Senate Needs to Confirm Ne'eman

In the wake of the long difficult struggle over health care reform, a large number of President Obama's nominees for administration positions remain in limbo because of holds placed on their confirmation by various senators. The rules of procedure in the Senate allow one lone senator to place such a hold on a presidential nominee, anonymously and for any reason or, sometimes, no reason at all. As reported by Reuters, the White House recently stated that President Obama has a total of 217 nominees pending before the Senate, and 34 of them have been pending for more than six months. Expressing his frustration with this situation, the president announced yesterday that he intends to place some of his nominees in their positions by means of recess appointments, which allow him to avoid the confirmation process by appointing nominees on an interim basis while the Senate is not in session.

It is perhaps not surprising that in this contentious political landscape, the appointment of Ari Ne'eman, founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, to the National Council on Disability (NCD) has been delayed by means of an anonymous hold. It is, however, disappointing to many people in the self-advocate community and the broader disability rights community, who appreciate his tireless work for inclusion and equality of all people with disabilities in society. His record of accomplishment includes advocating for community services and supports to keep people with significant support needs in their homes and out of institutions; for federal legislation to protect students from abuse in their schools; for stronger laws against employment discrimination to better protect autistics and other workers who may experience discrimination because of a disability; and many other public policy issues that fall within the mandate of NCD to guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities and to promote full integration into society.

Under the circumstances, Ne'eman was not able to be interviewed for an article in yesterday's New York Times about the hold on his appointment. The article begins by stating that many families with autistic members have positive feelings about his nomination as the first autistic person to serve on the council. Lee Grossman, director of the Autism Society of America, suggests in the article that any disagreement over autism advocacy priorities "may simply reflect the unmet needs of a growing population, for both research into potential treatments and for programs to support jobs and independent living." Grossman goes on to say, "We need to reframe the discussion. From our perspective, it’s great to have a person on the spectrum being nominated to this committee."

It is to be hoped that the situation will be resolved without much delay and that Ari Ne'eman will be able to take his position soon.

Thank You, President Obama

When I endorsed Barack Obama's presidential candidacy on this blog in early 2007, it was because I judged him to be an enlightened and progressive thinker who would be capable of seeing the autistic population from a multicultural perspective—not as a plague to be fought and eradicated, but as a minority constituency made up of human beings and worthy of the same respect and representation as any other citizens.

I can't think of a time when I've been happier to learn that my first impression was accurate. President Obama made it clear that he is indeed a good friend of the autistic community when, as announced in this White House press release yesterday, he nominated Ari Ne'eman of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network to serve as a member of the National Council on Disability.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:


President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts, 12/16/09

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:

•Marie Collins Johns, Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration
•Gwendolyn E. Boyd, Member, Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
•Jonathan M. Young, Chair, National Council on Disability
•Carol Jean Reynolds, Member, National Council on Disability
•Fernando Torres-Gil, Member, National Council on Disability
•Chester Alonzo Finn, Member, National Council on Disability
•Gary Blumenthal, Member, National Council on Disability
•Sara Gelser, Member, National Council on Disability
•Ari Ne'eman, Member, National Council on Disability
•Dongwoo Joseph "Joe" Pak, Member, National Council on Disability

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these fine individuals have chosen to serve in my administration. They will bring a depth of experience and valued perspective to their roles, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”


YEE-HAW!!!

Eradicate Autism Speaks

Apparently in today's America, you can be hailed as a philanthropist if you are seeking to "eradicate" a minority group. Of course, it helps if your husband recently was the CEO of the media entity responsible for publishing this Goebbels-esque propaganda. Many of us already knew what a genocidal loon Suzanne Wright is, but just in case anyone needs more proof, here it is:

Philanthropist wages fight to eradicate autism

(Update: After I wrote this post, the title of the article was altered to read "Philanthropist wages fight to cure autism.")

In the interview, this was her response to a question about how long Autism Speaks plans to host celebrity fundraising events: "Hopefully until we eradicate autism. Once we finish autism, then we’re not doing this anymore."

