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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be massively unimpressed by the Autism Speaks adverts

273 replies

CommunistLegoOoOoBloc · 13/05/2017 22:07

Come on, MN. Why are you displaying adverts from such a hateful, ignorant organisation? One that advocates a cure, eugenics, is hated by so many people on the autism spectrum and fervently believes in the anti-vax movement?

Urgh.

OP posts:
lizzyj4 · 14/05/2017 15:17

I'd rather everyone involved concentrated on maybe changing the world so that people with autism (and any disability) can live a life worth living... She doesn't need to change, people's expectations do.

^ This - totally agree CakeAhoy

PlanIsNoPlan · 14/05/2017 15:19

Communist for any topic, any reason, any person - before I form a set opinion I need to see evidence and I don't rely on regurgitated 2nd/3rd info to form it. No need to despair, some info to link to would be helpful though.

Mummyoflittledragon · 14/05/2017 15:19

I think the fact that a child once treated for gut inflammation etc as Elsa describes it now shows no sign of autism is interesting. Autism is a blanket diagnosis. Perhaps some people are misdiagnosed with autism when in fact they have toxicities and imbalances in the body. I may stand corrected but I thought autistic people generally have brain inflammation and I think some have thyroid issues. If the brain inflammation and thyroid issues are are treated, that person will naturally change. It's not about making and autistic person NT, rather about exploring if the person is genuinely autistic or has brain inflammation, heavy metal toxicity, gut imbalances or thyroid function issues etc.

I don't think the medical profession has all the answers. I definitely think portraying all people diagnosed with autism as diseased is disgusting and saying no one diagnosed with autism can have a different prognosis is also not helpful.

Dawndonnaagain · 14/05/2017 15:22

therapies

PlanIsNoPlan · 14/05/2017 15:23

Thanks Dawn reading now.....

JustAnotherSilentOldNumber · 14/05/2017 15:24

Perhaps some people are misdiagnosed with autism when in fact they have toxicities and imbalances in the body.

"autism" is a funny thing.... it isn't really one 'thing' on it's own but diagnosed when someone displys a group of disabling characteristics called "the triad of impairments". It's not completely out there to assume there is more than one cause.

CloudPerson · 14/05/2017 15:24

I didn't say you weren't allowed to contribute.
On a thread where the majority of posters, some autistic themselves, have given their opinion, that autism speaks is a horrible anti-autism organisation, you come on to tell us about your 5 yr old nephew who has been cured by various treatments, which seems in line with the aims of autism speaks - optimum outcome for an autistic person, through treatments including ABA (which is largely considered abusive by those who have come through it) is to appear NT.
The majority of autistic people have a problem with this, and in the future, your nephew could be amongst those vehemently disagreeing with treatments.

JustAnotherSilentOldNumber · 14/05/2017 15:25

That said there is no proof toxicities and imbalances give a person impairments relating to the triads.

WhereTheFuckIsElsa · 14/05/2017 15:26

Dawn these are not the therapies followed by someone in the medical profession. The more successful approach is what Mummyoflittledragon described

Bubblesagain · 14/05/2017 15:27

Plan use Google then, there's many many pages blogs written by autistic people why they disagree with autism speaks and articles of their dubious affiliates and campaigns they've had in the past.
why should anyone on this thread educate you on this when you've called us a hysterical herd.

Polidori · 14/05/2017 15:29

Plan Why do you characterise the dislike of Autism Speaks as a faction? That almost seems to suggest that the opposition to them had a motive other than the dislike of their message.
Their mission is fundamentally flawed in that it sees autism as a disease and non-NT behaviour as a blight upon the earth. I don't need to behave like an NT any more than I need to behave like an Italian or a vegetarian.

JustAnotherSilentOldNumber · 14/05/2017 15:31

any more than I need to behave like an Italian

Am i the only person to put on a Mario-type-over-the-top-accent and act italian?

PlanIsNoPlan · 14/05/2017 15:33

Many thanks for the read but (again) unless I'm missing something I don't see where Autism Speaks is promoting the cited chelation, Hot and MMS therapies but that they are circulating the FDA advice amongst their 'community'. I see Dr Wang refers to ABA, respiridone and aripripazole as approaches/treatments and irrespective of if I agree or not with them, these are approches and treatments openly discussed on MN without the 'vitriol'

No doubt a cross-post whilst I'm writing this.

Polidori · 14/05/2017 15:34

You've been watching too many Dolmio adverts

Dawndonnaagain · 14/05/2017 15:34

Elsa I put up therapies promulgated by Autism Speaks. I don't agree with most of them.

JustAnotherSilentOldNumber · 14/05/2017 15:36

You've been watching too many Dolmio adverts

It's the puppets, they are hypnotic.

PlanIsNoPlan · 14/05/2017 15:38

Bubbles only coz it's AIBU and not the SEN Boards and Sunday and I'm in the 'mood' for a good debate surrounding a subject I usually don't debate (too close too home).

PlanIsNoPlan · 14/05/2017 15:42

Thanks Dawn. I have an open mind about this...back later.

marabounuts · 14/05/2017 15:48

well, in all fairness (I have a DC with severe low functioning ASD): we are fucked up financially, 'D'H is packing up as we speak as he cannot cope with it anymore. We have no friends left as everybody seems to avoid us (or better say DC1). My younger DC has developed issues as the result of growing up alongside a severely affected sibling.
I don't get some of the Asd sugar coating g in this thread.

worridmum · 14/05/2017 15:49

Autism speaks is a hate group that targets people with Autism and attempts to cure it, they certianily do have parelles to a certain party in Europe that wanted to cure people of being jewish.....

bigmouthstrikesagain · 14/05/2017 15:52

After watching that "I am Autism" video the only hysteria I can see is in the tone of the video itself, the reactions it provokes are understandably angry. I thought it was hateful, scare mongering and bleak. Also not really informative, it could have been describing the Devil or Nazis and been equally irrelevantAngryConfused

Looking at the current Autism Speaks site they seem to be trying to update their approach. But it still reads in a 'let's beat this thing' way and they are most definitely advocates for parents and carers not autistic people. So I don't like their approach, the way they allocate funds or the political reach they have. So I don't think criticism of Autism Speaks is hysterical.

Dawndonnaagain · 14/05/2017 16:03

FlowersMarabou
Are you getting all the help you're entitled to? What support have you got? Is there anything we can help with?

marabounuts · 14/05/2017 16:50

Dawn
yes, we get DLA, I get CA. Younger DC is under Cahms and we are seen regularly (some issues are slowly improving) but it doesn't take away the family break up, the financial issues (I was a higher rate tax payer before ASD entered my life and now I am on CA and this pay cut hit us hard) and the general stress/worry/relentless of it all. Autism ruined our life. I love DC1 so so much. She is my world but I wish we could cure the autism away. For us. And for her.

I thinks it is one of the thinks you need to have been through to understand.

JustAnotherSilentOldNumber · 14/05/2017 16:55

Mara you should get respite days / weeks.