MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'autism speaks'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:00:41 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952851&cid=t_105136_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F06%2F17%2F83-reasons-to-question-autism-speaks-for-hiring-big-pharma-scientist%2F The big secret finally is out. Autism Speaks made a radical announcement May 9th, 2011 that said Robert Ring, PhD, a scientist from Pfizer, was placed “into to the newly-created position of vice president of translational research.” Ring’s appointment was made simultaneously with the discovery that 83 cases of vaccine-induced autism were paid compensation secretly by the U.S. government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Why is former Pfizer employee Ring’s appointment radical? Two years ago Pfizer announced the pharmaceutical industry’s first “Autism Spectrum Disorders Unit.” Robert Ring led that group since 2009. I’ll provide more information on this later, but I also want you to consider another very important point. After the U.S. government’s secret ... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952851 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:43:55 +0100 4952851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821149&cid=t_105136_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSDqAl15JK8k%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Huron Consulting hired Mark Linver as a managing director in the life sciences practice to handle aggregate spend, merger integration requirements, contract management, government pricing and accrual analysis. Previously, Linver served as a sen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821149 Fri, 13 May 2011 12:19:00 +0100 4821149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233345&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2FIWRCYzDnP1E%2F So I’ve been looking at the news section on the Autism Speaks forum… and frankly it sucks because of a group of people.  A group of people keep creating the same threads over and over again, and then creating replies to those threads that have no meaning over and over again.  The summary of all [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233345 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:02:09 +0100 4233345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142931&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2F9tl8rFzofF8%2F Live blogging of the Autism Speaks Protest in Washington, DC on November 6th 2010.  This post will be updated as I become aware of events. 8:30 AM – According to Katie Miller they are now on the ground getting ready to protest. It is cold out. 11:53 AM – According to reports from Twitter the [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142931 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 12:48:20 +0100 4142931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134097&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2FyLKOWoJQBAA%2F Tomorrow people with Autism will be standing up and well speaking.  The true voices of Autism will be heard at tomorrow’s Autism Speaks fundraising walk in Washington, DC – however they will not be supporting Autism Speaks.  The group of protesters will be protesting the lack of funding that Autism Speaks spends on funding services [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134097 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 01:07:15 +0100 4134097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098309&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2FRzCatid4DUo%2F People often ask me why people with Autism do not support Autism Speaks… this video from a protest of Autism Speaks shows why people with Autism don’t support them in a very clear cut manner. I find it very disturbing to watch this video. Here are people who want to be treated equally, who want [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098309 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 06:22:36 +0100 4098309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077464&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2FQfeQy14EJic%2F I just wanted to say hello to the college course that has been discussing some content on AspieWeb as of recent.  The professor of the college course for NCLC 304 has recently made a post on the course blog requesting his students comment on the fact that the Autism Self Advocacy Network is planning a [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077464 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:59:09 +0100 4077464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4061011&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2FLNnT5QfFgts%2F The Washington DC Chapter of the Autism Self Advocacy Network is planning on protesting Autism Speaks during their November 6th Fundraiser Walk.  The following is a press release issued by ASAN. You may remember a prior protest in Portland, OR which received some news coverage. Members of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Chapter of the [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4061011 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:30:59 +0100 4061011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652381&cid=t_105136_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fthe-donnas-for-autism-speaks-daily-do-gooder%2F Rocking out with The Donnas just got a little better: The girl-band is going on a four-day mini tour to support Autism Speaks, visiting New York City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Chicago. The concerts kick off tonight in New York City, but it’s not too late to catch them – and support autism research while you’re doing it. (Get your tickets here.) via BUST Post from: BlissTree The Donnas for Autism Speaks: Daily Do-Gooder (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652381 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:30:10 +0100 3652381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350479&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Frobison-squeaks.html Autistic author John Elder Robison has agreed to serve on an advisory board for Autism Speaks. Yes, the same organization that repeatedly makes videos comparing autistic children to dead or kidnapped children; that openly declares its goal to "eradicate" the autistic population; that funds causation research to develop a prenatal test; and that pays bloated executive salaries while allotting only four percent of its budget to family services.Robison says on his blog that he wants to make a difference in how Autism Speaks allocates its research funds. He plans to advocate for the organization to change its funding priorities in the direction of "work that can lead to better lives for today's autistic population."Good luck with that, buddy. I'm picturing a little rubber duckie bobbing around... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350479 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:08:00 +0100 3350479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139199&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fautism-speaks-loses-uk-affiliate.html Hat tip to Socrates at The New Republic.This latest misadventure of Autism Speaks has demonstrated, yet again, arrogance and ineptitude on a truly epic scale. When Autism Speaks finally ends up in the history books (where, less than four years ago, it declared its intent to put the world's entire autistic population), the tale of its demise will be one of hubris befitting a classical Greek tragedy.To briefly sum up the debacle, before releasing the I Am Autism video in September to widespread condemnation from disability rights groups, Autism Speaks had presented its text as a "poem" at a May meeting with British supporters in London, where it was received with about as much enthusiasm as a heap of decomposing Thames flotsam. After that, having apparently concluded that it didn't matter wh... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139199 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:38:00 +0100 3139199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071417&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fautism-speaks-to-hurricane-victims-what.html I'm reposting, in its entirety and with the author's permission, an e-mail from a New Orleans mom whose family lost their home to Hurricane Katrina. After seeing an Autism Speaks page that asked for donations to help families with autistic children who were homeless after the hurricane, she made the mistake of calling to ask for help and got nothing but grief.Thank you for posting this information about Autism Speaks' impressive generosity . . . to its staff, bankers, and PR people. It doesn't surprise me that Autism Speaks shovels piles of money at their executives and their Park Avenue rent. In 2005, I personally found out just how eager they really are to help the families they claim to raise money for.Our family was displaced by Hurricane Katrina and lost half of our household goods in... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071417 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:10:00 +0100 3071417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3052331&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fhard-times-for-autism-speaks.html It appears that Autism Speaks may be feeling the financial consequences of having chosen to use fear-mongering ads as a fundraising tactic, to fund research aimed at eradicating autistic people instead of giving families any meaningful help, and to exclude autistics from participation in its decision-making process. Due to budgetary constraints, all of its 2009 grants, including those already awarded, have been cut by 15 percent, with the exception of pilot and fellowship grants.This hasn't been accompanied by a reduction of Autism Speaks' hefty executive salaries, however, as pointed out in a recent editorial by former walk organizer Cindy Waeltermann entitled Autism Speaks. It’s a Living. After reviewing the expense information on the IRS Form 990 on the Autism Speaks website, she wrot... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3052331 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:15:00 +0100 3052331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015426&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fseinfeld-confronted-by-autistic-autism-speaks%2F Jerry Seinfeld, a supporter of Autism Speaks was recently confronted by an Autistic Person outside a Autism Speaks fund raising event.  It was caught on video.  Jerry Seinfeld seems to be blowing off the person with Aspergers Syndrome who is asking him not to support Autism Speaks.  The person recording the video repeatedly tries to [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015426 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:45:16 +0100 3015426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992804&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Feradicate-autism-speaks.html Apparently in today's America, you can be hailed as a philanthropist if you are seeking to "eradicate" a minority group. Of course, it helps if your husband recently was the CEO of the media entity responsible for publishing this Goebbels-esque propaganda. Many of us already knew what a genocidal loon Suzanne Wright is, but just in case anyone needs more proof, here it is:Philanthropist wages fight to eradicate autismIn the interview, this was her response to a question about how long Autism Speaks plans to host celebrity fundraising events: "Hopefully until we eradicate autism. Once we finish autism, then we’re not doing this anymore."Well, you know what, Suzanne, if decent people eradicate your repulsive organization first, you won't be doing this anymore either. And it may not be long... