Aspies For Freedom

Am I just being Paranoid or has there be a real effort lately to saturate the media with Autism Programs and Articles that threaten "Epidemic" Proportions and portraying Autism as an Out of Control "Disease."  All of this Negative Autism Awareness seems to be causing quite a Scare for the Public.  The statistics are the most puzzling of all...going from 1 out of every 2,000, to 1 out of 500 and now, they are stating 1 out of every 100-something has some form of this "devastating disease."  

It's almost as if it's starting a Panic.  I have been bombarded by articles today, from fellow co-workers and "friends" that seem to look at a this "epidemic" with much concern...I mean, if NBC is saying that it's a dysfunction and a disease, then it must be true...let's forget anything I have spoke to them about, concerning Autism.  Most seem to be ready to ship all of the existing Autistics to some sort of Leper Colony Existance or something, because heaven forbid their child come down with this disease!

I've come close to yelling at a person earlier today for sending me, yet another article about "this crisis" of autism threatening our future.  I must stay calm though, they can't help their ignorance, it's this campaign that is being so cunningly heaped upon them by all of those that are trying to "Defeat Autism Now".  It's the methods they'll wish to use to "Defeat Autism" that has me frightened/concerned/ticked off.

You are not paranoid, its very real. The UK media are not as bad as the US media for talking of an epidemic daily, like we see from the US media. But it is still alarmist and unfair on parents who dont know what to believe.

Your not being paranoid, monastic.  I suscribe or read several science magazines a month and at least two newpapers a day.  At least once a day I'll catch an article about some correlation between this and that and autism.  It is like some kind of "flavor of the month" club!!  I'll read them, but, the majority seem to be a rehash of a rehash of a rehash of a theory!
In other words "they're lips keep moving, but, all I hear is blah, blah, blah!"  I haven't heard a decent thing about AS, since an NPR(National Public Radio) interview on "Fresh Air with Terry Gross".  Or the article that questioned whether the mercury in vaccines was responsible.

If I do read anything that is truly "different", I'll bring it to the attention of the forum.

Peace

It's a nasty cycle that feeds on itself.  More media attention leads to more awareness and thus more diagnoses, which results in more parents getting involved with pro-cure activity, which attracts more media attention, and the downward spiral continues to accelerate.

The only way to break this cycle is by what we're doing here--educating people that autism is not a disease and doesn't need a cure.

Oh it's most definitely real, I've watched some of the NBC coverage on Autism and am disgusted by it.  First of all the media shouldn't ever do a thing on 'causes' because a lot of things that are 'potential' come out and scare the shit out of people. Unless you have 100% proof, don't publish it. Stop using it to scare people. Autism isn't life-threatening so how in the heck is an epidemic?

If the media didn't have a "scare" to sell and snare viewers, it wouldn't be the media we've come to know and loath!! :roll:   Violence, fear, blood  and sex, (not necessarily in that order) sell ratings and make profits.  Liberal media, my a**!! :?   It's the ultimate in conservative corporate values, screw the truth, it's money that they love!!  Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now!! :roll:

Peace

Yes I agree with that but stop sensationalizing scaring people with Autism, go find another terrorist or something or sex scandal.  :lol:

Mish

I had the same reaction as you. and it worse than that. They are protrating it as if it was contagious or something???

How far is it to go from the above to start scaring people with Autistics??????????

I've always felt this way about things since before I realized that I was an Aspie. Media has always frustrated me, at the same time, I feel the same way about science, especially medical science and stupid professionals. Maybe we can just go cough on them or something and all and maybe they'll get it through their thick skulls it's not contagious.

Thing is as long as the media is involved and scientists can be bought with money, it won't stop. The problem is, if it wasn't Autism, it'd be something else, it has been that way over history only 'Autism' is the 'flavor of the day' I guess for society. AIDS/HIV was the last big thing, you notice how that 'epidemic' went to the side and despite a new case of drug resistant HIV/AIDS it has been for the most part forgotten and AIDS/HIV is a more of a threat and all to lives and to society than Autism.

How true, Mish, how nauseatingly true!!

Garnet and I have a catch phrase when we see something like that on the news.  "And this message was brought to you by the commitee to scare your a** off!!"  Stuff in the newspapers I take with a grain of salt, radio with a bucket of salt, TV, well there isn't enough salt in the world.  Nuff said!!

Peace

Oh yay now they are giving out free DVDs of NBC's autism-related programming:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/autism/menu/programming.asp

I wonder if they'd ship to Canada so I could get a good laugh, only parts I want to really see are the parts about Adults with Autism.