What is so bad about Autism Speaks nowadays?

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Cavycat
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12 Jan 2019, 8:56 pm

I found out about Autism Speaks when I was eleven or twelve because they supported my institution's 5k race. I did research later on about them, and yes they are horrid. I feel like their fear mongering and support of harmful activities is unspeakable. As a survivor of Lovaas ABA, I feel angry at them for that support. I saw many horrid to violations at the institution, and Austism Speaks supports that.
I tried to do red instead on the school day after the blue lighting last year. Every year, the institution would light the fire light at the residences and the lobby at the main building blue for the entirety of April. It made me dislike the atmosphere of April. I usually like April because spring came during it, my favourite holiday occurs most years in it, and many of my relatives have birthdays then.

The problem is that they didn't change their tactics and doesn't actually help people. That is why the community seems to dislike them. The tactics, which my institution used, just makes people hate themselves for their Autism.

ASPartOfMe
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13 Jan 2019, 12:38 am

Cavycat wrote:

I am glad you survived ABA. That is a credit to you.

I understand your feelings about April, blue is my favorite color.

Maybe this will make you feel better about April
Autism Acceptance Month

Quote:

April is Autism Acceptance Month. During Autism Acceptance Month, we focus on sharing positive, respectful, and accurate information about autism and autistic people.

Autism Acceptance Month promotes acceptance and celebration of autistic people as family members, friends, classmates, co-workers, and community members making valuable contributions to our world. Autism is a natural variation of the human experience, and we can all create a world which values, includes, and celebrates all kinds of minds.

In a nutshell, Autism Acceptance Month is about treating autistic people with respect, listening to what we have to say about ourselves, and making us welcome in the world.

Autism Acceptance Month takes place every year during April. The first Autism Acceptance Month celebrations were organized in 2011, as a response to traditional “Autism Awareness” campaigns which the Autistic community found harmful and insufficient. “Autism Acceptance” as a concept has a history as long as the Autistic community itself, dating back to Jim Sinclair’s seminal classic “Don’t Mourn For Us” .

What is the name of your former abusive institution? I ask because if anybody asks me about it I can try to steer them away from there.

If you can somehow contact other former unfortunate "graduates", maybe you can together contact Newsday or News 12.

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warrier120
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13 Jan 2019, 5:18 pm

Like Cavycat described, I was also fortunate to have survived ABA, both physically and psychologically. The therapists knew I hated being ignored during meltdowns, so they used ignoring me as an "aversive". It was a poor one, though, as I usually wanted help and not necessarily being ignored. So it was really a just a modified form of Lovaas-style ABA.

Now that I think about it, I don't think Autism Speaks can be forgiven. They have not fully learned from their mistakes and the things like the MSSNG project are no exception. In the past when I knew no better about AS, I attended AS fundraisers, oblivious that they were intending to cure off all of the autistic people. (I use "cure off" because it sounds a lot like "kill off".) Now I'm never going back to AS.

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Dvdz
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13 Jan 2019, 7:52 pm

So sorry to both warrier120 and Cavycat that you both had to endure that.

It really sounds like Lovaas method ABA is something to avoid.

warrier120
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14 Jan 2019, 12:17 am

Dvdz wrote:

So sorry to both warrier120 and Cavycat that you both had to endure that.

It really sounds like Lovaas method ABA is something to avoid.

I assume you can make the connection between Autism Speaks and Lovaas method ABA now?

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ASPartOfMe
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14 Jan 2019, 2:17 am

Dvdz wrote:

It really sounds like Lovaas method ABA is something to avoid.

Avoiding something is a choice. When you are a kid other people decide what your life is going to be like.

VitaLily
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13 Mar 2019, 3:36 am

They don't spend any of their money on helping autistic people and their families, it all goes towards 'cures' and they haven't had one actually autistic person working for them like ever.

Dvdz
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15 Mar 2019, 6:35 am

What exactly do you mean by 'cures'?

What makes you say they haven't had one actually autistic person working for them like ever?