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992804 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:40:00 +0100 2992804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2970369&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fwashington-dc-autism-speaks-protest%2F Recently Autistic people held an Autism Speaks protest in Washington DC on the national mall coinciding with an Autism Speaks fund raising event on the mall.  Many Autistic people are upset about a recent fund raising video by Autism Speaks that uses fear and false statements to raise money for the organization.  Similar protests have [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2970369 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:22:51 +0100 2970369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2959012&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fprotesters-attacked-by-flying-burrito.html The ASAN members and cross-disability activists who protested at the Autism $peaks walk in Washington DC on Saturday, October 31st, resisted the temptation to dress in ghoulish Halloween costumes. Not everyone at the walk showed their level of maturity, however, as reported by a protester named Stan:"I was watching the first large group of Autism Speaks walkers, and one guy looked at us and threw a burrito wrap sandwich at us. It looked like he was throwing a burrito at us. It was like watching a Monty Python burrito attack."When I mentioned that I thought this deserved a blog post, another person suggested that I should not write negative stuff about the burrito-tosser because he was just a frustrated parent. Given the fact that Autism $peaks goes to great lengths to induce feelings of he... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2959012 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:37:00 +0100 2959012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923412&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fautism-speaks-we-need-answers.html Autism Speaks, which still hasn't learned its lesson about fear-mongering advertising and seems incapable of doing so, has decided to exploit a recent study of autism prevalence in the United States to incite even more false epidemic hysteria by way of a new fundraising campaign called "We Need Answers."autismspeaks.org/donate/we_need_answers.phpThe study found a parent-reported autism prevalence rate higher than previous US estimates, although not significantly different from the figures found in studies from the UK and other countries. Notwithstanding the fact that this new study merely brings autism prevalence estimates in the United States more in line with those from other parts of the world, Autism Speaks howls on its web page, "These new findings reinforce that autism is an urgent a... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923412 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:44:00 +0100 2923412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923410&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FaidMFg-ao9w%2F ABC News reports that doctors have begun “firing” parents who decline to have thier children vaccinated. One California mom, who’s oldest child has been diagnosed with autism said her doctor said the presence of her and her child was “too much of a liability.” Doctors are apparently feeling more compelled to say “no” back to anti-vaccine parents. The issue surfaced this at the annual American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in Washington, D.C. Presenter Dr. Gary Marshall said there are some cases when it’s ethical and legal to refuse to continue to see, or treat, a child, especially if parents and the physician will never see “eye-to-eye” on a specific issue. Stipulations for such situations include written notice that the doctor... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923410 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:12:58 +0100 2923410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2899142&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fautism-speaks-protest-boston-ma%2F Autistic people are planning to protest a fund raising walk held by Autism Speaks in Boston, MA this Sunday, October 18th.  Autistic people are getting quite upset with Autism Speaks, and there very bad behavior.  Recently Autism Speaks recently degraded autistic people in a video to solicit funds for their organization.  In the past they [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2899142 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:04:03 +0100 2899142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890859&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Ftaking-to-streets.html People who don't understand that autism prevalence has remained stable often ask how there can't be an epidemic when they have seen large numbers of autistic children only in recent years. Where were all the autistic people before now?Of course, before the diagnostic criteria were broadened, most were not identified as autistic and were looked upon as part of the general population. Others were rarely or never seen in public because they were kept hidden away at home by their families or were sent to institutions.As reported by Hard Won Wisdom, it appears that at least one older autistic person is taking part in the ADAPT protests in Atlanta, Georgia, which began on Sunday, challenging the state's failure to close down institutions and to provide community services and supports instead. A ... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890859 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:52:00 +0100 2890859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890865&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fautism-speaks-protest-columbus-ohio-state-university%2F Many people with Autism protested at the Autism Speaks fund raising walk held at Ohio State University.  Autistics are protesting a recent video published by Autism Speaks that uses lies and fear mongering tactics to raise money for their organization.  Tactics hateful and incorrect statements as Autism Destroys marriage – when a recent study by [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890865 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:41:16 +0100 2890865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2881296&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fautism-speaks-protest-portland-video%2F Autistic people recently protested Autism Speaks in Portland, OR at one of their fund-raising walks. Autistic people are upset about the fact that Autism Speaks has been lying and trashing autistic people on videos in order to raise money for their organization.  I for one plan on if I get enough sleep tonight waking up [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2881296 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:20:45 +0100 2881296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871936&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fsupporting-allies.html This morning, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network released a joint letter from over 60 disability rights organizations calling on sponsors, donors, and supporters of Autism Speaks to end their support for the organization because of Autism Speaks' hateful attitudes and exploitative practices. ASAN also issued a press release and set up a petition site where individuals can endorse the letter.The disability rights advocates who are supporting ASAN and the autistic community in this effort are not receiving any financial benefit whatsoever from doing so. Rather, they are standing in solidarity with our community because it is the right thing to do. In the interest of reciprocating, and to advance the rights of people with disabilities everywhere, I suggest that the members of our community re... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871936 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:35:00 +0100 2871936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865863&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fplague-of-autism-charities.html Ask me why Autism Awareness T-Shirt by webcarveCreate a personalized tshirt online at zazzle.The central image is free for use by anyone, so long as it remains intact.I review ads for Graphictruth. I try to avoid things that might offend my readers and I reserve the right to refuse accounts that offend me. I blog about ethics, after all.I filter out make-money-fast links, anything of any sort that suggests in boldfaced text that you can make thousands working from home with little or no investment or effort, quack cures, patent nostrums, gambling sites, lotteries, sites advocating hate speech, sites that spread dangerous misinformation, promote unreasoning fear, conspiracy theories about black helicopters or vaccines. If I have reason to doubt the ethics of a site, I'll reject it out of ha... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865863 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:36:00 +0100 2865863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862685&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Falfonso-cuaron-praises-child-rapist.html The video I Am Autism—created by Alfonso Cuarón and Billy Mann for Autism Speaks—first describes autistic children as embarrassing, family-destroying burdens who don't belong in public places and then proclaims itself to be an expression of "love for our children."As if that weren't sick and twisted enough, Cuarón made it clear how little interest he really has in the welfare of children by signing a petition in support of Roman Polanski, the infamous child molester who fled from justice in 1978 after admitting that he had drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl. Polanski was arrested last weekend while traveling from France to Switzerland. The text of the petition trivializes the crime as "a case of morals," praises Polanski's achievements as a film director, offers him "support and fr... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862685 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:01:00 +0100 2862685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851991&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fmarc-sirkin-apologist-for-hate.html Over the past few days, the clumsy attempts at damage control by Autism Speaks' chief community officer Marc Sirkin have reminded me of a certain former Iraqi Information Minister who acquired the colorful nickname Baghdad Bob as a result of his absurd propaganda during the US invasion in 2003, stubbornly insisting that American forces were surrendering even as the tanks rumbled through the city.In honor of Sirkin's bumbling, I've created a parody skit in which Clueless Marc, the host of the We Hate Autistics Community Radio Show, has a conversation with a caller:CLUELESS MARC: Hello and welcome to We Hate Autistics Community Radio. I suppose that, like the many parents I've just been discussing, you want to talk about the excellent I Am Autism video and how accurately it reflects your lif... