Please stop Steve Silberman from speaking at the ASA Meeting

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https://www.change.org/p/autism-society ... conference

Steve Silberman is an autism writer that trivializes the disabilities that autistics face. When he was criticized for not including descriptions of low functioning autistics that wear diapers and bang their heads in his book Neurotribes, he said in an interview "Disability is Part of the Human Experience".

I don't think he was denying them or their challenges, but merely trying to say that we should not reduce them to their functioning within the spectrum. However, given how the almost only description people get of autism, is an autism for (male) severe autistics, I think talking about the rest of us, does no harm. We know about Rainman and "savants, but we don't hear often about others.
If people want to read about autistics on the severe end of the spectrum, they could look at books like An Anthropologist on Mars, or Far From the Tree, those both focus on low-functioning people (and mention Temple Grandin b/c lolz).
However, you could ALSO accuse those books of people overly discretionary, and myopic on their focus of "only" low-functioning male autistics.
Besides the book was long enough as-is. Finally, the word phrase "disability is part of the human experience" I think was supposed to be inclusive. In other words, a nice sentiment...

Also, I think we all know about the negative affects of autism. I think a la A$ that's pretty much the ONLY thing people know about autism right now. That's all I ever hear about.

Besides, instead of saying "negative affects of Autism" why can't we say: "The services for people are inadequate for a number of reasons and here's what we can do to change that." instead of banning people like Mr.Silberman from speaking about different things. Banning him from a conference isn't going to do anything.

Steve Silberman does not trivialize the disabilities that we face and he definitely includes more impacted individuals in his book.

Have you even read Neurotribes?!

His book is amazing.

Not a lot of people are going to sign this petition. Steve Silberman has a lot of support from the autism community. He wasn't in any way dismissing the difficulties that autistic people face and I don't know how that quote can be interpreted as such.

Last edited by Jono on 21 Jun 2016, 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Moved to Politics, Activism, and Media Representation]

I suspect this petition will not succeed - and I also don't think it should. Steve Silberman is very popular with autistic people, although I understand that he is less popular with some sections of the autism community (particularly those which are opposed to the idea of neurodiversity and autism acceptance). I thought Neurotribes was an excellent book, very fair and balanced except a bit generous towards Hans Asperger.

Also feel I should warn other users that the petition starter has been known to harass other users over multiple platforms. Whilst that does not affect the legitimacy of the petition, it means you might not want to post negative comments on it.

I've never read the book can't find it at my local library.

You can buy it at the bookstore, online, or buy it as an e-book and download it to your device. It is a very long book about the history of autism, how it was defined and treated over the years. Another book "In a Different Key"is also a very long detailed book going over similar material with a differentn point of view. Both books discuss activism by parents and autistics.

Where can I go to not sign?

Steve Silberman is a journalist, not some talking-head commentator on Sunday mornings. As such, I would be very surprised if anyone could convince him to decline speaking his mind. The Autism Society of America probably understands this fact, too. Yet, it invited him to speak. My only concern is that Silberman will be speaking to the very organization that was co-founded by Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D., who I call Dr. Slappy for his desired approach to treating autism with highly aversive methods. In 1965, Lovaas was featured in a Life magazine article titled "Screams, Slaps & Love: A surprising, shocking treatment helps far-gone mental cripples". The photographic images are even more shocking than the title.

Still, Silberman has chosen to attend Lovaas' advocacy group. Hm. I can only hope that he encourages its current leaders to change its name and start over with nary a whisper of Lovaas' name.

I liked his book. It was compassionate.

You're right, that it does not cover as much on the lower "functioning" areas of the spectrum, but he has spent a lot of time in the community and you can see that he has patiently spent a lot of time communicating with non-verbal AS people on text devices.

People who don't like the concept of ND will not like him, I suppose. They can sign the petition?? I've read their blogs but don't get it totally; nobody is trying to take anything away from them.

I haven't heard anything about Steve Silberman that makes me particularly like him.

Also, no I won't sign this. There's nothing wrong with him speaking his mind.

It's very clear that the person who launched this petition -- who has been berating me in identical language in multiple forums for a year -- either never actually read my book or likes to pretend that he hasn't. By the way, my stipulation with ASA was that my session not be a long talk, but a conversation with a panel of self-advocates. That's what's happening. Thanks for the statements of support here.

Steve

Hi Steve. The wording of that ridiculous petition signifies its outrage: how dare you say anything positive about "them"? I'm sorry to hear that this banned member/sock puppet is still so energetically (though ineffectively) harassing you. I wish I could attend the meeting to support you!

I general, conferences, universities and the like need to stop disinviting people because they disagree with certain members of those organizations. How is anyone going to learn anything if people aren't allowed to disagree?

Only 36 signatures, so far. Mine will never be one of them.

great book