Comments on: Autism Speaks Hits A New Low

By: Steve Ingram

Steve Ingram — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:57:28 +0000

Hey Codeman,

I read your article with great interest. I think the errors with the video began at the planning stage. I agree with you, my expectation was of highly a anticipated video which sends a powerful message on behalf of the Autism community.

Thank you for transcripting the video. I too watched and got the feeling of a sinister evil descending. I then tried to put a positive spin on the video by analysing the purpose, audience and delivery.

If the purpose was frightenig the audience into taking notice or infuriating parts of the Autism community, then this was acomplished. One problem, the video doesn’t indicate clearly the intended audience. Was the delivery for policy makers or heads of Government? I understand it may not be for people with Autism or their relations; but why wasn’t this clearly addressed at the planning stage.

I wouldn’t describe the video as edgy, more misguided.

btw, i don’t follow Autism speak (or really know who they are), so I’ll read up on your posts.

Cheers
Steve

By: Time to Change How You Think About Autism. « Healing… Through the Eyes of Autism.

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:26:02 +0000

[...] [Transcript via Codeman38] [...]

By: Lots of Stuff About Us, All of It Without Us: Writing a Letter to a Senator « fat fu

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:05:53 +0000

[...] cant. (Transcript here.) And it took about two seconds before the participant bloggers in the Autism Hub (a group of [...]

By: David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E.

David N. Andrews M. Ed., C. P. S. E. — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:10:13 +0000

“Lunch Bunch or Circle of Friends, for example, can turn into making the child with Autism/Asperger Syndrome think these people are REAL friends when they’re really just peer helpers.”

This is, SpedConsult, one of my more serious concerns with programmes like those… it doesn’t really mean that real friendships will result from anything that happens during the time the programme is being implemented. And it is a danger… self-esteem can be quite brittle for the Asperger-autistic kid.

By: Colleen

Colleen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:45:57 +0000

Thank you very much for the transcript, I am going to link back to your blog so that others may have the opportunity to read it.

By: Jan

Jan — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:11:53 +0000

it’s horrible – my son has Asperger’s as do I, and he has meltdowns and can be overstimulated & overstimulating to others …but it hasn’t ended my marriage (in fact I am re-married to an amazing man who is fathering him eventhough he isn’t the biological father)

I haven’t the stomach to watch the video, reading the transcripts was enough!

I don’t need to be cured, but accepted for who I am

By: codeman38

codeman38 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:46:17 +0000

@Spedconsult: I wasn’t diagnosed until late in high school, myself– as a straight-A student in honors and AP courses. So I can very much understand.

By: Spedconsult

Spedconsult — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:44:36 +0000

In all of the consulting I do, I preach that the self-actualized life of a person with autism may look very different from the NT version but it is no less wonderful. When some parents seem very upset at the diagnosis of a fairly high-functioning person, I go ahead and mention, hey, I have most symptoms of Asperger Syndrome but I was never diagnosed because the diagnosis did not exist until I was already in college. In a college honors program. I wish I’d had much more social skills assistance but in a way, I’m glad I have been able to work it out on my own because some of those programs are torture in the wrong hands. Lunch Bunch or Circle of Friends, for example, can turn into making the child with Autism/Asperger Syndrome think these people are REAL friends when they’re really just peer helpers. But the reaction of some people is sickening. No you can’t have that because you’re successful. What, the goal of therapy for a person with more severe symptoms isn’t success? Thanks for posting this information. I haven’t the stomach to watch the video.

By: DaisyDeadhead

DaisyDeadhead — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:58:55 +0000

I absolutely agree that muting it seems to send the opposite message! All I could think was, what a positive disability-rights commercial it could have been.

It really is a matter of the narrative making the whole difference.

By: Help Fight Back Against Autism Speaks’ Attempts to Speak For Autistic People! | cripchick// blog

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:42:36 +0000

[...] (Transcript available here) [...]