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851991 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:05:00 +0100 2851991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846568&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fdisabled-world-editorial-blasts-autism.html Thomas C. Weiss, a regular columnist for Disabled World, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Autism Speaks' video "I Am Autism" with an editorial entitled Autism Speaks: Friend or Foe?Although Mr. Weiss indicates in the article that he had been a supporter of Autism Speaks in the past, he also makes it very clear that after watching the "I Am Autism" video, he now sees the organization as anti-disability:"I Am Autism speaks so badly of the current leadership at Autism Speaks that I have to wonder how long the likes of Mark Roithmayr and Elizabeth Emken can remain in their current positions. The organization of Autism Speaks as a whole will most likely experience a reduction in donations from the public at large due to this horrendous production…"Mr. Weiss further goes on to lik... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846568 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:56:00 +0100 2846568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2839123&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fautism-speaks-falsely-claims-video.html After numerous concerned people wrote to Autism Speaks stating their objections to the "I Am Autism" video, the organization's chief science officer, Geri Dawson, prepared a form reply in which she claims that Autism Speaks understands the criticism and has removed the video from its site in order to be more respectful toward autistics. But in fact, the video is still there.Dear [name],Thank you very much for sending me your letter and telling me about your perspective and feelings regarding the “I Am Autism” video. I understand and respect your perspective and I am truly sorry that the film offended you. The video was not intended to reflect Autism Speaks broader viewpoint or attitude toward persons with autism spectrum disorder. Rather, it was created by two fathers of children with ... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2839123 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:27:00 +0100 2839123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2839128&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fcelebrate-autism-speaks%2F Seeing as just about a week ago Autism Speaks released such an emotional video, I think its time we celebrate.  The hatred directed autistics shown in the fund raising video by Autism Speaks is substantial, and I believe a reason to celebrate.  Autism Speaks has finally made it very clear they don’t care what [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2839128 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:14:33 +0100 2839128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842723&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fdear-mr-springsteen.html photo credit-uchiuskacreative commons licenseBelow is the letter that I just e-mailed to Bruce Springsteen's publicist at mlaverty@shorefire.com . I encourage others to also write him and express your opinions.------------------------------------------Dear Mr. Springsteen,I am writing you regarding your upcoming concert that you are doing in conjunction with Autism Speaks.I have been a great fan of yours for years, and must admit that I got a little teary eyed when I read a story of how your music helped an autistic child learn to talk. My own son (who is autistic) also went through a stage where he sang a lot of songs (and bits from songs) instead of talking in the usual fashion. I would have much preferred that he used “Born to Run” instead of songs he heard on “Barney”.I am sure... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842723 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:48:00 +0100 2842723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2836308&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fsolidarity.html Image: Unionists challenge the Communist regime in Poland, 1981In response to the despicable "I Am Autism" video by Autism Speaks, the autistic and cross-disability communities have been standing strong in their united opposition. Today in Portland, Oregon, 15 activists organized by ASAN's Portland chapter protested at an Autism Speaks walk and got local news coverage on two channels. Video parodists, bloggers, and others are all over the Internet showing their outrage. I've compiled a list of websites critical of the video below. Please feel free to copy and repost elsewhere to show your solidarity, too.Parody/Response Videos on YouTubeI Am Autism SpeaksI'm Autistic: Parody of Autism Speaks Video "I Am Autism"I Am Socks - video response to "I Am Autism"I Am Socks response to I Am Autism (... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2836308 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:01:00 +0100 2836308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832350&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fautism-speaks-deceives-parents.html As a recent post on the Left Brain/Right Brain blog pointed out, Autism Speaks engaged in a "bait and switch" when Suzanne Wright asked parents to contribute video footage of their autistic children for a new project, without disclosing any of the nasty details of what she planned to do with it. Would the contributors to the "I Am Autism" video have agreed to participate if Autism Speaks had admitted at the outset that it was planning to demonize autistic kids as embarrassing burdens who destroy their parents' marriages and dreams?Well, at least one parent who posted a comment on the video's YouTube page, under the name BarrysDaughter, made it quite plain that she felt deceived by Autism Speaks' request for video contributions from parents. She wrote:"I do have 2 autistic children and a hu... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832350 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:26:00 +0100 2832350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828410&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fautism-speaks-and-underpants-curse.html Guest post by Rita Skeeter, award-winning journalist and ultra-reliable source for all the dirt you've ever wanted to read.That was the name we gave it when I was a schoolgirl at Hogwarts, although the dry dusty textbook simply described it as a spell to reveal the embarrassing truth about someone. I shan't go into the details of the spell on a Muggle blog, but I'll say that it was quite popular with the students because its hapless target might suddenly find himself standing in front of the classroom in nothing but his brightly colored cartoon-print underpants.When wielded by a more adept and sophisticated user of magic, such as yours truly, the spell has many subtler uses. I've often found it helpful for such purposes as inducing a corrupt Ministry official to make a misstep, thus giving... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828410 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:43:00 +0100 2828410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824371&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fwhen-will-they-listen.html One would have had to have been living in a cave in the greater disability community two years ago not to have noticed the Ransom Notes Campaign and the furor that followed it. In that campaign the NYU Child Study Center put out an ad campaign that implied that autistic individuals (as well as those with a number of other conditions) had been kidnapped. This imagery was (not surprisingly) extremely offensive to many in the greater disability community. After an intense counter campaign by disability advocacy groups, including ASAN, the Ransom Notes Campaign was stopped.The above video takes up where the Ransom Campaign ended, and goes on from there. Not content just to dehumanize autistic individuals, the Autism Speaks video goes on to paint a picture of horror using the most vivid imagery... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824371 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:06:00 +0100 2824371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824375&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fautism-speaks-i-am%2F I was having a pretty damn good day, then Autism Speaks had to go and piss me off.  Watch how they did it. Autism Speaks came out with a new advertising campaign, a new video about 3 minutes long that in a very terrifying tone declares me the enemy or marriages, communities, and happiness. I have to [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824375 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:00:50 +0100 2824375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796688&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fmoney-speaks.html No, this post isn't about the salaries of Autism Speaks' executives, although that interesting detail does seem to get mentioned a lot. Rather, it's about the online discussion of why autistic people don't like Autism Speaks, which—after more than three years—finally drew a response from Alison Singer on just what she was thinking when she made that infamous statement about driving off the George Washington Bridge with her autistic daughter Jodie in the car:From the Autism Science Foundation blog:The point I was trying to make in the film was that the lack of appropriate services and the thought of putting her in a terrible school made me want to drive off the bridge; not that Jodie did……After Jodie and I had visited several schools that day I remember I pulled the car over to the ... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796688 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:49:00 +0100 2796688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712303&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FU69K1_5NDAc%2F It’s no newsflash that the private insurance industry in the United States has a lock on health care. You need something? Maybe you’ll get it, maybe you won’t. Some life-saving procedures — cardiac catheterizations, appendectomies — are paid for without a murmur; others — dental care, for one  — are denied. And don’t get me started on the loathsome concept of pre-existing conditions. Umbrella photo by Joe Shlabotnik (flickr.com) When it comes to therapies for children with autism and other special needs, though, it’s even worse. Many parents of children with autism consider ABA (applied behavioral therapy) life-saving. Their kids have learned to brush their own teeth or use the toilet or use more eye contact. I think they’d... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712303 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:24:03 +0100 2712303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683965&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fbit-of-neighborly-advice.html Guest post by Rita Skeeter, award-winning journalist and ultra-reliable source for all the dirt you've ever wanted to read.Whilst slumming in the dismal wasteland that is Muggle television, I came across an ad by Autism Speaks called Neighbors, which makes the rather astounding suggestion that providing more therapies to autistic children would result in their having more friends. This can be done, according to the ad, through insurance mandate legislation.Now, some therapies ought indeed to be made more widely available. