26 Mar 2011, 10:39 am
My husband has the TV on, don't know what's on, but an ad about autism caught my attention. One from Autism Speaks.
It's an autism awareness kind of thing. And it at the end says "know the signs of autism". And somehow, within this context, within a context where more diagnoses of autism should imply more awareness, when it gives that stat that rates of diagnoses of autism are rising, it's with a tone like that's a bad thing. Despite having said nothing that would imply that the rates of autism have increased. Either they aren't thinking about what they are saying, or they are expecting people watching to not think. Or both. Alas, it's probably a good bet that, even in a context that talks about increasing the awareness of autism, people will hear that and assume it means autism rates are rising, despite an alternative interpretation being pretty much handing them on a platter. It's speaking to people's emotions. And, since their main audience isn't people with autism, nor us autistic-ish types, that will probably work.
It's a manipulation to imply something that the facts don't actually say. 
26 Mar 2011, 11:50 am
26 Mar 2011, 11:51 am
27 Mar 2011, 1:17 am
27 Mar 2011, 8:15 am
04 Apr 2011, 7:28 am
04 Apr 2011, 6:25 pm
It's an autism awareness kind of thing. And it at the end says "know the signs of autism". And somehow, within this context, within a context where more diagnoses of autism should imply more awareness, when it gives that stat that rates of diagnoses of autism are rising, it's with a tone like that's a bad thing. Despite having said nothing that would imply that the rates of autism have increased. Either they aren't thinking about what they are saying, or they are expecting people watching to not think. Or both. Alas, it's probably a good bet that, even in a context that talks about increasing the awareness of autism, people will hear that and assume it means autism rates are rising, despite an alternative interpretation being pretty much handing them on a platter. It's speaking to people's emotions. And, since their main audience isn't people with autism, nor us autistic-ish types, that will probably work.
It's a manipulation to imply something that the facts don't actually say.
I think that in general, Autism Speaks has its heart in the right place in regards to early intervention. Early intervention can make the more distressing symptoms of Autism more easily managed, as any child's brain is capable of learning novel information and skills much more readily than an older child's. What is distressing, however, is that Autism Speaks gives an impression that we must eradicate Autism rather than just provide appropriate educational methods to give those on the Spectrum the best possibility of learning skills, social and otherwise, in the manner most appropriate for their brain's make-up. That's where I dislike Autism Speaks. Autism doesn't need to be eradicated, but early identification can make a world of difference because educating someone with Autism takes a different approach, and the earlier people on the Spectrum get the appropriate education the better.
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