Well, you know what, Suzanne, if decent people eradicate your repulsive organization first, you won't be doing this anymore either. And it may not be long before that happens. On Tuesday, ASAN will have protesters at a much publicized Autism Speaks celebrity event in New York City. I've reposted the ASAN announcement below.


By Ari Ne'eman, ASAN President.

We'll be gathering at Seventh Avenue and 57th Street, 154 West 57th Street in New York City from 6 PM to 8 PM this coming Tuesday, November 17th, to hold up signs and hand out flyers to Autism Speaks sponsors going in to their New York City concert with Bruce Springsteen and Jerry Seinfeld. Come join us! Please RSVP to aneeman@autisticadvocacy.org or go to the facebook event page here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=205191180125

Please distribute to your friends, contacts and listservs!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

1. Autism Speaks talks about us without us. Not a single Autistic person is on Autism Speaks' Board of Directors or in their leadership. Autism Speaks is one of an increasingly few number of major disability advocacy organizations that refuse to include any individual with the disability they purport to serve on their board of directors or at any point in their leadership and decision-making processes. In large part this is due to Autism Speaks' public relations strategy of presenting Autistic people as silent burdens on society rather than human beings with thoughts, feelings and opinions.

2. They use fear and stigma to try and raise money off the backs of our people. Autism Speaks uses damaging and offensive fundraising tactics which rely on fear, stereotypes and devaluing the lives of people on the autism spectrum. Autism Speaks' advertising claims that Autistic people are stolen from our own bodies. Its television Public Service Announcements compare having a child on the autism spectrum to having a child caught in a fatal car accident or struck by lightning. In fact, the idea of autism as a fate worse than death is a frequent theme in their fundraising and awareness efforts, going back to their "Autism Every Day" film in 2005. Indeed, throughout Autism Speaks' fundraising is a consistent and unfortunate theme of fear, pity and prejudice, presenting Autistic adults and children not as full human beings but as burdens on society that must be eliminated as soon as possible.

3. Very little money donated to Autism Speaks goes toward helping Autistic people and families: According to their 2008 annual report, only 4% of Autism Speaks' budget goes towards the "Family Service" grants that are the organization's means of funding services. Given the huge sums of money Autism Speaks raises from local communities as compared to the miniscule sums it gives back, it is not an exaggeration to say that Autism Speaks is a tremendous drain on the ability of communities to fund autism service-provision and education initiatives. Furthermore, while the bulk of Autism Speaks' budget (65%) goes toward genetic and biomedical research, only a small minority of Autism Speaks' research budget goes towards research oriented around improving services, supports, treatments and educational methodologies, with most funding going towards basic research oriented around causation and genetic research, including the prospect of prenatal testing. Although Autism Speaks has not prioritized services with a practical impact for families and individuals in its budget, its rates of executive pay are the highest in the autism world, with annual salaries as high as $600,000 a year.

Link to our Joint Letter Against Autism Speaks, signed by over 60 Disability Rights Groups: http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=61

Tony Attwood FAAAS Poetry Slam

There has been a lot of discussion on Wrong Planet and other sites about ASAN's petition calling on Tony Attwood to stop associating with FAAAS and Maxine Aston, to which Attwood replied by attempting to defend those associations via a form letter on the FAAAS website and other places. ASAN reposted and critiqued the letter, and by now this online war of words has been going on for two months. Attwood still hasn't seen fit to simply pick up the phone and call Ari Ne'eman, which gives the rather unfortunate impression that he can't bring himself to speak with a self-advocate as an equal.

As several people have pointed out, the petition was never intended as a personal attack on Tony Attwood, but as a constructive criticism. To be clear, my posting on the subject isn't motivated by any grudge either; in fact, I have to give him credit for his high level of energy, chutzpah, and crowd-pleasing skills. He is a masterful promoter. Because he has been so successful in positioning himself as a trusted figure in our community, however, I feel very strongly that Attwood has an ethical responsibility not to abuse that trust by associating with those who would harm our community.

