maybe if enough people will stand up against their corruption the whole organization will collapse, or at least I can only hope.

I tend to agree, desperate parents wanting answers, help, support and instead being feed fad treatments, money spinners... but as for myself who is on the autism spectrum the only ones that helped me on my own journey were those on the autism spectrum, they truly are the ones with the answers... understanding, accepting and allowing helps the most and hopefully one day if we all stick together and speak out ours4elves the governments will have to listen more, UK seems to be leading the way:The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism - June 2009
http://www.nas.org.uk/content/1/c6/01/9 ... p_Web2.pdf

To tell you the truth, I'm sick of us and our families being looked upon as endless revenue streams. A local lady with 3 sons on the autism spectrum has started a local Autism Education Center in my area. This center will be run bu our families and us. In other words it will be for us and by us. This is the only way things are going to change is when we start taking care of ourselves and each other. I say, "To hell with the government and their beloved insurance companies. All they have done is cause us misery. We don't need them!"

Autism Speaks' armor has chinks in it, and now is the right time to exploit those weaknesses.

I agree whole heartly with cyberscan it's time to show the snake oil pushers were to shove it. Someone tried to hard sell me a home hyperbaric chamber for my son at the low low price of $6,000 it was an inflatable and tiny. When I asked the man how did it help he said he didn't know it just did..... Wow.

cyberscan, I don't believe the government is tied to Autism Speaks in any way; in fact, I believe the goverment researchers are trying to fight against the dogma Autism Speaks is pushing.