What is the truth about Autism Speaks??

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I've been hearing a lot of information, both positive and negative, on Autism Speaks. As someone who is unsure of what the truth behind the lines really is, I have started this thread to see where the truth lies.

Can anyone fill me in??

My opinion is, that they're doing more harm, than good.

It seems that generally autistics have a negative view. So of their advertising has a thoroughly one sided slant on autism, concentrating on the severely affected and using the statistic of the massive increase in dx's of AS/HFA to make people think that the 1 in 150 or 100 cases are infact LFA. My personal opinion? A potentially dangerous clique of rich americans.

Maybe Autism Speaks has been so outrageous that it brought more autistic people to finally speak out with united messages about autism. So it's good if it's been that kind of catalyst.

I can only say they do more harm than good because they dont really speak for autistic people but the parents. I would like to see some Autistic people speaking and helping to decide where the money the donations from people will go.

They shouldnt be doing anything about us without us.

Basically Autism speaks takes autism, uses it to generate pity, and uses the pity to generate funds. Some, though not I, say it is for profit.
While scientific understanding itself is never bad, there are a number of reasons not to create a cure, which is another issue.
The trouble is that autism speaks creates a and horrible hopeless image of autism. And With the message "disabled" being thrown out so much, too many aspies out there have taken that as an excuse to be mad at the world and live on welfare. Also, Autism Speaks makes it seem like all autism is low functioning, which leads to terrible misunderstandings. They go out of their way to portray autism in a negative light, and that can only cause harm.

And yeah, if an autistic person tried to get involved with that organization, they probably wouldn't be allowed. If they saw that an autistic person could be more than a screaming child, they would lose funding.

Well, here's a video to help you

http://uk.youtube.com/user/AutismSpeaksVids

And yes, I think they do way more harm than good. They do not seem to take into account that those of us who have brains that are affected by Autism might not want to be messed with.

And how would they feel if you took something of their's and changed it?

That video doesn't seem too bad actually. If you want to see the outrageous side in a video, watch Autism Every Day

Any organization that systematically absorbs every other autism organization it can because it can and then goes on to make it so that the only autism organizations available to the world, ALL promote EUGENICS, is doing more harm than good.

As has been stated: AS claims to be the voice of Autism, yet, although we get mentioned on their website, they never let Aspies speak for themselves... Why not?

Because we are high functioning enough to know that we do not want future Aspies eradicated before they are born.

Worse, because these guys suck up so much of the resources available to helping Autism research, AS money goes towards finding a cure rather than researching and funding support systems for those of us who can't be cured.

The most interesting argument for me was when I learned that the founders of AS' daughter (the mother of the autistic son for whom AS was created), had made a very public separation from AS because she didn't believe in what her parents were doing.

I had never heard that. I've heard PSA's they did that are offensive because they focus on what we can't do rather than what we can.

Autism speaks often relie on innocent parents new to Autism to become their supporters,as they do not have previous education on it,they are easier to believe the Autism Speaks criteria of Autism.
They are not representing Autism,or Autistics or Aspies.
They are representing parents and family of those on the spectrum.

As an LFAer,am feel am not represented by Autism Speaks but what it feels like is when people who do not know am see the Autism
and speak around am like am invisible or worthless,in fact the neuro am saw on friday was like this but at least he apologised,Autism Speaks permenantly treat those who come under lower functioning Autism as being completely useless.
In fact,am would say they don't represent the whole of LFA,they only attempt to represent the most profound of LFA.

But Autism Speaks cannot be said to be the only ones who are ignorant to Autism,it goes on in the Autistic community as well towards other autistics [especially towards those with classic autism or pddnos],neither end of the spectrum can represent the other,and parents should not be allowed to represent people on the spectrum.
There should be other groups out there who really do represent Autistics of all functioning levels.
At least in the UK there is the NAS and Autism Initiatives but not sure if they're on the same level.

And here in Arizona I tthink all the autistic groups are pro-cure

They are working for the benefit of people who actually want what they have to offer, which is a fair amount, even if the majority of people here are fine with being socially inept. It is a worthy cause to give frustrated autistics a chance to cope and adjust. The only thing I don't like about them is that if they found a cure they would force people to take it against their will, but that's the view of most cure organizations when it comes to neurological matters.

Or their employers would force them to be cured.