Boycott Autism Speaks! Petition and Sponsor Contact

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No it doesn't put autistic people in a negative light. It makes us look like disabled people standing up for our rights. As all people should do. The fact that many other disabled rights groups have supported the protests against Autism Speaks, proves that it is having a positive effect. That people out side the autistic community are not seeing it in a negative light, but rather as a just cause.

Autism Speaks is 100% worthless. It's just wasting money and resources and helping no one.

Well i don't agree with you..but you certainly are entitled to your opinion...

No they don't. Those organizations are made up of autistic people. It's Autism Speaks that excludes autistic people.

Well this is neither my experience with that organization or the experience of other people who post here..

But again.. you are entitled to your difference of opinion....

You don't agree with what? The facts? Here are the organizations that have come out in support against Autism Speaks.

National and International Organizations:

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

ADAPT

TASH

The Arc of the United States

Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund (DREDF)

The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN)

Autism Network International (ANI)

The Autism National Committee

Little People of America (LPA)

Not Dead Yet

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

National Coalition for Disability Rights/ADA Watch

The Autistic Spectrum Partnership In Research and Education (AASPIRE)

Mothers From Hell 2

The Center for Self-Determination

Disability Rights Advocates

Kids As Self-Advocates (KASA)

Service Dog Central

MHONA International

The National Empowerment Center

Disabled Youth Collective (DYP)

The National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations

Feminist Response in Disability Activism (FRIDA)

The ICORS Asperger’s Listserv

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network-Australia

Autism Rights Group Highland (in Scotland, United Kingdom)

The Autistic Community of Israel

Autreach IT in the United Kingdom

The Southwest Autistic Rights Movement (SWARM) in the United Kingdom

The London Autistic Rights Movement (LARM)

The Aspergers Network in the United Kingdom

Local, State, and Regional Organizations:

ADAPT-Montana

The Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, NY

The Regional Center for Independent Living in Rochester, NY

The Michigan Disability Rights Coalition

The Institute for Disability Access in Austin, Texas

The Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education

The Paraquad Center for Independent Living in St. Louis, Missouri

The Lonesome Doves in Pennsylvania

TASH-New England

Together Enhancing Autism Awareness in Mississippi (TEAAM)

Wesleyan Students for Disability Rights at Wesleyan University in Connecticut

Tangram in Indianapolis, Indiana

The Disability Activists Work Group (DAWG) in Oregon

APSE-Oklahoma

North Carolina Disability Action Network

Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Topeka Independent Living Resource Center in Topeka, Kansas

Disabilityworks in Chicago, Illinois

Ardinger Consultants & Associates in Maryland

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey

Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training and Support

Aspergers Young Adults of North Alabama (AYANA)

Access to Independence of Cortland County, Cortland, New York

Youth Power, New York

The New York Association on Independent Living

Self-Advocates As Leaders (SAAL) in Oregon

Green Country Independent Living Resource Center

Elementary Inclusive Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University

Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee at Syracuse University

Green Mountain Self-Advocates in Vermont

Advance Youth Leadership Power in Chicago, Illinois

Organizations that signed onto the letter after its initial release:

Mental Health Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Pennsylvania

Mental-Health-Advocate.US

Speak for yourself. Because I don't think you represent the views of many other posters here. But it doesn't surprise me that you would support Autism Speaks. Thats the same thing they do. Try to speak for other people.

As I said awhile earlier, I also think that I am not included in autism speaks or asan, and neither autism speaks or asan speak for me, and I don't want either autism speaks or asan to speak for me, as I speak for myself, and an organization that is started and operated by autistic people doesn't equal an organization that represents autistic people well, and I don't think that I am personally represented well by asan, and I am ackshuly not sure what asan is representing.

Well..that's what i'm doing speaking for myself..

This website..is not even indicative of the vast majority of people on the spectrum..some of who do find support with the Autism Speaks organization...

Like I said..they do not speak for me..but they most definitely speak for people like my son who died from a co-morbid condition associated with Autism..

Autism Speaks is one of the leading organizations funding genetic research for the genetic disease that did contribute to my son's death..

My viewpoint is definitely colored by my experience..as is yours..

You only speak for yourself and I only speak for myself..

Other than that we report what we experience in life...

And i'm sorry friend but this ain't a black and white issue..

Some folks do like Autism Speaks..Some folks do like ASAN..and some folks do not care for either organization..

And others like them all...

Different strokes for different folks on a Spectrum that is diverse..as any other human condition..known to modern medicine.....

