Autism Speaks: Don’t Speak For Me

17 Jul

Following on from the furore created by the very misleading Autism Every Day film, I’ve set up a petition to make sure that the film-makers realise that not all parents of autistic people, or autistic people themselves, or professionals who work with autistic people are harbouring thoughts of murder. Neither do we appreciate our lives being intentionally misleadingly portrayed in order to gain a pressure group a bit more money.

Signatories will be stating that they:

Utterly repudiate the notion of murder being an acceptable response to disability.

Vehemently deny that most parents of autistic – or otherwise disabled – children harbour thoughts of murder

Testify that the false ‘reality’ concocted by Autism Speaks film ‘Autism Every Day’ is not a true reflection of the reality of parenting an autistic child.

Call for a public apology from Lauren Thierry for increasing ignorance regarding autism.

Please sign the petition.

11 Responses to “Autism Speaks: Don’t Speak For Me”

  1. Jemaleddin July 17, 2006 at 13:29 #

    I signed – let’s hope lots of others do so as well.

    But I think a more important initiative of yours was posting a video of your daughter – I’ve followed suit with a “boring family video”http://www.tanglebones.com/articles/2006/07/16/first-attempt-at-boring-home-movies-online of my own. I think that the petition serves a purpose, but showing people what autistic kids are really like will be more effective.

  2. Lisa Randall July 17, 2006 at 14:15 #

    I don’t have an autistic child so didn’t think it would be appropriate for me to sign, but for the safety and dignity of autistic kids, I hope the petition drive has a big impact. Autism Speaks, but does it listen?

  3. Bonnie Ventura July 17, 2006 at 14:51 #

    Good job Kev. I’ve signed the petition.

    And I agree with Jemaleddin that it’s vital for people to see what autistic kids are really like. Not just in videos, but in everyday life as well. Many people know an autistic person in real life, but because the media stereotypes are so extreme, they’re not even aware that their friend or their friend’s child is autistic.

  4. Elisabeth Clark July 17, 2006 at 15:53 #

    I regularly (every month just before THAT time of the month) have a series of disturbing dreams over one or two nights where through my own negligence Boy is somehow hurt/ killed or put into a situation he doesnt understand and THEN gets hurt/ killed.

    I dont think this is the same thing as A. Singer, because I know other parents (of NT kids) sometimes have dreams where their kids get hurt because of a parental mistake. I dont think its the same as actually contemplating murder. But I wondered if it would be appropriate for me to sign the petition given that they do happen?

  5. Nathzn July 17, 2006 at 17:57 #

    Everyone has dreams like that,

    Dreams are a way of unconusiously (sry 4 the spelling) dealy with cause of anxiety.

    As a parent you would of cause have the saftey of your child as a cause to be anxious.

    So you should still sign it

    p.s. nice idea Kev i signed it to.

  6. susan senator July 17, 2006 at 22:59 #

    Our minds are wild and wonderful things, full of darkness and light. We think and we dream freely. That is human and universal. Kev and Nathzn are right on.
    http://susansenator.com/blog/2006/07/hey-autism-speaks-shut-up-already.html

    Speaking out in a film self-righteously proclaiming the desire to kill one’s child for not being what you initially hoped for, in the name of “raising awareness,” is quite another thing altogether.

  7. Ms Clark July 17, 2006 at 23:45 #

    Let’s not forget the comment from Alison Tepper Singers beloved daughter that she (the sibling of the autistic girl) wished she didn’t have a sister with autism… more of the same “wish she was gone” sentiment coming from a (coached) child and making it past the editor, Lauren Thierry. And then there’s that scene where one of the moms is in front of a traffic sign that reads, “Dead End.”

  8. Judith W. July 18, 2006 at 01:54 #

    Thank you for starting this, I have signed and asked my other friends (with NT and Autistic children alike) to read, watch and sign as well. Autism speaks certainly does NOT speak for me. I appreciate all the work you do on this blog and also others in the Autism hub as well.

  9. Mike McCarron July 18, 2006 at 03:41 #

    Kevin,
    Thank you for developing this.

  10. Joseph Mele July 20, 2006 at 17:58 #

    on the same theme. I did a protest at the today show with this slogan.

    here is the pic

    and it is shown here
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_rights

  11. Ms Clark July 21, 2006 at 01:11 #

    Joe Mele,

    When was the photo taken? You should add the date to the wiki page.

    Did a shot of you with the sign make it onto the Today show?

    Who took the photo of you? Is it a still from the tv broadcast?

Comments are closed.