I'm a new member, and the mom of a 3 year old with PDD-NOS. I really think that if the media did not present such a wildly negative view of autism I would have recognized it in my son sooner. Despite him having many signs of autism I figured that he couldn't have it because he is affectionate, makes eye contact frequently, and is very loving. Now I know that I'd bought into autism myths. I'm ashamed that I ever did.  How messed up is it that the way the media presents it had me convinced that these positive attributes meant he couldn't possibly be on the spectrum? Surely many parents delay evaluation due to such misconceived ideas. I also think it likely that the majority of the stress and grief parents feel after a diagnosis is the fault of the negative messages they have been exposed to rather then their child's actual autism. How do news outlets get away with this? If any other group of people was targeted so disrespectfully it would be prohibited as hate speech.

It is crap. People like stereotypes because it explains things easier. They loved Rainman for this reason.

Mostly sounds like hate crimes to me to.

Either it is "you can talk, how can you have autism?" or "you are not qualified for the job" because how to talk to people is not something they can train me to do (false).  They can hire some complete idiot who does not know how to use a computer but not me.  I can make a book with scripted responses to most common questions, I would be fine.  I hated it when told me that I was "very brave" to come out for a job interview.  = autistic applicants need not apply.  

I am so sick of it.  I would really like to ignore the rest of the world and just pursue my interests.

What I don't like is how they stereotype it as being a "curse"

M I find when they say things like, you're very brave, it's infantilizing. It's like they're saying, "What a big boy/girl you are! Coming to a job all by yourself without mommy and daddy!"

Sheesh...

What can we expect when one of the major networks has one of the biggest Autie-haters as some kind of superior. Everyone knows which channel/group/person I'm talking about.
Myself, I like shows like Law & Order, but I got kinda turned off when they had a show within the past couple years that had an autistic teen girl as a witness, and she was all freakin' out no matter what was said. And this was supposed to be someone with HFA. Of course, now I know why it was portrayed that way. NBC is Mr. 'I hate autistics except my little grandosn whose been cursed' Wright's playground thanks to his position with General Electric.
The media, though, is a fickle thing. If media coverage could be put on something like the JRC or the connections places like Autism Speaks and CAN have with some of these more 'out-of-bounds' groups, I think we'd see a change in attitude.

Which episode of Law & Order was this?

The negative portrayals of autism for charities are not sympathy.  They are hate.  They would rather have us shut up in institutions or living like recluses as in the past.  How dare we decide that we want to live and work with normal people.  I do not mind being portrayed as somewhat a victim, a disadvantaged person economically, a vulnerable person because that is exactly what I am.  

I think that I share this with other people considered "disabled".  I would out in a restaurant with a friend who has cerebral palsy.  A couple came up to us and yelled at me (as if my friend couldn't understand anything being said),told us it was disgusting how my friend ate and people like her should be shut away so they couldn't see us.  The restaurant staff treated us royally after witnessing that knowing that WE were customers.

Once people start to realize that people with disabilities are customers, they are citizens, they are voters, they are tax payers -- we shouldn't put up with it.  I don't think that I should never have been born because I might inconvenience someone someday.

People just simply don't understand... whatever we want to do it just annoys them, whatever we want to say: they either ignore or find it stupid.