Anybody else seen the new episode Oprah just did on Autism? It just came out today, I just saw it about an hour ago. I thought they did a very good job of dragging Autism through the dirt and mud, they didn't do much else than that. She kept refering to it as a "tragic mental illness", and a nationial crisis.
This was just another "poor parents" kind of thing, there was one family who set up a special room in the basement for thier child's benefit, but that was the only instance of someone actually talking about the child's benefit. Everything else was all about how tragic and heartbreaking it is that they can't have a normal conversation with their kids, and how annoying and pointless stimming seems to be.
Not even the slightest menton of anything other than kids with "classic" LFA. Not one mention of an adult with Autism, or Aspergers/HFA, or anything like that, just the tragedy and heartbreak of being the parents and siblings of those with Autism.
All I can say is that with the way that so many people seem to get all their opinions directly from Oprah, we should get ready for a whole new wave of curbies who think they know what's right for society.
I'm listening to it right now (my mom is watching) and they've already dragged out the autism every day video
The horror the horror
I'm going to the Oprah Boards right now to express my opinons on it. They actually SHOWED the autism every day video. It's time to cut through the crap.
Done. The more the merrier, and if we can defend each other then we'll carry more weight than if we stand alone.
I wonder how long my post will stand after calling autism speaks pieces propaganda.
Well, I just tried to register but then it wanted contact info (actual e-mail address, to be verified).
You can get a hotmail or yahoo address pretty anonamously
So far all I see in scanning the Oprah board are parents going on about fights for cures and how painful their life is being burdened with diseased chilren. Did anyone from AFF post?
you really have to dig down through there to find anything from AFF. The parents are horrible though. When one person (I forget who) said they lives a mostly normal life, a parent asked if they smeared fecal matter on the walls when they were younger. *shudder*
i have posted there,under then name rtheaspie,but i fear i was swallowed in the stupid
They're talking about autism on The View (once again I'm listening while my mom watches) and presenting it in a far better light than they did on Oprah (they're talking about it due to Oprah), for one thing they actually mentioned Asperger's and how many autistics are naturally HFA. They also noted that many people in the Silicon Valley may be mildly autistic. I think they also have Grinker on the show, though I'm not sure if this is the case.
quote a messiger on her board "Autism may be preventable and is certainly TREATABLE. "
One show I think could do very well is Penn & Teller's Bullshit on Showtime. If they did a show about how curing Autsim (or syndromes in general) is complete bullshit, I can already almost guarantee they'd be dead on with accuracy. They'd probably even come to this forum looking for people that actually know what it's like to be us.
I didn't see the show, but as the mom of an 11 year old aspie, that would have made me angry too. Aspie kids are NOT awful to raise! The ONLY thing about my son that is difficult is how AWFUL the children at school are to him. HE is delightful, smart, and kind.
It is the parents, teachers, and NT children who have the problem - not the aspie kids! And you're right about all the crackpot methods of "curing" aspies; another way to make a ton of money off of people who already are stressed monetarily over services that insurance companies refuse to pay for!
I turned the show on and watched it for about 20mins and I had to turn it off. I am also the mom of a HFA 5yo boy. And they didn't mention anything positive at ALL!! My son in the 5 years that he has been in my life has taught me so much and has been a blessing. They talk about a "cure" for autism. They keep trying to make everyone "conform" to what is supposedly "normal". Whats so great about being normal???? I said this before and I have to say it again Autism is not my son but a part of him which makes him extremely unique. I was horrified and I actually understand now when someone finds out that my son is autistic they look at me with an extremely morbid expression and say "oh I am so sorry" or talk about him as if he were dead. They watch shows like this and go to websites like Autism Speaks. THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANYONE TO APOLOGIZE FOR MY SON OR ACT LIKE HE ISN"T ALIVE. He is doing absolutely GREAT and will continue to do so!!!! He is so intelligent and sweet and has so much to offer the world if only people would give him a chance!!!!
Sorry for the rant but I started nd couldn't stop!!
Thanks
I didn't see the show, but as the mom of an 11 year old aspie, that would have made me angry too. Aspie kids are NOT awful to raise! The ONLY thing about my son that is difficult is how AWFUL the children at school are to him. HE is delightful, smart, and kind.
It is the parents, teachers, and NT children who have the problem - not the aspie kids! And you're right about all the crackpot methods of "curing" aspies; another way to make a ton of money off of people who already are stressed monetarily over services that insurance companies refuse to pay for!
I turned the show on and watched it for about 20mins and I had to turn it off. I am also the mom of a HFA 5yo boy. And they didn't mention anything positive at ALL!! My son in the 5 years that he has been in my life has taught me so much and has been a blessing. They talk about a "cure" for autism. They keep trying to make everyone "conform" to what is supposedly "normal". Whats so great about being normal???? I said this before and I have to say it again Autism is not my son but a part of him which makes him extremely unique. I was horrified and I actually understand now when someone finds out that my son is autistic they look at me with an extremely morbid expression and say "oh I am so sorry" or talk about him as if he were dead. They watch shows like this and go to websites like Autism Speaks. THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANYONE TO APOLOGIZE FOR MY SON OR ACT LIKE HE ISN"T ALIVE. He is doing absolutely GREAT and will continue to do so!!!! He is so intelligent and sweet and has so much to offer the world if only people would give him a chance!!!!
Sorry for the rant but I started nd couldn't stop!!
Thanks
amen.
May i suggest you folks (the authors of the above descriptions) copy and paste them to the Oprah board?
I turned the show on and watched it for about 20mins and I had to turn it off. I am also the mom of a HFA 5yo boy. And they didn't mention anything positive at ALL!! My son in the 5 years that he has been in my life has taught me so much and has been a blessing. They talk about a "cure" for autism. They keep trying to make everyone "conform" to what is supposedly "normal". Whats so great about being normal???? I said this before and I have to say it again Autism is not my son but a part of him which makes him extremely unique. I was horrified and I actually understand now when someone finds out that my son is autistic they look at me with an extremely morbid expression and say "oh I am so sorry" or talk about him as if he were dead. They watch shows like this and go to websites like Autism Speaks. THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANYONE TO APOLOGIZE FOR MY SON OR ACT LIKE HE ISN"T ALIVE. He is doing absolutely GREAT and will continue to do so!!!! He is so intelligent and sweet and has so much to offer the world if only people would give him a chance!!!!
Sorry for the rant but I started and couldn't stop!!
Thanks
Damn straight.
Blind people can't see, I can't imagine how hard it is to live your life without the ability to see. The majority of blind people I've talked to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, it's just how they were born. Everybody has to play the hand they were dealt, your son, myself, or anybody else is not excluded from that. Everybody has to take what they have and live their life in the best way possible, and anyone who says otherwise is full of s**t. But more importantly, anyone who thinks that anyone should have to change themselves so they can be better suited for society is so full of s**t that I can't even come up with an insult for them.