Several years ago it appeared that a new paradigm for understanding autism disorders was emerging, one which would allow greater understanding of the cause, or causes, of autism. Historically, as was noted by Teresa Binstock, researchers, and those who fund autism research, took the view that autism has “gotta be
Continue readingTag: autism speaks
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: More Science in Support of ABA Effectiveness for Autistic Children
The US Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality Review Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Behavioral Interventions Update has found a dramatic increase in the scientific evidence backing the effectiveness of intensive behavioral therapy for children affected by autism. The report some 519 pages in length has been reviewed
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: World Health Organization Autism Resolution: Comprehensive and Coordinated Efforts for the Management of Autism Spectrum Disorders
As stated on the Autism Speaks website on May 23, 2014: “Today the World Health Assembly adopted a formal resolution making autism a global health priority. The assembly is the governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO). As such, the resolution brings a formal commitment by member states of
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: An Excellent Week For Autism Advocacy! Suzanne Wright Speaks Out and John Elder Robison Resigns
Thank You Suzanne Wright! It was a good week for reality based autism advocacy for two reasons. First, I was very encouraged by Suzanne Wright’s very honest description of the many challenges facing persons with autism disorders and their families in Autism Speaks to Washington – A Call for Action.
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: High Functioning Autism Speaks Continues Betrayal of 50% of Autism Spectrum With Intellectual Disability
Autism Speaks continues its betrayal of the 50% of persons on the autism spectrum, those with intellectual disability, those for whom autism is a disorder not a superior way of thinking or the possible subject of a new TV comedy series or a career as a well paid “autism” advocate with “Autism“ Speaks.
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Speaks Enters Into "PURE" Autism Research PACT; Excludes Autism With Intellectual Disability
Autism Speaks has entered into a Research PACT to continue its focus on “pure autism” (referred to in the PACT as core symptom autism), while ignoring 50% of the autism spectrum, those with intellectual disability (WHO, September 2013): “Working together, the PACT team is developing a platform of preclinical tests to
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Speaks Betrays Children, Adults With Severe Autism Disorders: Autism Speaks Blogger Calls Autism A Blessing
Since my 17 year old son was diagnosed with autistic disorder and profound developmental delays (and more recently, like many who share those conditions, with epileptic seizures) little has been done to advance our knowledge of causes, to find treatments or cures for autism disorders. In terms of our understanding
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Breakthrough? Autism Speaks Recognizes Autism Heterogeneity!
Rethinking Autism Variation and Complexity by Lynn Waterhouse is a recent work which provides a thorough, expert and extremely well researched picture of the variation and complexity of autism spectrum disorders. Hopefully the rest of the professional and academic autism community will read Rethinking Autism and come to grips with
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Severe Autism Breakthrough: J. Cole Offers Sincere Apology And Acknowledges Existence of Severe Autism
Rapper J. Cole has offered what appears to this observer to be a very sincere apology, one offered without qualifications and one which actually offers a breakthrough for those who, like my son, suffer from severe autism. Unlike most prominent autism advocates rapper J. Cole actually acknowledged the existence of,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Sound Advice for Autism Speaks
In yesterday’s commentary Autism Speaks Joins Drake And J.Cole In Insulting 40% With Autism AND Intellectual Disability I criticized Autism Speaks for stigmatizing persons with Intellectual Disability, particularly the 40% of persons on the autism spectrum with ID, the 40% that Autism Speaks seldom acknowledges in its promotions and literature.
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Speaks Joins Drake And J.Cole In Insulting 40% With Autism AND Intellectual Disability
Autism Speaks has joined rappers Drake and J. Cole in insulting persons with Intellectual Disability particularly the 40% of the autism spectrum with intellectual disability. The rappers had published song lyrics referring in an insulting manner to persons who are “autistic, retarded”. Autism Speaks did not simply criticize the rappers
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Mother Of An Autistic Son Asks Autism Speaks for Some Actual Autism Awareness
The following commentary is from the blog Muslimah Next Door written by Dishad Ali. It addresses an issue that I have raised several times – the lack of real autism awareness created by autism awareness events. The author’s comments at Muslimah Next Door under the title When an Autism Awareness
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Speaks Reluctantly Confesses: 40% Of Persons On Autism Spectrum Have Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability remains the Elephant in the Autism Living Room;no one wants to admit it’s there or to talk about it It is politically incorrect in today’s autism world to acknowledge the existence of the invisible autistics, the one’s unlike Ari Ne’eman, John Elder Robison, Alex Plank and Michelle Dawson all
Continue readingFacing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: Wright Is Right: Autism Has Become An Epidemic
Bob Wright co-founder of Autism Speaks testified before ta US National Congress committee and made a number of important points including what is obvious to those who are actually paying attention to autism realities: autism has become an ep…
Continue readingFacing Autism Disorders in New Brunswick: More Confirmation of Targeted Exclusion of Intellectually Disabled from DSM5 Autism Spectrum Disorder: But NO ONE CARES
Emily Singer has published an article at SFARI, Proposed guidelines won’t miss autism cases, study says, which appears to suggest that persons who would meet DSM-IV PDD-NOS and Asperger’s will “only” be reduced by approximately 10% under DSM5 criteria. The focus, as always, is on the HF end of the
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: ABA Treatment for Autism: America Leads, Lets Catch Up Canada, Lets Get Moving Again!!
At one time the argument might have been made that Canada led North America in terms of provision of evidence based treatment for autism. Strong parent advocacy had made gains in encouraging provincial governments in British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick to provide Applied Behavior Analysis treatment. Our federal government,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: "Thinking" Persons Guide to Autism Issues Proclamation Declaring Autism Speaks Does Not Benefit Autistic People
Some of the people referenced in this post are affiliated with Autism Speaks. TPGA does not consider Autism Speaks an organization that benefits autistic people. -SR I am not sure what constitutes “Thinking” at the “Thinking” Persons Guide to Autism. The above quote from “SR”, Shannon Des Roches Rosa, precedes a
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Reality NB at IMFAR 2012 in Toronto, Canada
I am off tomorrow morning, very early tomorrow morning, for the IMFAR 2012 convention in Toronto. I am very excited to be attending and blogging courtesy of Autism Speaks, Autism Speaks Canada, Dana Marnane and Suzanne Lanthier. It was a tough day today though. Conor knows Dad won’t be home
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Canada’s Autism Epidemic? To Start With We Have to Use American Numbers 1in 88 Children, 1 in 54 Boys
The CDC in the US has released new numbers on the autism epidemic in the US. It now estimates that 1in 88 children (1 in 54 boys) have an autism disorder. There are no known, reliable estimates available for Canada which has not updated its autism estimates in several years.
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: What Does Autism Awareness Mean As The Great DSM-5 Autism Do-Over Approaches?
What exactly is Autism Awareness and what does it accomplish? Can anyone, Autism Speaks, or any other autism organization, say with a straight face that they are promoting autism awareness when the official criteria for determining what autism is, or is not, changes every 15-20 years? Can anyone say what
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