Some In the Autism Community have Disgusted and Offended Me
I pride myself on being able to exist on both sides of the fence… not just straddle the fence, but to have my feet planted firmly on each side. But sometimes, someone or some group comes along and says something that really makes me seriously question my resolve.
I understand where the tensions, the frustrations and even the hatred can come from when people begin arguing over what they feel is best for their children. I also understand how hurt people can be when they feel violated.
However, understanding it does not mean that I feel they are validated in making some statements or in taking some actions… such as chemically castrating children in an effort to cure Autism. That’s not ok.
When discourse fails, make them your enemy
So one group has recently been quoted as saying:
“We need to get militant, and I mean in a way that scares those in power. You know what I’m talking about.”
I am hoping that this is just strong wording to make a strong point but still, really… do we need military terminology and “you know what I’m talking about” (nudge nudge, wink wink) insinuations?
What exactly is it that you’re talking about? Combat? War? Is it really logical that if someone doesn’t do as you ask, that you become their enemy? Will that make them listen to you? Probably…. not.
“Those in power” are not your enemies. No matter what you think. And if you want people to work with you, maybe getting “militant” is not the best option.
If you can’t convince them, call them baby killers
July 10th must have been a particularly bad day for this person, that tweeted not once, but three times:
Immaculate huh? My guess is you just made that up rather than use a word that any sane person would have used.
Is that so? I support autism the way a father supports a child that is growing up in a society and school system that is not yet equipped to understand or accommodate him. Granted, all of that doesn’t fit into 140 characters, I still can’t help but think you were going a different way with your meaning.
I’m not sure I have the time nor web server space available to explain all the ways this is just so wrong… but I have to question, what exactly would you propose? That all research just halt, ignore any findings that suggest genetics as a cause and declare environmental factors as the sole cause?
Oh wait, that must be it. You’re so certain that if they do discover the genes, if they do discover an actual definitive cause… that parents may get the option of detecting it in their unborn children and thus, have an abortion. Which means that you’d rather silence science and avoid the (possible) truth for fear of abortions.
Because if you truly cared about science or the truth or our children… you’d want the answers.
By the way, just to finish the point, abortion is not the “end game.” But there’s very little point in explaining that. Those who know it, know it and those who think it, can’t be convinced otherwise.
So disappointed
I just can’t believe that people write this… I more so can’t believe that they not only share it but try to get others to think likewise… and the absolute worst is that this is from an organization that is in the position of influence over parents.
I don’t care if you believe vaccines are the culprit, I don’t care if you believe doctors really are out to hurt our children….. statements like this are just not ok.
There are no “camps”, we’re all on the same side!! We’re not at war and no one is out to abort children. We can’t just stop science because it might result in an answer that we don’t want to hear.
If statements like these were made by individuals as an opinion, I’d just roll my eyes because as I said, I can understand what drove them to it. I don’t approve, but I understand.
But because these types of statements are made by organizations with actual influence over people, I have to voice my objection to this. It is not acceptable to encourage others to think this way.
What are your thoughts??
Author’s Website: http://www.stuartduncan.name
Tags: disgusting ,lies ,negativity ,offensive ,science
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We are not all on the same side. I’m sorry, but we’re not. There are plenty of autism parents who think that autistic adults don’t even exist. Or that we all have a child-like mind. That we shouldn’t be allowed to advocate for ourselves, or that we’re nothing like their children, because their children can’t use a computer (something they’ve never even tried to teach their children), so we must be SOOOO much more high functioning than their child.
There are people and organizations that hold institutional power against autistic people. Who can take away autistic children for a parent’s refusal to put them on antipsychotic drugs. Who, if a cure were to one day exist, would force it on autistic people. Who hold all the power in deciding what rights we do and do not have.
I am speaking as both an autistic person and the parent of two autistic children, so please don’t try and silence me by saying that I only value my own interests here. I want there to be access and accommodations for all autistic people. Not just the “high functioning” ones. And not just the “low functioning” ones (I despise functioning labels, but many non-autistics use them against me, so that’s why I’m using them here). I want autistic adults who need the support to be able to receive it. I want those who can work have the assistance they need to be able to work without discrimination for being who they are.
Call me militant if you like. I don’t really care.
I whole-heartedly agree. I have 3 children, one with severe autism. To top it off, I’m married to a physician. So I, myself, am constantly battling the internal struggle of wanting to try the “magic bullet treatment” that is the latest and greatest fad, vs. my husband’s grounding attitude of wanting to stay focused on the science and research. My child is only 7, but having tons of friends with older children and adults with autism, both my husband and I have come away learning and focusing on something else completely: Sometimes lost amidst questions about what causes autism and why its
prevalence has increased, are questions like: What happens when all of
these children become adults? What happens when that school bus stops
coming? Who is going to take care of our special needs child when we are
gone? For when I was born in 1975, about 3 in 10,000 children were diagnosed with autism. Today, 1 in 88 children have autism, a more than 20-fold increase. But as the number of children with this disorder begins to rise, services for adults have LAGGED. There are just very few options out there. It’s probably the most crucial issue we face in the autism community, but its just not something you hear a lot of people talking about. Where are the hyped up blogs and discussions about that issue? Probably b/c people still want to focus on fighting about the cause and searching for the “cure” so that they don’t HAVE to focus on adult services. Whereas my belief is that these children have autism now, they’re still going to have autism as adults. Do all that you can to help your child now to help him/her reach his/her fullest potential, but don’t all of your eggs in one basket and forget to plan for the future. It’s time to face that possibility that there’s a great possibility that your child’s autism will not be “cured” and you need a plan for the future… and there aren’t many options out there.
So, I have taken it upon myself to do my part and set up a nonprofit organization here in NC called 3 Irish Jewels Farm, which will be an assisted farm living program for adults, along with day programs for children. If anyone is interested, please feel free to check out my website: http://www.3IrishJewelsFarm.org. Take care.
My response ended up being too long to leave here, so I’m making a separate post about it.
It reminds me of my son’s type 1 diabetes. Both Genetics and environmental issues are said to be involved. My sisters son has Aspergers. We both wonder why this happened to our sons. But acceptance is hard when you feel maybe something may have caused it. I understand the feelings of anger over the environmental issues and the seemingly lack of interest that others have of these issues.
To both sides I would say: Stop it, stop it, stop it! I have dealt with autism for 35 years, and fighting about the cause HAS NOT HELPED ME. Besides, is it REALLY caring about science, or just trying to find something to rail against, as if that will make a difference in the care and treatment of the individuals?