The content of his website clearly reveals that such associations are still ongoing. As of today, a Google search showed 39 results for FAAAS on Tony Attwood's website. On one of his pages, Attwood touts an anthology of horrid poetry and essays called "The Book of FAAAS," which includes an article comparing autistics to prickly cacti and their non-autistic partners to wilting affection-starved roses. I'm not going to quote from it, out of consideration for readers who might not have a barf bag handy.

But it got me thinking, why should FAAAS have a monopoly on bad writing and ridiculous analogies? As I see it, we should create our own collection of sorta kinda poetic stuff making clear what we think of the situation. Feel free to post 'em in the comments, dear readers. Literary talent is definitely not required. Here's my contribution to get things started:

SKUNK CABBAGE

In yonder swamp skunk cabbage grows,
With shiny leaves of gleaming green.
The stench makes plain it's not a rose,
No matter how much it may preen.
Its foul reek assails the nose,
And many voices call for change.
Will Attwood listen? No one knows.
His lack of action's mighty strange.

Turning Trolls into Stone

… or, failing that, into cash.

Last year, Barack Obama's campaign website attracted a very active and enthusiastic blogging community that encouraged visitors to support the campaign. There was just one problem: Trolls who visited the site to post negative comments on the blogs. On such a busy website, it wasn't practical to identify and delete all posts from trolls, and putting comments in a moderation queue would have interfered too much with the free-flowing discussion.

So the community came up with an innovative solution: Respond to the trolls not by arguing with them, but by making additional donations to the campaign. Whenever a troll showed up and wrote a negative comment, several regular posters would promptly respond by informing the troll that they had just made an extra donation in his/her honor. This had a salutary effect in convincing the trolls to take their disruptive attacks elsewhere.

I've been inspired to start a similar effort in the autistic community as a result of some particularly egregious rabble-rousing attempts by the usual cast of suspects. After they learned that Ari Ne'eman of ASAN will be featured in an upcoming Newsweek piece, Jake Crosby at Age of Autism and John Best at Hating Autism, along with a few other ignoramuses of the blogiverse, went into furious tirades urging their readers (what few they have) to write to Newsweek and complain. John Best, who somehow hasn't yet been locked up despite his long history of inciting terrorism, also made a death threat against Ari just for kicks.

Instead of just getting mad about it, I think it's high time for us to get even. So I'm encouraging everyone who supports neurodiversity and ASAN's advocacy efforts to take part in a new anti-troll initiative: Whenever you see ignorant drivel from the haters, make a donation to ASAN to help educate the public, and post about it on blogs and forums to let others know that we're fighting back against the trolls. I've just mailed a contribution of $ 50 to ASAN to kick off this campaign (that's $ 25 for each of you, Jake and John) and I also created an anti-troll fundraising page on change.org for online donations, as well as a pledge to support this effort. ASAN's mailing address is 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005, for those who prefer to donate by check.

In addition, if you wish to contact Newsweek to thank them for writing favorably about the neurodiversity movement, letters@newsweek.com is the address for letters to the editor for the US print edition and webeditors@newsweek.com is the address for the online magazine.

Edit, May 16: The Newsweek article has been published online.

Edit, July 28: The mailing address for ASAN as shown above has been updated.

Cassandra's Impact on Autistic Victims of Domestic Violence

Much of the criticism surrounding the faux Cassandra disorder invented by Maxine Aston, wherein she claims that being in a romantic relationship with an autistic person causes psychological harm to a non-autistic partner, has focused on the efforts of associated hate groups such as FAAAS to stereotype autistics as violent and unfit for family life. This false portrayal reflects a longstanding prejudice, recently addressed by ASAN President Ari Ne'eman, that people with disabilities are "inherently unfit as spouses or parents." To the extent this baseless prejudice is given credence by family law judges and social workers, it endangers the basic human right to marry and raise children. I received an e-mail just this morning, discussing the Cassandra scam and the harm caused by disability stereotypes, from a woman who wrote that "until I was 24 I wouldn't have been allowed to get married in many states in the USA. Why? Because I am epileptic."