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy can be very helpful to many children. In magical society, it's a matter of considerable importance to ensure that our little ones are provided with these therapies at an early age, if the need arises. After all, the study of witc... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683965 Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:42:00 +0100 2683965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561493&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fanother-resignation-at-autism-speaks.html From Dr. Eric London.Dr. Eric London has announced his resignation from the Autism Speaks Scientific Affairs Committee. London is the Director of the Autism Treatment Laboratory at the New York State Insitute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities. He is also Director of the New York State Autism Consortium and a member of the Autism Science Foundation's Scientific Advisory Board. He is the co-founder of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR).Dr. London's letter of resignation is below:After three years of great hopes for Autism Speaks being the optimal vehicle to advance autism science and treatment, I regretfully and sadly must announce my dissociation from this organization, including resignation from the Scientific Affairs Committee.Despite the very excellent work t... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561493 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:30:00 +0100 2561493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2415656&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Flovaas-safari-tours-at-eriks-ranch.html Guest post by Rita Skeeter, award-winning journalist and ultra-reliable source for all the dirt you've ever wanted to read.You're probably wondering what a journalist of my incomparable reputation is doing on a lowly Muggle blog. Well, yesterday while I was working on a much more important article about the Ministry of Magic's investigation of marauding trolls in the countryside, I just happened to come across a blogger trying to fight off three trolls who had been lurking under a bridge. Of course, all I had to do was flap my lips a few times, and the trolls ran away screaming. I don't know why you inept Muggles can't manage that.Out of the kindness of my heart, I took the blogger to a nearby tea shop and bought her a nice cup of tea to settle her nerves. Then I slipped a few drops of a t... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2415656 Mon, 18 May 2009 16:51:00 +0100 2415656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324180&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FKGacz2-SArc%2F So people like Gary McKinnon and Autism Speaks are turning a day to raise awareness into a day to parade around their selfish causes like the morons they are. Yes, I used the word moron.  This perfectly describes Autism Speaks and Gary McKinnon.  If you don’t like it, then don’t read further.Gary McKinnon Gary McKinnon’s Goon Squad [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324180 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:48:18 +0100 2324180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324211&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fbbdo-new-york-how-about-some-real.html Special Olympics sponsored rallies and other events today to promote its Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, which asks people to respect individuals with cognitive disabilities and to refrain from using the cruel and dehumanizing word "retard."The advertising agency BBDO New York contributed posters supporting this campaign, in which the R-word is explicitly compared to ethnic and other slurs. (Edit: these posters are pretty strong stuff—thanks to cripchick for suggesting that I add a trigger warning for this link.)Unfortunately, the agency's history demonstrates that its concern for avoiding offensive descriptions of people with disabilities may be less than genuine. As many of us will recall, BBDO New York was responsible for the Ransom Notes advertisements in December 2007, whi... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324211 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:06:00 +0100 2324211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276211&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FddwGybinyEI%2F We get Alex up for school at 6:15. I do this four days a week, and Jill sleeps in a bit before she has to rise to get Ned ready for school. So I’m alone with Alex. I have stuff to do for my day, plus make sure he gets dressed and brushes his teeth and gets his stuff together. (First I have to make sure he stays awake, as he’s often up in the middle of the night, and 0615 comes early.) One thing I like to do is empty the clean dishwasher so Jill doesn’t have to do it. So I’m just about done with the previous night’s dinner plates and the spoons when I notice that I haven’t heard anything from Alex for a few moments. “Alex?” Nothing. “ALEX?!” Nothing. I hear water running from the bathroom. I go in. There is Alex. The toilet is overflowing. There’s almost an inch of wa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276211 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:41:31 +0100 2276211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260227&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Flindt-chocolate-nomination-protest.html Recently, Lindt Chocolate made an unwise business decision when it chose to donate 10 cents from the sale of each Gold Bunny (an Easter candy product) to Autism Speaks. Lindt is now the target of a boycott by the autistic community. You can read more about this boycott on several autistic civil rights blogs. To sign a petition asking Lindt to withdraw its support for Autism Speaks, please visit the ASAN petition page on Change.org.Lindt also is sponsoring a competition called Unsung Heroes of Autism, which "recognizes and honors individuals who are making a difference in the lives of others." I presume that the reference to "others" means that the individuals to be recognized are non-autistics who are busily campaigning to eradicate autism and that, in accordance with the usual pattern of ... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260227 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:40:00 +0100 2260227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211938&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2Fm-29U6LAgvQ%2F In a marketing campaign Lindt Chocolates has decided it would be a great idea to profit off of harm done to Autistic Children. Lindt Chocolates has announced for every sale of their Gold Bunny they will donate 10 cents to the number 1 organization who promotes hatred of Autistic people… Autism Speaks, saying: “Lindt USA is very [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211938 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:16:50 +0100 2211938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2128993&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Falison-tepper-singer-grows-up.html Last week, Alison Tepper Singer resigned from Autism Speaks because of what she described as a difference of opinion regarding vaccines. She is trying to portray herself as standing on principle and defending the cause of science. But as I put her tombstone in the Curebie Graveyard, my view of the situation is a bit different:Autism Speaks has never come close to being an anti-vaccine group. Its ultimate goal has remained constant: Genetic research to develop a prenatal test to be used for routine abortion of autistic children. However, the Wrights have discovered that this goal is not as popular as they had anticipated. Autism Speaks now faces strong opposition from both the neurodiversity camp and the anti-vaccine camp. Although it has no reasonable hope of redeeming its image among thos... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2128993 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:21:00 +0100 2128993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2111115&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2F2slZT01_eD0%2F It appears Allison Singer has resigned from Autism Speaks as she voted against the organizations wishes at the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.  Autism Speaks released a statement about this, to which I edited to show the true story. Autism Speaks today decried like a baby wanting attention in regards to a vote by the Interagency [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2111115 Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:30:05 +0100 2111115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075713&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FrkGJMpl9dfU%2F Aspies For Freedom (AFF) claims to be an advocacy organization according to its owner (yes it has an owner - its operated much like Autism Speaks).  But its really not an advocacy organization.  All decisions made for AFF are made by the owner, Gareth Nelson - and if you question his decision your called a [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075713 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:07:54 +0100 2075713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074329&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fon-becoming-bitch.html There isn't much that merits a response in this comment by Michael John Carley on my recent guest post on Wrong Planet. But on this New Year's Eve, as I reflect on the Spirit of Blogging Past, there's one point that could use a little clarification—I've never explained my reasons for choosing my screen name.Before I started writing this blog, I had different online identities that generally reflected a positive and, sometimes, a ridiculously optimistic outlook on the world. For the most part, I went through my days in blissful ignorance of how much evil was still lurking out there. I really believed that the human species had evolved far enough so that we were only a few years away from a rational, civilized society where war and other horrors would disappear forever.Then two things happ... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074329 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 04:06:00 +0100 2074329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065849&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2F1B1vYjzhg5A%2F I just wrote a letter which is being sent to President-Elect Obama regarding autism advocacy and Autism Speaks, Inc.  I am publishing this letter in the open as I feel its important for others with Autism and those that really care to become involved as well. Mr President Elect, I am writing to you regarding a condition [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065849 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:52:08 +0100 2065849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061073&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35119&url=http%3A%2F%2Frettdevil.