So an old blog post about autism speaks, but relevant:

http://momnos.blogspot.com/2006/07/alte ... y-day.html

After the ridiculous levels of pushback and shaming directed at me for saying there's a problem when a parent openly talks about killing her child, esp. right in front of her child, it was nice to find an article that takes a sensible view to such crap:

http://momnos.blogspot.com/2006/07/alte ... y-day.html

I will be completely unsurprised when someone drops everything to to try to discredit said post.

now autism parenting magazine is joining the boycott

http://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/issue-14-asd-options-living-independently/#.Us51KGRkE5g

I saw that video in the past and to me at the time it just seemed the woman was stating matter of fact about herself moreso than about Autism or her child per se; that she felt so low and was so worried about her childs future or lack thereof, and of bad things happening to her that driving off the bridge seemed a solution. So rightly or wrongly if you set aside the moral issues of what she was describing, as far as her sitting there saying what she said and having it recorded - it was simply revelatory recall at that point.
And the idea that her child understood what she was saying didn't occur to me. It cannot have occurred to the woman.

And thats the problem - from what I know now I believe it's highly likely the child did understand what was being discussed in which case of course what she was doing - discussing those things in front of her child - was totally inappropriate.

Yes, putting aside the fact that their message is immoral, what the woman did was mental child abuse at its worse. And that is the people who are running an organization that claims to speak for autistic people. And worse yet, massive amounts of parents of autistic children seem to sympathize with the message, and support this sicko organization. I can't believe that this crap has been going on for almost ten years, and nothing has been done to shut them down before this.

Dude there is a big difference between immoral and inappropriate..

As a mother of a nonverbal child with Autism..the mother had good reason to believe whether incorrect or correct that her child had no idea what she was talking about per her cognitive abilities..and it is very likely that was identified as such by medical professionals..whether incorrect or correct at the time...

It could have been immoral if she had any idea her child might have understood her...

But if the child did..that's what we call inappropriate or a friggin mistake in the real world..however it affects another person..

Mistakes happen ..misunderstandings happen...

Now back to empathy...

MOST Human beings express empathy and compassion..which means YES FRIGGIN DEMONSTRATING IT TOO..except for some folks which yes does include some folks on the autism spectrum as clearly identified in research....

Perhaps that is why many people in this discussion have no clue it seems..why another human being would express a very difficult emotional or mentally unstable period of their life..to try to empathically support other nice folks in real life..that might be in the same horrifying place...

This is what most human beings do..they support each other..by relating their pain in life..to let other folks know..that yes! there is hope! and ya can! get through IT! truly! without actually doing something horrifying like committing suicide and killing ya child...

Do ya get..it.. maybe not..and maybe you are not currently biologically or neurologically able to...as you are on the spectrum as far as i know...

So i can't blame ya for that..if so..

But this is the truth friend... like it or not.

And a relative few autistic folks online who have problems understanding why folks go to so much friggin effort in life to support and demonstrate empathy for their fellow human beings...in yes even extreme ways like this..are never gonna change human nature in the big world..

Cause about 1 percent of folks are autistic..and a few more percent have other disabling conditions..that make it difficult for people to fully understand and demonstrate human empathy...

And NO.. this ain't just my opinion..there are reams and reams of evidence..that support everything i am saying here..which yaH..i can provide on request...easily...:)

I've had some difficulty with this kinda stuff too..but i never gave up and had faith and belief with time..that i could and would adapt..and be able to understand why most human beings did the things they did...

And yah..after 5 decades..i am very successful in REAL LIFE IN DOING THIS..perhaps even more so than some folks that don't have autism...

That what dedication..and effort to adaptation to any adversity in life can bring...

That too is a human fact..and why epigenetics..and neuroplasticity..are REAL HUMAN TOOLS..FOR THE REAL MIRACLES OF LIFE OF HUMAN ADAPTATION.. CHANGE FOR THE BETTER..TO MORE FULLY CONNECT WITH AND DEMONSTRATE LOVE..YES LOVE..FOR OTHER HUMAN BEINGS..2

I know how to make it happen..at least for me...

but nah..not many folks are as interested in getting..tHere.. to those full human abilities..as i was ..and AM..for whatever reason..and i certainly cannot reasonably personally judge THAT AS IMMORAL OR WHATEVER..as..i..only have my will..not the will of others....to actuALLy get tHere!

Yes, demonizing people with autism is immoral. Talking about murdering autistic children is immoral. The fact that you can't understand that, just shows how much in denial, you are. Now go back to your infinite loop of apologizing for Autism Speaks. Because that is all of your diatribe, that I can stomach reading.

Dude talking about mental illness and emotional instability..is not murder..or immoral ..have a heart..can ya?

And talking about real problems of real people..with real disorders..ain't demonizing...s**t...

You're talking about conspiracy s**t here dude..not reality...if ya can see that...

but i don't think ya can..as cognitive empathy deficits are reality too..for the autism spectrum disorder world...

And that's a fact 2...

But i'm the energizer bunny.. i can talk about this all day..if ya like..

i don't get tired..

that's one of my 'autistic super powers'..friend...

Along with a most unusual way..

to get it across to ya.
ya see...