Such stereotypes can be especially dangerous to autistic victims of domestic violence. Like other people with disabilities, many autistic people who are victims of abusive relationships are particularly vulnerable and may have great difficulty escaping from a life-threatening situation. If, because of the bigoted stereotype that the autistic partner is always to blame for family problems, an abused autistic's cries for help go unanswered, this could result in her death at the hands of her abuser. The feminist disability rights group F.R.I.D.A. points out that domestic violence against women with disabilities is widespread and that much more action needs to be taken to stop it. (For those of my readers who are in Illinois, there will be a F.R.I.D.A. rally at the State Capitol in Springfield on May 22, 2009, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM, addressing the issue of domestic violence against women with disabilities; please consider attending the rally to show your support if you can do so.)

I have reprinted below, with permission, a statement from an autistic woman who wrote of her struggle to escape a violent marriage and how difficult it was for her to explain the abuse to others. Fortunately, she was able to escape safely and to find people to help her. Others in her situation have not been so lucky.


I am having a very hard time explaining why I stayed so long, etc., because NTs do not seem to understand why a person with my apparent intelligence believed so many lies. I know this is a common thing among battered women, but trying to explain how an abuser would manipulate an intelligent woman's gullibility and social anxiety so well is very hard any time I have to deal with anyone who is not experienced with autistics or battered women in general. He is already using my inability to process information quickly to manipulate the court process by changing potential settlements at the last minute, while we are in court, so that I can't comprehend them in a meaningful way while I am on a time limit to sign. I have a very good attorney (legal aid turned us down so I had to pay for my own which is going to be very problematic financially since having a very good one is crucial and not cheap). We are very lucky to have one CPS finding against him and irrefutable evidence of infidelity (which is more useful than undocumented testimony about physical abuse, since he is of course lying about the extent of the abuse and trying to take advantage of the fact that the children are too young to go to court).

I am astounded by the lack of information on abuse against autistic partners right now and so saddened by the whole "cassandra" myth. My husband used my quirks as excuses for beating and cheating on me although from his perspective, having a wife who was afraid of conflict, absolutely faithful, very easy to lie to, easy to isolate so that no one else would know about the abuse and report it, and unable to conceal anything (including hidden bank accounts that I tried unsuccessfully to use to get out), was a huge plus. I have a friend who is a former attorney and battered women's advocate and is trying to help me communicate with my lawyer right now, which has been very difficult so far, but I am still very scared. Thankfully we have already gotten an agreement for no unsupervised visitation but it will still be very hard to endure the rest of the proceedings which may last a year or more.

The thing that gets me is that I know that as typical as I am of women on the spectrum in so many ways, I am sure there are a lot of people in my position who are suffering in silence. I was lucky that there are two staff members at the shelter with autistic family members who have helped advocate for me when the group living situation has become unbearable, but I don't know how it is in other shelters and suspect many other autistics in similar situations may not be so lucky.

I will have to look for that book next time I am at the library. It was a Gavin De Becker book that finally helped me read the nonverbal signs well enough to recognize the risk and get out quickly the day that I am sure I would have ended up dead or too injured to get the kids out in time. I continue to think the fact that I managed to find homes for the pets, get access to the car (I have never been allowed to have my own), and get the kids out of the house in less than two hours that day was a miracle.


Edit, June 27: Here is a link to a post by chaoticidealism on this topic, Cassandra's Opposite.

Ari Ne'eman, Dora Raymaker Present Self-Advocate Views

While being interviewed for a Salon.com article, ASAN President Ari Ne'eman and Change.org blogger Dora Raymaker both indicated that more access to services and accommodations in society would greatly benefit the autistic population. Dora Raymaker gave the example of how much easier it is for her to communicate through text chat instead of telephone conversations, explaining that an instant-message conversation allows her to work around her speech disability. Ari Ne'eman explained that cure-oriented research has taken funding away from vitally needed services and that a focus on causation tends to imply that autistic people are less valuable members of society.

