"No more ? a letter to suzanne wright"

[IContainMultitudes]

I liked this article a lot, it does a great job of articulating some thoughts that I've had about Autism Speaks for a while:

no more – a letter to suzanne wright | a diary of a mom

They need to know that autism is only a death sentence if we continue to allow people like you to spew rhetoric like this from on high ? rhetoric that demonizes and dehumanizes our loved ones, telling them that they are a tragedy, a burden ? a thing to be feared rather than people to be included, supported and loved.

 

[IContainMultitudes]

On a related note:

Look Me In The Eye: I resign my roles at Autism Speaks

Glad to hear about this, I got to hear John Elder Robison speak earlier this year at an Autism Speaks-sponsored event (which was free to attend), and I had very mixed feelings about that, but didn't feel like getting confrontational about it (I couldn't help but notice that some of what Robison said was a bit at odds with some of the things that the Autism Speaks spokespeople said, he described autism as a "difference," but the AS people leaned more toward describing it as a disease).

 

[Tarragon]

Wow, I just followed that first link and tried to watch the video from this organisation. What an utterly depressing, nasty video it was! I stopped listening to it after a while because it was just one negative comment after another. I can't believe someone thought this was a good idea! If this is supposed to inform people, it doesn't. Scare? yes, it does that. And it's totally horrible to portray Autism like that. Can't believe that this is a charity dedicated to Autism!??!

With friends like that, we don't need enemies!! Nasty.