Aspies For Freedom

This is a news article from today -

Today a group of parents in the mercury poisoning/autism community say there's no real difference between the James Freys of the world and reporters who "nod and write." Many believe the author of a Reuters article published on 2/19 entitled "Autism Surrounded by Misunderstandings," was quick to accept the answers given and took the easy route on such a complicated topic.

In Sunday's article, Maggie Fox, who typically favors proponents of ethylmercury Thimerosal, rested her faith in psychiatrist Dr. Irving Gottesman about the concerns of vaccines and their mercury ingredients' contribution to the rise in autism. In Fox's article, Gottesman said, " ... scientists are battling a plethora of Internet Web sites devoted to the idea that mercury causes autism."

Yet many scientists believe mercury has indeed caused the rise in autism. Web sites, along with written materials and peer-reviewed studies support accredited scientists and researchers that Fox failed to use as a balance to her autism article. Parents are growing frustrated with these nod-and-write tactics.

"Mass communication is about working hard to spread the most dependable information for the sake of knowledge and intelligence," says parent Wendy Fournier. "Unfortunately, Ms. Fox has forgotten this. Meanwhile, our children sit in a prison of silence where the truth has become banned."

Some parents believe that the court of public opinion is just as powerful as honest science when it comes to the wide prevalence of mercury poisoning dubbed "autism." "Journalistic integrity is key," says mother Rita Shreffler. "Otherwise, you're simply a transcriber ... a secretary of half-truths, rather than a championed poet of the whole truth."

The Reuters article came after a meeting of fellow doctors with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Donors of AAAS include Johnson and Johnson, Merck, and Pfizer. Reuters also has several ties to pharmaceutical companies such as Merck and Glaxo SmithKline. A few of these pharmaceutical companies hold a vested interest in disproving a link between mercury-containing vaccines they manufactured and neurological injuries to children.

NAA, a non-profit and parent-run organization, plans to launch a formal request for full disclosure to groups such as Reuters. The request would require any conflicts of interest be disclosed at the end of articles that deal with pharmaceutical issues.

From PRNewswire.


They are now trying to mangle autism community together with mercury poisoning as a phrase, this a term we do NOT need in the media.

On the front page of this site I have tried to use the term 'autism parents community' in order to differentiate from autism/autistic community.
The same in the parents forum.

If there are any ways that members here can make distinctions on their own sites or blogs, I hope that can be done.

As discussed in a previous thread, nt parents have claimed autism community for themselves, and adults on the spectrum have then used autistic community to distinguish. But rightfully we should be able to use both terms, as the media certainly assumes that autism community means all of us together.
Autism parents community is a term that they should more properly use in order to make it clear who is being talked about.

What can we do, Amy?

As I said in my post, if we use the terms as WE want to use them, and not how we have been circumscribed too, we can reclaim it.

When I first came online in 2004 I heard the term autism community, but when I used I was told not to, as it meant autism parents, and I should use autistic community. So I changed what I called it.

I think this attittude is actually negatively controlling what we can do, by force of each other's attitudues within the community. If others are trying to control what we do, it doesn't mean that we have to allow that control.

Even on wikipedia it is stated that autism community pertains to parents, not to our community.

Somebody needs to edit that wikipedia article to say that it is about our community, or at least shared between the two. Not just to rule out the way in which we use the term.

Definitely.

It's like calling PFLAG the gay community.  I mean, if all the flag-waving parents of gays dropped their gear and mumbled, "wait a minute, you mean we might have had a chance to abort?"  Imagine the uproar.  The curebies ought to be called Parents Against Autistics.  Down with the PAAutriarchy! :mad:

I have been reading over the page on wikipedia pondering how to edit it without an instant revert. Anyone got any suggestions?

Amy,

You are absolutely correct in wanting to address the terms used to portray Autism, in the Wikipedia and the media in general.  I believe it should be a goal to get the idea out in front of as many people as possible.  Only when people outside the autistic community begin to adopt neuro-diversity as normal, can significant improvements begin to take place.  

I have written to school administrators, local, state, and federal representatives telling them how they are squandering the potential of truly brilliant children.  Whenever bullying is tolerated, or testing is inappropriate, or school environments are otherwise hostile to the many children identified as autistic, a kid is marginalized and his talents may never be realised. In these times of tax cuts and budget reductions, I have seen resentment on the part of many parents who believe that the idea of spending money adopting schools to include the needs of the few (read non-NT) is futile and somehow detracts from their kid's education.  That is why I always put my argument in the context of wasted potential; there is a vast pool of talent out there that is neglected, and everyone is the worse off for it.  That should be a sin no matter where your politics lie.

I believe there are many parents out there who would respond positively, if they were afforded another view.  It would allow them to stop thinking that their children need repair, and start taking on the repair of certain institutions in society instead.

I have seen this happening in parents' blogs recently.   :smile:

If 'autism community' currently refers to NTs then that is what Wikipedia must say.  Don't try to change it to something wrong for political ends.  Have a look at the discussion pages and contribute there.

It doesn't strictly refer to NTs, that is what some of them want to enforce, and we should stand up for ourselves and fight for our own inclusion in our own community.