ASPartOfMe
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15 Mar 2019, 10:01 am

VitaLily wrote:

They don't spend any of their money on helping autistic people and their families, it all goes towards 'cures' and they haven't had one actually autistic person working for them like ever.

This is not correct and dated. Three of there thirty member board of directors are autistic. They have a few other autistic people working for them. Cure-was taken out of thier mission statement a few years ago.

Autism Speaks Drops Cure/Prevention From Mission Statement

Autism Speaks Finally Has Autistic Board Member

Third Autistic Person On Autism Speaks Board - Robyn Silber

Autism Speaks Employment Tool Kit

EpixAndoid
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18 Mar 2019, 4:41 pm

On their homepage, the organization uses “person-first” language to refer to an autistic person. It’s about 2-3rds down the page.

Dvdz
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18 Mar 2019, 8:41 pm

EpixAndoid wrote:

On their homepage, the organization uses “person-first” language to refer to an autistic person. It’s about 2-3rds down the page.

What, do you think, is the difference between "person with autism" and "autistic person"?

ASPartOfMe
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19 Mar 2019, 1:38 am

Dvdz wrote:

EpixAndoid wrote:

On their homepage, the organization uses “person-first” language to refer to an autistic person. It’s about 2-3rds down the page.

What, do you think, is the difference between "person with autism" and "autistic person"?

Person with autism implies that Autism is not part of the person or defines a person. Autistic person implies that autism is part of who that person is or part of their identity

ASPartOfMe
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13 Dec 2019, 2:50 am

anta Cares: Malls across U.S. opening early this holiday season so kids with autism can visit Santa in a calmer setting

Quote:

The nonprofit Autism Speaks, along with Cherry Hill Programs, are holding "Santa Cares" days in malls across the country. Malls will open early for these events, so it will be less busy and overwhelming. The lights will be dimmed and the music will be lowered, allowing children to visit Santa in a calmer setting, according to a statement from Cherry Hill Programs.

St. Nick himself will also adjust for "Santa Cares" events, with training in how to interact with special-needs children. Santa will lay on the floor or stand behind his chair to make sure each child is comfortable during the photo-op, according to Cherry Hill Programs

This year, an unprecedented 747 Santa Cares events will be held in 582 shopping centers in the U.S. and Canada. Cherry Hill Programs also holds these events during Easter, so kids can visit the Easter Bunny in a quieter setting.

Santa Cares and Bunny Cares events both benefit Autism Speaks. Since 2015, more than $733,318 has been raised at these events for Autism Speaks.

SharonB
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13 Dec 2019, 9:10 am

I also have heard that Autism Speaks pathologized AS (regarded as abnormal or unhealthy) rather than empowering. That said, I found their Job Seekers page and my first impression is that it is helpful (e.g. a strengths chart). I am a little reluctant to look closer given their reputation --- I know that it's unlikely for something to jump out and say "you're BAD!" but I am a little sensitive right now...

Magna
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13 Dec 2019, 9:31 am

Dvdz wrote:

EpixAndoid wrote:

On their homepage, the organization uses “person-first” language to refer to an autistic person. It’s about 2-3rds down the page.

What, do you think, is the difference between "person with autism" and "autistic person"?

I saw a comment on a youtube video recently about autism where the person said about person first language:

"My feeling is that if they need to use person-first language to remind themselves that we are people, then they don't see us as people in the first place."

^That's how I feel 100%.

That comment by: bobobobinalong can be found in the comments of this video:

CockneyRebel
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15 Dec 2019, 2:35 pm

I first heard about Autism Speaks in the late November of 2006. They make it clear that their mission statement is a world without autism. That they want to do research that will cure every person on the spectrum, whether they want a cure or not. Their plan also includes a solution for people who can't be cured. That reminds me of the final solution that the Nazis implemented. That sounds like eugenics to me.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/10 ... ure/22884/

“Autism Speaks enhances lives today and is accelerating a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow.”

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