As discussed by Sharon on the Family Voyage blog, the article has some flaws, of which the most glaring is a completely groundless assertion that autistic rights advocates in the United States are engaged in court battles to stop treatment programs from receiving government money. No such court cases exist. To the contrary, ASAN and other pro-neurodiversity groups have lobbied vigorously to expand the range of services and therapies made available through government programs and insurance mandates, while also pointing out that the focus of such programs should be on teaching useful skills rather than suppressing harmless differences. Michelle Dawson explains on her blog that the article misrepresented her intervention in a Canadian case several years ago.

The article also would have benefited from a discussion of the social model of disability. Although the author does mention that some families believe "safeguarding a child's dignity and teaching him to navigate a neurotypical world… don't have to be mutually exclusive," the article gives the misleading impression that this is a minority view among autistic culture proponents, when in fact the non-exclusiveness of respect for autistic differences and enabling autistics to interact effectively with others is central to the neurodiversity philosophy.

Overall, though, I am glad to see that self-advocates now are being interviewed for articles about autism much more often than in previous years, rather than being left out of the discussion altogether. The media seem to be moving in the right direction.

More Positive Autism Awareness: No Myths PSA

The Florida-based Dan Marino Foundation and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network sponsored the No Myths public service announcement (PSA), which was filmed by Kent Creative in the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. Inside this full-scale replica of the ancient Greek temple, myths about autism are laid to rest by an autistic cast consisting of Ari Ne'eman, Dena Gassner, Ben Liske, and Jacob Pratt.





A captioned version of No Myths is available at http://www.overstream.net/view.php?oid=udtvrbt0rlao

More information can be found at http://www.nomyths.org/ about the film and its production. That site states, "The purpose of the PSA is to tell society that, with the right supports, people with autism can do anything anybody else can do, even if it isn't in the same way." Many thanks to all involved in the making of this excellent PSA, which does a very effective job of dispelling autism myths and stereotypes!

Action Items for New Jersey Residents

The New Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force is currently conducting an informational survey to determine how the state can better provide services. The survey includes responses from autistics, parents, and others. Most of the responses received to date have been from parents. Although parent responses can be helpful, it is also important for self-advocates in New Jersey to respond to the survey to ensure that the concerns of autistics are represented sufficiently. Here is the link:


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=x33lcx4bxbMZ6Bwm55ApOQ_3d_3d


In addition, New Jersey is considering legislation that would close most of its institutions and provide funding for people with developmental disabilities to live in their communities. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has issued a statement, reposted below, asking New Jersey residents to write to their state legislators in support of the bill.


Hello,

As many of you recall, earlier this month we worked with NJ Assemblyman Louis Greenwald and NJACP to introduce legislation which, if passed, will close five of New Jersey's seven institutions and shift the funds into community services. This effort has the potential to empower thousands of individuals with developmental disabilities, including many autistic adults, to live in the community. You can see a press conference announcing the legislation here, the bill text here and an endorsement from the New Jersey Star Ledger and the Philadelphia Inquirer here and here. This bill is an extremely important step towards ensuring a future with quality of life for thousands of adults with developmental disabilities living in New Jersey. Currently, the state ranks near to last in the country in regards to community services for adults with disabilities and uses institutions at one of the highest rates of any state. New Jersey ranks 49th out of 50 in terms of the average number of individuals segregated into institutions yet also ranks 40th out of 50 in terms of the amount of money allocated to community services funding. Click here for a comprehensive briefing paper on why A3625 is so important, providing supporting data, facts and analysis explaining why A3625 will lead to a better life for adults with developmental disabilities in New Jersey.

Ten years after the Olmstead v. L.C. decision ruling that people with disabilities have a right to receive services in the community rather than in segregated institutions, we still have a long way to go. No one should have to live in an institution. Today, we as a society possess the ability, the expertise and the sense of justice to end this system of segregation. In order to do that, we need your help. This action alert will use your zip code to send your letter supporting A3625 directly to your state legislators. Unfortunately, only New Jersey zip codes apply. If you live in New Jersey and are unsure as to your zip code, feel free to look it up by going to this link.

Please help support this effort by posting this message to your mailing lists, blogs, websites and other distribution mechanisms. Together we can empower people with disabilities everywhere.

Nothing About Us, Without Us!

