Kim Rossi runs the blog “the Age of Autism”. She’s a parent of three autistic kids. In the past, AoA was managed by someone without any real connection to the autism community: Dan Olmsted. Sadly, Mr. Olmsted passed away (I very much disagree with what Mr. Olmsted did but I never wished him personal ill). So now Kim is in charge.
Many years ago I emailed Kim to propose that we start promoting some stories in parallel. That we find some stories that are important to all in the autism community and start getting some sort of unity in publicizing and advocating on those topics. Ms. Rossi was polite, but it was clear that this wasn’t going to happen. People told me that the primary (by far) focus of Ms. Rossi and the AoA blog was their vaccine stance (they are against vaccines. Yeah, Kim, I know you try to dance around that, but it’s true.). Then they promote bad “medical” approaches to “treating” autism. Yes, Kim, I’m thinking of the example where you sprinkled a novel, synthetic compound mislabeled and sold as a “supplement” on your kids’ food. Then comes attacking actual experts and expertise in areas like medicine, science and the like. Actual advocacy for autistic people is far down on your list.
But I look back on that and I think, you had at least enough advocacy that I thought you were actually interested in it.
No way in Hades I’d make that mistake now. I recently checked in on your blog and I was surprised to see how much worse it’s gotten. I decided to wait until I saw something that actually amounted to advocacy. It was a long wait.
Today you have two articles. One on the suicide of a Sandy Hook parent. It amounts to “Our lives as autism parents are so hard we might commit suicide too.”
The next one is about an autistic adult who was removed from his family in the UK. Actual autism advocacy. You copied the first 5 paragraphs of a news story and gave a link to the story. Your title? First focus “Secret Court”. Well, you tried. A little.
Below is a list of your recent articles. I went back until there was something like autism advocacy.
The world could be a little better for autistic people had you focused your advocacy on actual autism advocacy. Instead you became an anti-vaccine activist. You’ve failed your community. Hard.
Titles of recent AoA articles.
Father of Child Killed at Sandy Hook Commits Suicide in Newtown CT
Secret Court Hearing Takes Son with Autism Away from UK Mother
Women Demand Action from FDA About Breast Implant Danger
What Really Happened In Connecticut? Yale Bailed & Vaccine Knowledge Censorship Continues
Who Are the Anti-Vaxxers?
How Can Brown Injure You? UPS and Merck Want to Bring Vaxes to Your Door
Letter to the Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about Vaccination Choice
Common Sense in the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Governor’s Home: Chicken Pox Once and Done
Student Paper: Vaccinate by Choice, Not by Force
Free Speech YouTubers Noticing Crack Down on Vaccination Topic
The Aspirin a Day Science is Unsettled and on St. Joseph’s Day No Less!
Yale Bailed! Expert Panel Reneges on Vaccine Mandate Debate with Robert Kennedy Jr
An article giving away a book that was donated to your site: “Outsmarting Autism, Updated and Expanded Build Healthy Foundations for Communication, Socialization, and Behavior at All Ages” (almost actually advocacy).
If Teen Consents to Vaccination without Parental Approval Who is Liable in Case of Injury
Robert Kennedy Jr Hosts Press Conference in CT “Should Vaccines Be Mandated?”
Special Education Taking Over in England (nearly on topic. Except your focus is on using the story to support for your failed epidemic idea, rather than actually advocating for better special ed).
Laura Hayes on PRN Radio Monday 3/18
On Vaccines: Our Legislators Don’t Know Vaccines
“Protocol 007”: Merck Scientists Accuse Company of Mumps Vaccine Fraud that May Be Endangering Public Health Today
Lawsuit Claimed Merck Overstated Mumps Vaccine Effectiveness: US Military Preparedness Takes The Hit
You Say Paro-TIE-tis, I Say Paro-Tee-tis Let’s Call the Whole Thing Mumps
#UsToo Open Letter to Washington State Legislators About SB5841 Removal of Vaccine Exemptions
Tesla Uses Merck Whistleblower Punishment Playbook: “Destroy Them Where They Live”
GMOs, Vaccines, Choice, and Informed Consent
Vexed by the Vaxxed: How Measles Is Smarter Than Your Average Bear
Action Alert: CA Senator Schiff Attacking Internet Free Speech
The New Irish Famine: Help for Students with Autism and Their Schools
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By Matt Carey
Left Brain Right Brain 
WHAT?!
The sad thing is that these are people who are clearly passionate and devoted to the cause. They could help people with autism and their family. Instead, they’re at best a distraction that drains resource, at worse a risk.
So much effort wasted. At best wasted–much of it was counter productive. Pointing parents onto wrong paths. Pushing them into the hell of guilt, self-blame. Making them targets for charlatans. AoA has done a lot of harm.
Rossi is a particularly bad offender. She teaches Karate, but it seems she hasn’t been teaching it to her daughters, from what I’ve read. From my own experience, learning martial arts is disproportionately beneficial to autistics. Instead, Rossi follows the “woe is me” template, which is ultimately harmful to her children.