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fdear-grasp-enemy-of-enemy-is-not-my.html An email from Michael John Carley of GRASP went out about a week back, asking recipients of said email to thank Autism Speaks for not pursuing the vaccine angle.And to you I say, No. I will not.I do not owe Autism Speaks a single thanks.I do not owe Autism Speaks anything.I certainly do not owe Autism Speaks thanks for following their own previously stated agenda, which is pursuing genetic research for a prenatal test. I do not owe them a thank you for continuing to wipe people like me out, before we ever are born. Their aims are directly counter to my aims, and while Autism Speaks and I both think the vaccine issue is an old, dead, beaten to unrecognizable horse that's a colossal waste of money, Autism Speaks does not deserve my thanks for agreeing with me.When Autism Speaks listens to me... The Rettdevil's Rants blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061073 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:36:00 +0100 2061073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052854&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Flessons-of-autism-awareness.html In September of this year, Autism Speaks started a new program to encourage preschool teachers to talk with parents if they notice signs of autism in their students. According to Autism Speaks' executive vice-president Alison Tepper Singer, its purpose is to "ensure that kids who may have a developmental delay get the services they need as early as possible." Unfortunately, the reality does not always match the description.I have a four-year-old nephew who started preschool in September. He is a sweet kid and very curious and intelligent, but he has some difficulty understanding and following spoken directions. It wasn't long before the teachers identified him as having autistic characteristics.Did the teachers start a conversation about how they could better meet his needs? Did their incr... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052854 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:41:00 +0100 2052854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033258&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F43dWxgLWU5o%2F Earlier this week, mega-autism-organization Autism Speaks announced the appointment of three new board members, Artie Kempner, lead director for the NFL and NASCAR on FOX; Billy Mann, President of International A & R - Labels and President of Global Artist Management, EMI Music; and Jack Schneider, managing director of Allen & Co.. Kempner and Mann are both fathers of autistic children. It’s been noted (by Lisa Jo Rudy at About.com) that the new board members include no one who’s autistic. With the rise of self-advocacy organizations like ASAN, and also GRASP and many others, the absence of an autistic member on Autism Speaks’ board seems more and more puzzling. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee lists Stephen Shore, a self-advocate, on its roster, and ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033258 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 07:51:20 +0100 2033258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027198&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmNvwhs2L-t8%2F On October 12, while presiding as the honorary chair for an Autism Speaks walk on the campus of Ohio State University, President Gordon Gee made remarks including the statement that “‘It [autism] should not exist.’” Melanie Yergeau, a 2nd-year Ph.D. student in English, wrote this letter, which is posted on the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network blog. As Yergeau, who notes that she has Asperger’s Syndrome, writes: Until very recently, I have felt incredibly welcome at Ohio State—due to the interdisciplinary work of the Disability Studies Program and the Department of English, the Office of Disability Services, and the programs for high-functioning/Asperger’s adults at the Nisonger Center. I would urge you, as you continue in your autism advocacy, to consider wh... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027198 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:30:50 +0100 2027198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985599&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fautism-speaks-and-biased-media%2F So some Autistic people have proposed several changes to the Autism Speaks Wikipedia entry, attempting to show that not all Autistic individuals support the Autism Speaks organization.   Most of these changes were reverted due to the fact that no reliable source was cited stating that there is a disagreement going on between Autism Speaks and [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985599 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:12:30 +0100 1985599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933327&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTk6hP3hy34A%2F I’ve become rather obsessed with exercise—-no, I’ve not become a calorie counting fiend tracking the minutes on the treadmill. It’s making sure that there’s enough physical activity integrated throughout Charlie’s day in general and at school in particular that have preoccupied my thoughts. I’ve noted that the very layout and physical space of his middle school classroom are very different from the windowed, light-filled classroom of his elementary school last year; the fluorescent lights just seems to buzz and glow more harshly. Charlie has gym every morning around 9.30am. He has a locker now and has to change into and out of his gym clothes. The adapted physical education (APE) teacher has put together a very fine schedule of activities including... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933327 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:41:48 +0100 1933327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924540&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FCEJuTaDyPEA%2F Try as we might, we couldn’t figure out a Halloween costume for Charlie. I found the captain’s hat that was part of last year’s costume (he was, yes, a captain) and Charlie took it off as soon as I placed it on his head. He’s never been too interested in dressing up for Halloween and has usually needed a big of coaxing to trick or treat: Charlie’s wary of walking up strange new walkways; once, a small dog appeared and started barking really loudly just as the door was slowly being opened. Charlie turned and raced back down the walkway and no promise of candy would draw him back, and he’s remained wary about walking into houses he’s never been into (not a bad thing, in and of itself). Charlie’s class had a little Halloween party with cupcakes ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924540 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:00:54 +0100 1924540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924542&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Ft46whc0tCpg%2F Brooke Dickerson’s 19-year-old so, Quinn Carey, has attended 10 different schools, yesterday’s Santa Cruz Sentinel reports. Diagnosed with autism as a young child, Quinn has not been able “to receive the consistent care that is needed to develop the skills he is lacking.” His mother notes that his physical size has been a factor: Now fully grown at 6 feet tall and about 300 pounds, Quinn is more than a handful. The family has taken him to schools in Morgan Hill, San Jose and Palo Alto, but the schools shut down or turned Quinn away because of his size. “It’s nuts because he’s entitled to appropriate education,” Dickerson said. “He is denied treatment here because of his size and then he is denied over the hill because he is from Santa C... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924542 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:05:20 +0100 1924542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1921029&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F22VRTaZZQK4%2F Remember the Got Autism?” that PETA put up in downtown Newark, New Jersey? The billboard that was subsequently taken down by the ad agency hosting it? Well, it’s traveled West, to St. Louis, Missouri. From a PETA press release today: In light of two scientific studies that link milk consumption to autism in children, PETA will be displaying a new billboard parodying a ubiquitous milk ad. The ad shows a bowl of milk and cereal next to the tagline “Has Your Child Got Autism? Learn About the Link Between Autism and Dairy Products at PETA.org.” The bad news is that data from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that metropolitan St. Louis’ rate of 7.3 cases of autism per 1,000 8-year-old children is one of the highest among the 14 areas ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1921029 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:11:22 +0100 1921029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1921031&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fq6C1ogMsCKs%2F A three-year-old autistic boy died after being strangled by his seatbelt on a schoolbus this past Sunday, the Jerusalem Post reports. An aide has been arrested: During a police investigation into the incident, the boy’s mother said that she realized he was unconscious when she boarded the school bus to help him off after it arrived at her house. Police later began to suspect that the incident was a result of the boy being improperly secured into his seat, a suspicion that led to the arrest of his aide Many, many thoughts with the boy’s family. Many. Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, autism speaks, blame, bob wright, disabilities blog, disability, Education, Fundraising, Safety, Science, seatbeltShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1921031 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:11:17 +0100 1921031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1918055&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F1U4pHPbHlVo%2F Do we really need a “crusade against autism”?  Autism Speaks co-founder Bob Wright, grandfather of an autistic child, spoke of just such a “crusade” in the inaugural Annual TreeHouse Lecture. Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick (who’s the parent of an autistic child) writes about how such a “crusade” does more harm than good in the October 29th Spiked. Here’s his conclusion: Many families affected by autism welcome the higher public profile of autism, as reflected in the US election campaign. If this leads to greater resources to enable children with autism to get appropriate schooling and for affected families to get the support that they need, then that will be progress. If, however, resources are diverted into the pursuit of phantom environmental cau... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918055 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:32:35 +0100 1918055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1895056&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fr1SWLC_IBe8%2F Heralding an October 22nd lecture entitled “Are we ambitious enough about autism?” to be delivered by Autism Speaks co-found Bob Wright at the Treehouse charity in the UK Telegraph asks “Should we want to cure autism?” After raising my son Charlie for these past 11 years, my answer is that (in the words of a friend) curing autism is “neither possible nor desirable.” Autism is lifelong; it’s neither something that you catch or that you can be cured from, and focusing too much on trying to cure autism can distract from the pressing realities of teaching, supporting, taking care of, and being with people who are autistic. As I wrote in a March 2007 post, Acceptance vs. Cure: Is autism a difference, a manifestation of human diversity and variation—-... