What is Autism Speaks?

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Apparently everyone hates them. All I know about them is that they want to find a cure for autism, which means they are full of crap.
What's the matter with them anyway?

They say we are a disease worse than cancer, and they are basically eugenicists on a mission to eliminate the autistic population completely from the planet. To this end, they produce constant hate propaganda. They solicit a lot of donations, pay the staff huge salaries and travel expenses, and spend only about 4% on families of autistic children. As you will realise, their attitude and practices could be said to be derived from Goebbels. Like him, they spread falsehoods, day in and day out. He said that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. So that is what they do that is held to be so repugnant by many people here. Their leaders are grandiose and love the limelight, and meeting the Pope, and have gagged their daughter from making any public comment ever about their grandson, who has the cheek to not be the kind of perfect grandchild they wanted. They appear not to care about the effect of their hate speech on him.

They lobby and suck up to local and federal politicians, to promote their toxic propaganda and political aims. They hate us. They believe we have no right to exist, that we are not really true humans, but subhuman, diseased and malign deviants who pollute the world. I am very familiar with the hallmarks of narcissistic and sociopathic behaviours which are personality disorders. It is interesting to watch what Suzanne Wright says, writes and does, and to watch her displays of entitlement, whilst portraying herself as a "saviour" of families from the "leprous scourge" of autistic children. This two-faced display - the smiling face on the outside, concealing the sharpened knife within = classic sign.

Last edited by B19 on 16 Sep 2015, 5:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

If you don't support the charity's use of money, don't donate to it. That applies to all charities. There are plenty of different autism charities and support them instead if they better fit your ideas on what raised money should be spent on. Autism speaks spends more on research than on autistic people. If you support that, donate. If you don't, don't donate. They don't have to change to match the ideas of those who dislike them. I don't personally agree or like the charity or their marketing, but that's not their problem.

From what I posted, my donating to AS would be appear highly unlikely Are you giving me the above advice or is it meant for WP members generally?

That's the truth. All NTs agree.

Far from all, and since when has consensus equalled truth?


another point about Autism Speaks: their entire staff contains zero ASD people, none at all.
so far for "autism" speaking...

I am no expert, but i think they do have autistic employees? Last time i checked they did, but i could be wrong. Still not a fan of them though

WP members generally. I see a lot of hate of A$ (as people call it) here. It's fine if you disagree with their usage of money, but if you're not donating then it doesn't really matter to them.

They have set the agenda about Autism in the USA during the last 10 years. There are indications this is starting to change. There has been positive coverage of the "Neurotribes" book and the all autism wedding all of which is the opposite agenda of Autism Speaks in the mainstream media. Autistics are flustering them on the internet, our natural space

But if people are fundamentally opposed to what the organization stands for then they should still speak out against it.

Can do. And they can listen, too. They don't have to, though, especially if there are more people supporting them than those who don't.

Yep, that's democracy for you.

Yes, people should oppose hate groups by more than just not donating. I'm not willing to just stand by and let anti-gay hate groups try to "cure" gay people or say that being gay is an abomination just because I don't donate to them. I'm not willing to just stand by and let police organizations act like it's no big deal to shoot unarmed black boys just because I don't donate to the organization. I'm not willing to just stand by and let the US Republican Party roll back the rights of women over our own bodies just because I don't donate to Republican candidates or the party. I have every right to oppose an organization's work that spreads hate and discrimination even if I do not donate, and not only do I have a right, but I feel that I have a duty to stand up against hate groups. Autism Speaks is no different. They spread fear of Autism and advocate for the disrespect, torture, and eugenics of Autistic people, and I am not just going to stand by and let them do that even if I do not donate.

But a constitutional democracy does not (well, should not) allow for tyranny of the majority over the rights of minorities.

Being gay, black, or female are different to being autistic. None of the first 3 are recognized as disorders, nor are they.

That's true, but we're not talking about the government. An organization can say whatever it wants. Just look at the skinheads or the Westboro Baptist church. I strongly dislike Autism Speaks but they do have a right to exist.