Original Post here.

Boycott Autism Speaks is extremely disappointed in the decision of the Autism Society of America to give a prominent platform to Caren Zucker & John Donvan authors of “In A Different Key” at their annual conference.

This book presents many falsehoods and inaccuracies about the neurodiversity & autistic rights movements and about prominent disability activists. The book even sympathizes with parents who commit filicide against their disabled children.

An organization that claims to work for the autistic community cannot condone or endorse such dangerous misinformation. An organization that claims to work for us cannot pretend that this is an attempt to promote “both sides” when one side is literally fighting for our own humanity and civil rights.

We at BAS want to reiterate that we are more than just a boycott of Autism Speaks. We are a civil rights movement. One cannot claim to stand with us in the boycott when they embrace the same ideas that we are fighting against. If an organization supports the same principles as Autism Speaks, they do just as much harm to our communities.

If you support BAS, you support the neurodiversity movement. You support Autistic rights, autistic self determination and authentic inclusion. We do not just boycott one organization, but the ideas behind it that have held us back and caused our communities so much harm.

For more information, please read Amy Sequenzia’s article on the PACLA blog:

About The Autism Society of America on #DDoM2016

If you are looking for organizations to support, look locally. Who is actually helping Autistic people in your area? Who is working to ensure that our rights and interests are centered? If there is no such organization, ask yourself what you can do to support Autistic people in your individual communities.

Boycott Autism Speaks officially supports these organizations:

Autism Women’s Network,
Tone it Down Taupe
Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library.

#BoycottAutismSpeaks

• About 12 years ago, fresh out of college, I moved from Arizona to Boston with my psychiatrist partner, who was accepted into fellowship at Cambridge Hospital. This time is so vivid in my memory as a person with autism because it was my first time living in a big city and it was 9/11. People were everywhere and jobs were scarce. I read about a job working with kids at The judge Rotenburg Center in Canton, Mass. As an abused child, it seemed like a natural fit for me.

  I arrived early for my interview and was seated in a cheerful waiting room, decorated In Disney theme. My interviewer called me and escorted me past a game room where some kids were playing very quietly.

  After a brief exchange about how kids earn the privilege of using the game room as a reward for good behavior, I was ushered into a classroom.

  I had already begun to feel uneasy when I saw children, some in wheelchairs hooked up to a battery pack. At some point I was asked, “Would you have a problem delivering an electrical shock to a child displaying behaviors not in their behavior plan?”

  I rarely lie, but I said I wouldn’t because I wanted to know more so I could notify my partner that this was going on. I vaguely remember something being said about isolation being used.

  I left horrified and confused. It’s one of the worst memories I carry with me and I feel dirty having been there.

By Sandy Kinnamon

I thought it might be helpful to give some personal context as to why I don’t support Autism Speaks and am participating in efforts to boycott them.

My daughter was diagnosed as Autistic May 2012. I was scared and knew nothing about Autism, nothing positive; anyway, of the little I did know.

I was given Autism Speaks 100 days kit, which did have some helpful information. So, I decided to view their website, since I‘d heard of them, but knew nothing about them. As I began to look around their site, I became increasingly uncomfortable with what I was reading. What they were saying didn’t appear to describe my daughter at all. And it only further terrified me and I began to feel my despair deep. By the time I saw the video of called “Autism Everyday”, here ,where Judith Singer spoke of driving off a bridge with her Autistic child, but remembered she had a much more valuable, “normal” child to be there for, I was completely horrified and wondered if one day I would feel this way. If Autism was THAT bad?

It briefly led me to groups that weren’t at all helpful or accepting of their Autistic children and even more desperation and depression engulfed me as I tried to figure out how to save her from this cursed affliction.  But one day she looked into my eyes with so much love and affection and I snapped out of my haze and again SAW my child. This child I worked years through secondary infertility to get. And the more other Autistic children and adults I met, the more I knew these were dreaded lies, awful mischaracterizations of every person on the spectrum. These people were loving, affectionate, bright, intelligent, funny…challenges, to be sure, but in direct opposition to Suzanne Wright’s “Call to Action” here stating emphatically they are burdens, with families that aren’t living, but barely existing, they are lost, missing, diseased and gravely ill. None of the people I know are ANY of those things, including my daughter.   

You want to know the cost of this kind of misleading, manipulative rhetoric for dollars, of which only 4% is used to help actual families? Here is an account of a Mother, Author and blogger, Sharon (Mama’s Turn Now) whose 12 year old son Jay, happened to be reading over her shoulder as she was reading these despicable words.  I literally cried at the pain caused to this innocent child. No child should ever read how they are a destroyer of their family.  That price is TOO high!

I cannot support the silencing of Autistic voices by Autism Speaks. The bullying of a 14 year old Autistic girl, who dared to parody them, here.  How  absolutely disgusting is that? We must join together Autistic advocates and Parents to come up with real tangible ways, like mentorship programs, to help our loved ones. There is a better way than Autism Speaks. Our people deserve better.

Sandy

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