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895056 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:47:53 +0100 1895056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826782&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fso-i-should-jump-off-a-bridge%2F I received a very threatening and disturbing comment a few days ago on a blog post, these comments I normally delete as they serve no purpose.  But this comment does serve a purpose and there is a legitimate gripe.  This person appears to be the sister of an Autistic girl who can’t communicate with the [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826782 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:26:41 +0100 1826782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696277&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FB2zLI4YP7zI%2F Maybe you’ve heard about 9-year-old Lin Hao—-a survivor of the Sichuan earthquake who dug himself out of the rubble and then went back and got two of his classmates out—who appeared in the super-spectacular Opening Ceremony of the Oympics and about whom, as Grace Ibay at Kids Health Notes, writes, Chinese bloggers are talking about: Not by accident, the tiny flag that Lin Hao is waving is upside down. It’s an international nautical distress signal. It’s a cry for help. And someone thought of sending that message out at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Just an accident, maybe not quite an incident? What if cars bearing puzzle magnets chose to turn them upside down to indicate distress; a particularly bad day? We don’t, by the way, have any sort of ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696277 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:20:15 +0100 1696277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1677595&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fand-we-have-supermodels%2F I got a message today from Emily, who blogs as pahsophist, she recently purchased one of our great shirts and sent me a picture of her wearing it. As you can see its an awesome looking shirt, and I would like to thank Emily for sending the picture. If you don’t know these shirts were designed so that [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1677595 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:01:36 +0100 1677595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597294&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fan-emotional-video-to-aba-applied-behavioral-analysis%2F Applied Behavioral Analysis is a way of ‘correcting’ Autistic behaviors such as stimming, pacing, etc by punishing people for behaviors that are a result from Autism.  Kathy, an Autisitc adult volunteered at an ABA school for awhile and posted a very emotional responce about what she saw and how it impacted her. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597294 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:27:59 +0100 1597294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1561678&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fgovernor-parents-and-lawmakers-furious-with-autism-speaks%2F Autism Speaks while advocating for what it thinks is best for Autistic People disregards others input and upsets Parents and lawmakers in Pensylvania. It appears Pensylvania attempted to a great thing for Autistic People by helping by requiring companies to provide insurance coverage for Autistic People’s health care in a non-discriminatory fashion.  According to Rick Bryant, president [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1561678 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:13:45 +0100 1561678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1556687&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fshould-i-be-ashamed-of-the-autism-speaks-tshirt-ordeal%2F There are some people out there who think I and other Autistic individuals who jumped the gun about this T-shirt incident should be ashamed.  I really don’t think so, and this is why. It seems some individuals such as this guy believe that we are ‘bigotoed’ and ‘throw common sense out the window’ on a regular [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1556687 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:59:37 +0100 1556687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1556402&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fparents-governor-denounce-autism-speaks.html As reported on Yahoo News in a story from PRNewswire-USNewswire, the Pennsylvania autism advocacy organization AutismLink, which has the support of Governor Edward G. Rendell and Speaker of the House Dennis M. O'Brien, has issued a press release denouncing lobbying efforts by Autism Speaks that resulted in substantial changes to autism insurance legislation in Pennsylvania. As a result of Autism Speaks' interference, the bill "was gutted of all useful language" while in committee. AutismLink reports that parents are appalled by the actions of Autism Speaks in spoiling efforts to help autistic children:"This bill was carefully crafted to end insurance discrimination of children with autism in Pennsylvania," said Cindy Waeltermann, President of AutismLink and parent of two children with auti... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1556402 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:40:00 +0100 1556402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1551448&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35089&url=http%3A%2F%2Faspiefamily.org%2Fdad%2Fnot-autism-speaks%2F is a new website offering a viewpoint of Autism Speaks that is more in line with myself and some (many? most? I hope so) other Hub members. This is from their home page. Greetings. If you’ve arrived at this site, it’s probably because you were looking for information on the well-known charity Autism Speaks. What you may not know is that, while this organization maintains a veneer of non-controversiality, you should carefully consider supporting Autism Speaks or relying on them for information. In a nutshell: Why you shouldn’t support Autism Speaks They have produced propaganda which demeans autistic individuals and may encourage “mercy killing” They do little to actually assist autistic individuals They censor bloggers and website owners who criticize them ... Aspie Dad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1551448 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:04:50 +0100 1551448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1552411&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fthe-word-from-zazzle-management%2F I finally got a phone call back from Zazzle Managment and discussed with them whats going on. As to whether Autism Speaks directly contacted Zazzle about this product. Zazzle: Well we have recieved letters in the past from um ah Autism Speaks in regards to prodcuts withtrademark violations so when our um content management staff came across [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1552411 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:26:15 +0100 1552411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1547444&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fon-the-phone-with-zazzle%2F So… I’m on the phone with Zazzle about Autism Speaks’ copyright violation allegation. You can listen in….   Not much of an answer from this guy, but still awaiting that call back! (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1547444 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:03:59 +0100 1547444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1544602&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fyour-own-customizable-t-shirt%2F Well you spoke and said you wanted shirts, well I have listened.  It took a while, but I have figured out an awesome new thing! These shirts can be custom made for you, the one to the left has been custom designed for me.   You can replace Zachary your name - and proudly show that you [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544602 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:59:12 +0100 1544602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1544606&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fwhy-is-autism-speaks-so-bad%2F I’ve received a lot of inquiries as of late about why I and other people dislike Autism Speaks, and I think its important that people understand why I think Autism Speaks does not in fact support Autistic People, read more for some examples Please not that the following is my personal opinion, and does not express [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544606 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:49:14 +0100 1544606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538743&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fwhat-you-can-do-and-thanks%2F Over the last few days I have been overwhelmed with a lot of support, immature idiots and people asking what they can do to help.  Well read more while I address these. First of all I would like to thank the people who have been very supportive of this, particuarly Kelly Becker - the last autistic person [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538743 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:02:53 +0100 1538743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1535822&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fautism-speaks-you-cant-shut-us-up.html So, word has it that you folks at Autism Speaks are up to your old tricks again, telling your lawyers to intimidate Internet companies into taking down criticism from autistic civil rights activists. Haven't you figured out yet that this tactic is going to explode in your face like Wile E. Coyote smoking a big fat Acme Cigar every time you try it? Didn't you learn your lesson earlier this year when you went after that 14-year-old autistic kid who built a (clearly legal) parody site?I guess not. Looks like you're such lumbering dinosaurs that you still think the world revolves around the media elite and you can do whatever you want. That's a dangerous assumption, you know. Back in April, a very foolish anti-vaccine conspiracist lawyer by the name of Clifford Shoemaker thought he could use a... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1535822 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:22:00 +0100 1535822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538744&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fproof-that-autism-speaks-is-attacking-autism-self-advocacy%2F I just received the official reply from the shirt manufacturer which confirms that Autism Speaks gave them legal notice to take down the shirt… read more to view the letter! Dear Zach,   Thank you for your email.   Thank you for your interest in Zazzle.com, and thank you for publishing products on Zazzle. Unfortunately, we have been contacted by [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538744 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:21:03 +0100 1538744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538745&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Faspieweb-vs-autism-speaks-fight-for-the-right-for-autistics-to-speak%2F AspieWeb has sent a reply to the legal DMCA take down notice received through our manufacturer, plus were making a shirt (and even more merchandise) to commemorate this historic and stupid move of Autism Speaks! Wednesday afternoon I crafted the following response to the manufacturer and have yet to receive a response. Hello,   I produced the following shirt to [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538745 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:10:36 +0100 1538745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538746&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Faspieweb-being-bullied-by-autism-speaks%2F I just received a legal notice from the big bad bully Autism Speaks because I designed a t-shirt that says “Autism Speaks Can Go Away.”  It appears Autism Speaks is now using legal threats to shut up Autistic people that disagree with there stance on Autism. Many people know Autism Speaks threatned  the parents of an Autistic Child [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538746 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:31:13 +0100 1538746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538752&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fabuse-and-autism-advocacy%2F More and more Autistic people keep complaining about how organizations describe Autism as “a disaster” or an epidemic.  Well one parent decided to write an email to one of these organizations - and she got a horrific response which you can read. (CONTAINS STRONG LANAGUAGE) The Orriginal Email: (March 28th) To: jonathan.howard@runthedream.ca, Subject: You run & reasons Cc:bill.robertson@runthedream.ca,alex.bittner@runthedream.ca,alison.pickard@runthedream.ca, becky.doyle@runthedream.ca,bryan.howard@runthedream.ca,carly.murdock@runthedream.ca, kevin.cassan@runthedream.ca,kevin.fraser@runthedream.ca,lauren.canzius@runthedream.ca, mike.mccarther@runthedream.ca,scott.rogers@runthedream.ca,warren.howard@runthedream.ca Sir, Words like these [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538752 Sun, 18 May 2008 19:14:17 +0100 1538752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1418469&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F282850084%2F Autism Awareness Month 2008 ended Wednesday; here in my state of New Jersey, Senator Robert Menendez marked the closing of the month by unveiling the Helpings HANDS for Autism Act. The act calls for the creation of “autism navigators” to assist families in figuring out services; training for law enforcement and other primary responders; and the creation of a Task Force to address the “serious lack of sufficient housing” for autistic adults. A recent report about an autistic man in Utah, Eric Hale, who died in a group home and was found weighing 100 pounds and in a fetal position and, from the report of a friend, with a “‘punctured bowel [and] vomiting feces,’” more than underscores the need not only for housing for autistic adults, but for highly tra... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1418469 Sat, 03 May 2008 17:33:27 +0100 1418469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1389076&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F274899706%2F Mega-autism-organization Autism Speaks has launched yet another fund-raising event. It’s called Eat, Shop, Give: If you’re in Montgomery County, Maryland, you can purchase a special Eat, Shop, Give (ESG) key tag for $50.00 and get discounts at certain businesses from the 21st through the 27th of April. “Eat, Shop, Give” is a sort of telegraphic phrase—a much shortened version of what could be said—-and as such recalls Charlie’s speech. He rarely uses connecting words like “and” or the definite article, “the.” (For those who want to know, this is called asyndeton.) We work on him adding these but when Charlie speaks spontaneously, he likes to get right to the point. (Though no commas—as in the title of this movie, Eat D... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1389076 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:25:14 +0100 1389076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286289&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fmichael-john-carley-curebie-suckup.html Back in 2006, when Michael John Carley of GRASP collaborated (in more than one sense of the word) with Alison Tepper Singer in composing so-called "articles of understanding," I wrote a blog post mocking his naive foolishness in giving the benefit of the doubt to our mortal enemy, Autism Speaks.Now it's become apparent that Carley had a significant personal financial interest in sucking up to Autism Speaks and that I was, in fact, the naive one for giving Carley the benefit of the doubt as to his motives. In a promotional e-mail recently sent to GRASP members, Carley announced that he has written a book that is due to be released in a few weeks. He bragged about his "unbelievable advance reviews," profusely thanked the professionals who wrote them, and provided a link to these reviews on A... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286289 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:35:00 +0100 1286289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1272545&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F244747076%2F Autism Speaks has created a 100 day kit to help families navigate their way through the 100 days after getting an autism diagnosis. After filling out a brief survey, an Autism Team Coordinator will contact a family and “personalize the kit”: The turn-around time for a new kit will be approximately one week from the date of the initial request. Members of the Autism Response Team will follow up with families four months after they receive the 100 Day Kit to see how they are doing, answer any questions they may have, and solicit their feedback. There is an PDF file of the kit is available here. The kit provides basic information about what autism is and getting it diagnosed; describes various treatments (mostly educational, such as ABA, Pivotal Response Training, Floortime, and R... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1272545 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:34:17 +0100 1272545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1268455&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Foutcomes.html I wasn't surprised when the NYU Child Study Center's online forum on Tuesday turned out to be a heavily moderated propaganda fest that blocked almost all comments from self-advocates and made only the slightest pretense of responding to the concerns of the thousands of people who objected to the Ransom Notes advertisements. Still, there was one exchange that provided some useful insight into the mindset underlying the ads:Kristina Chew, Ph.D.: It would be good, perhaps, to teach children about conditions like bulimia, depression, autism, in ways that state simply what they are, without overly emphasizing that it is "terrible" to have them. That's not to say that a person with (for instance) depression does not suffer or have difficulties. It's important to emphasize hope and help, rather t... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1268455 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:27:00 +0100 1268455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1179957&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fbigotry-on-parade.html If anyone still doubts that Autism Speaks' ultimate goal is eugenic extermination of the world's entire autistic population, more proof can be found in a Parade Magazine article written by Suzanne Wright, straight from the proverbial horse's mouth—or, perhaps, from another part of the horse's anatomy:parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_01-27-2008/Autism_Changes_EverythingIn a span of less than two years, Suzanne Wright's bigoted diatribes against autistic people have included promises to put us in the history books and exhortations to kick us to the curb. Oh, and she also claims that autistic children are "just not there" and can't be taken out to restaurants and movies. So I didn't find it at all surprising to see this unequivocal declaration of Autism Speaks' eugenic intentions i... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1179957 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:36:00 +0100 1179957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166431&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fautism-speaks-silences-autistic-child.html Quite often, Autism Speaks claims that it just wants to help autistic children overcome communication problems and become independent. So what really happens when an autistic child speaks up, and the organization doesn't happen to like the content of the child's independent thought? Well, in at least one case I know about, Autism Speaks proceeded to sic their lawyers on the kid.This happened last week to a member of the Aspies for Freedom forum, who goes by the net nickname Kelly (among other nicknames) and is 14 years old. Autism Speaks got pissed off because Kelly built a parody website, NTSpeaks, which humorously suggested that interventions for certain annoying and intolerant behaviors of the non-autistic population might be in order. The site was designed to resemble Autism Speaks' we... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166431 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:13:00 +0100 1166431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106275&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fransom-notes-and-autism-speaks-partners.html The Ransom Notes advertising campaign has Autism Speaks' dirty little fingerprints all over it. It's a direct follow-up from those Ad Council PSA commercials for Autism Speaks, also produced pro bono by the ad agency BBDO. If you live in the United States, you've probably seen those awful commercials that compare the odds of your child being autistic to being hit by lightning, killed in a car crash, or otherwise ending up dead. Autism Speaks seems to have quite a fixation with autistic children ending up dead, to judge from Alison Tepper Singer's infamous line in the Autism Every Day video about wanting to drive off a bridge with her autistic daughter, which was soon followed by a magazine interview with two Autism Speaks board members who hoped their autistic son would drown in their back... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106275 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:34:00 +0100 1106275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=970120&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fautism-speaks-eugenic-agenda.html It's not really news that the ultimate goal of Autism Speaks is to wipe out the entire autistic population through prenatal testing and eugenic abortion. After all, one of their leading researchers, Dr. Joseph Buxbaum of the Autism Genome Project, frankly admitted as much in an interview almost three years ago, before NAAR merged into Autism Speaks.But for the most part, they've managed to put up a somewhat plausible pretense of being a mainstream charity that just wants to prevent suffering, and so forth. Most of the material on their website is carefully designed to keep the public unaware of their close ideological affinity with the white supremacist agenda of creating a master race through eugenics. A casual reader might not notice a page featuring the views of Dr. James Watson, with w... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=970120 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:56:00 +0100 970120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=892392&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35105&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjoyofautism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fanother-autism-story.html I am in the grocery store line, and yes, I heard that Jenny went on Oprah to talk about how diet and biomed "cured" her autistic child (who still flaps by the way). "Fighting for her Autistic Son," says the People Magazine headline. My stomach clenches. Oh no, I should be used to this by now, I think. Another "devastating" article that talks about autism as a disease -- that can be cured with medications and therapies. I sigh. I reluctantly buy it -- like a compulsion. I would prefer to ignore it. I can't.The story starts off the same. Every parent is shocked, worried, faces fear. The beginnings of our stories are almost always universal, and there is nothing wrong in stating how something effects us. But, in the article, it doesn't really stop. We see the loving pictures -- son and mum lo... The Joy of Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=892392 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:28:00 +0100 892392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=838872&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fautism-speaks-attacks-local-charitys.html When a local autism charity in Vermont decided to hold its own fundraising walk and keep the proceeds in the community, rather than inviting Autism Speaks as it had done last year, Autism Speaks reacted like a spiteful schoolyard bully and deliberately set out to sabotage the local group's event.As reported by the blog Don't Tell the Donor, a watchdog site that blows the whistle on unsavory doings by nonprofit organizations:...some parents began to question why they were raising money for national research when local families in Vermont needed immediate assistance.As a result, one of last year's community sponsors - a group called Autism Support Daily - decided to organize their own walk and call it the Second Annual Vermont Walk on Saturday, September 29th. Rather than give up the event t... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=838872 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:51:00 +0100 838872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=838860&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F09%2F04%2Fautism-demons-and-disordered-thinking%2F Kev has just blogged about an interesting discussion on ABMD, an email list devoted to biomedical interventions for autism. The bare bones are that a parent asked some obvious questions about how many recovered kids there were and where was the research that followed them up. From the subsequent replies three points struck me.  1. The [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=838860 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:04:14 +0100 838860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=821397&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fessential-features.html A recent post by Kristina Chew discusses the Rain Man stereotype that "autistic people frequently fail to see... the essential features of what is required."There's a page on the Autism Speaks website that purports to illustrate this alleged lack of intellectual capacity with a photograph of a 4-year-old boy at the Lincoln Memorial, standing underneath the engraved words of the Gettysburg Address and looking at cracks in the wall. The boy's father writes that he "has already taught himself to read and to write and is more than capable of reading the speech" but instead finds the cracks in the wall more interesting. Supposedly, this little boy's lack of interest in the words of the speech shows the mental challenges that autistic children face.autismspeaks.org/community/ownwords/intheirownw... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=821397 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:43:00 +0100 821397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811209&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fmore-hate-speech-from-autism-speaks.html You know that you're in for a long slog through the stinking muck when you start reading a news article that begins with medieval changeling nonsense like this:"He's just not there, he's gone," Suzanne Wright said as she sat in her living room and gazed at a photograph of her 6-year-old grandson Christian.The article (ack.net/Autism081607.html) was written to promote a fundraising walk on Nantucket this Saturday, August 25th. According to Ms. Wright, participating in Autism Speaks walks is the ideal family activity for the autistic community because "you can't take these children out to restaurants and movies."Feh. Sounds like the Wrights never heard of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Every public establishment in the United States is required to serve autistic children by federal law... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811209 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:07:00 +0100 811209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=737587&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fchristschool-educates-hillary-clinton.html In his description of his latest video, which deals with Hillary Clinton's misguided support for Autism Speaks, Christschool writes that he met Hillary several times at White House functions during Bill's second term as President.He believes that she has had very little experience with autistic people in everyday life and "just needs to be introduced to autism outside of the framework of Autism Speaks and the various other charities that pretend to support autistic people."Let's hope this video will give her a wake-up call:VIEW VIDEO HERE (Source: Whose Planet Is It Anyway?) Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=737587 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:37:00 +0100 737587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716647&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautisticbfh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Flimits-of-diplomacy.html I'm a fan of the movie Independence Day, in which Will Smith, as a hotshot military pilot, and Jeff Goldblum, as a computer geek (who's autistic, or close to it), team up to save the world from an alien invasion. I watch the DVD every year, on or around the Fourth of July; it's one of my rituals.I was reminded of a certain scene from Independence Day when I got an e-mail last week from a person who mentioned that Ginger is collecting and forwarding letters to Autism Speaks containing constructive suggestions, and who asked if I might want to write something for Ginger to send.Some folks who are familiar with the movie may already have guessed what scene I'm thinking about, but for those who haven't seen it, I'll briefly describe a little of the plot to put the scene in context. Alien ships... Whose Planet Is It Anyway? blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716647 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:25:00 +0100 716647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675961&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35083&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautismdiva.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fwhere-money-goes.html As was posted on the EoHarm Yahoo! Group by someone, possibly from Oregon, calling himself "autisminsider," Autism Speaks filed a form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service to show what money they brought in and where the millions they spent went, that way they can claim a non-profit status and not pay taxes in the same way an individual with this kind of wherewithall would.Page 18 shows that they lost $84,749 on the May 8th fund-loser "New Decade for Autism" which was the big expensive party they threw where they showed off the short version of the dreadful, "Autism Every Day" video. This photo is from that big ol' fancy party that turned out not to raise a penny at all, at least not that night. That's Tony Bennett, the guy with the hair next to Suzanne Wright.Page 48 has a statement tha... Autism Diva blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675961 Sat, 09 Jun 2007 09:00:00 +0100 675961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=490873&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35105&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjoyofautism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Ftwo-wrights-make-big-wrong.html If you caught Larry King Live tonight, you’ll be battoning down the hatches: watch out, beware, autism is a big big scare. If you believe in fairy tales and the big bad witch, autism is going to come and take your precious sons.There is was again, a bumbling Bill Cosby stumbling over his words, “a point that was missed is that there is no eye contact,” he explained, “like they’re not even in the room.”Toni Braxton shed her tears for her five year old son, the same age as my Adam. “Autism Speaks reached out to me,” she said. “I’m so grateful that they did.” Honey, don’t you know that Autism Speaks is reaching out to every glitterati they know who has an autistic member of the family? Don’t you know that you mean big profile and bucks for them? It sounds like Toni n... The Joy of Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=490873 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:21:00 +0100 490873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486973&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F03%2F06%2Fwhen-friends-fall-out%2F A few weeks ago in my post on Rett Reversal and Neurodiversity I wrote Now that there is a real possibility of a cure for Rett Syndrome some time in the future, will it undermine the movement for autism acceptance and encourage those whose aim is normalization? Some will certainly see it that way. But in the short to medium term I predict that it will increase the tension between organizations like Autism Speaks that are funding research into genetic causes for autism and those like NAA and Safe Minds who think they already know the cause and the cure and are only interested in research that confirms their prejudices.  Well, it has happened. J. B. Handley, the driving force behind Generation Rescue and Put Children First, is circulating a letter entitled Bernie versus Bryna: The Trou... Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486973 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:58:09 +0100 486973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487741&cid=t_105136_133_f&fid=35097&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbartholomewcubbins.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F01%2Fbc-on-autism-28-bipolar-autism-speaks.html Autism Speaks is trying to be the voice in the autism community but I want to focus on two of its members: Kevin Barry and Dr. Andrew Shih. Kevin Barry is a consultant and a lawyer who is a mercury enthusiast whereas Dr. Shih seems to be a straight-up scientist. Guess which one has a real problem with Roy Grinker's latest book that challenges the notion that there's an autism epidemic? I'll give you a hint: the other one bodyslams Montel Williams on his own pathetic show.Running time is ~ 7 minutes. Enjoy. Click To Play It appears that Kevin Barry of Autism Speaks is having some fun with rallying the troops to disparage Roy Grinker's new book. What a loser. Dr. Grinker really stepped into a pit of vipers. The silent majority is behind you, Dr. Grinker.Click here for the QuickTim... Bartholomew Cubbins on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487741 Fri, 19 Jan 2007 06:19:00 +0100 487741