Ari Ne'eman
President
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
1660 L Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
732.763.5530


Although much more can—and should—be done to protect the civil rights of people with developmental disabilities and to enable the most disadvantaged to speak on their own behalf, this legislation is a significant step toward community inclusion. I urge New Jersey residents to take the time to respond to this action alert and, in the future, to keep a watchful eye on state legislators to ensure that more progress will be made.

Judge Rotenberg Center Abroad

Although there are many who would describe Dr. Matthew Israel of the Judge Rotenberg Center as a profoundly evil man, it's clear that he does not lack business and political savvy. Despite ever-increasing public condemnation of his use of electric shock on children with disabilities, he has repeatedly evaded both legislative and administrative efforts to shut down JRC over the past several years.

The handwriting is on the wall, though. The coalition of civil rights groups lobbying against JRC's abuses is growing stronger, and every time the Massachusetts Legislature votes on a bill to ban behavioral aversives (that is, the deliberate infliction of pain for behavior-management purposes), the vote gets narrower. One day soon, the legislation will surely pass, and that will be the end of the Shock Doc's lucrative marketing of sadistic child abuse for profit—at least in Massachusetts.

He can't simply pack up and move JRC to another state that has not yet banned aversives, either. Disability rights and anti-abuse groups such as APRAIS are active in all parts of the United States, and given JRC's horrific reputation, any attempt to apply for licensure in another state would surely meet with so much opposition that it would be a political impossibility.

So what options are there for America's most infamous behaviorist? Well, the obvious answer is that he will seek to move JRC abroad, to a country where its reputation has not preceded it. And there are indications that this is exactly what may be happening.

In mid-July, the Shock Doc gave a lecture about JRC to a group of Israeli behaviorists who invited him to speak at the Zisman College. Although this was purportedly an unplanned event that took place during a private visit, I have my suspicions that it was intended as a "trial balloon" to determine how well the relocation of JRC to Israel would be received.

The self-advocate organization Autistic Community of Israel (ACI) promptly took action by sending letters and information about JRC to those involved with the lecture. ACI succeeded in getting an advertisement removed from a website, but several behaviorists failed to respond to ACI's letters. As a consequence, ACI informed Michael Ben-Zvi, the secretary of the behaviorists' association that arranged for the lecture, that he was no longer welcome to speak at a symposium presented by ACI.

This incident demonstrates the need for the international autistic community to work together in solidarity to combat abusive behaviorist programs and other threats. We need to make it clear that there will be no safe havens anywhere on the planet for those who profit from the mistreatment of autistic children and adults.

Ari Ne'eman, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), is currently in Israel and met with representatives of ACI on Friday to discuss this situation and to offer assistance. ACI has indicated that correspondence from ASAN to Israeli organizations would help to focus attention on the global nature of the autistic community's concerns.

Since its expansion into Australia earlier this year, ASAN has had a consistent track record of being aware and involved in matters of concern to the worldwide autistic community. It's good to see this level of international understanding and commitment.

The Power of the People

Shortly after I wrote another post on the Ransom Notes ads this afternoon, I learned that the NYU Child Study Center is withdrawing the ads in response to our protests. This victory clearly demonstrates the power of united action by concerned people standing up for decent values, as well as the strength of the disability community. Many thanks to Ari Ne'eman for his hard work and dedication, and also to everyone who took part in the campaign to demand the removal of the ads.

Here is Ari's statement:

__________________________________________



Date: Dec 19, 2007 3:34 PM
Subject: Victory! The End of the Ransom Notes Campaign


Hello everyone,

I am pleased to inform you that this afternoon the NYU Child Study Center announced that they will be ending the "Ransom Notes" ad campaign in response to widespread public pressure from the disability community. You can read that announcement here. The thousands of people with disabilities, family members, professionals and others who have written, called, e-mailed and signed our petition have been heard. Today is a historic day for the disability community. Furthermore, having spoken directly with Dr. Harold Koplewicz, Director of the NYU Child Study Center, I have obtained a commitment to pursue real dialogue in the creation of any further ad campaign depicting individuals with disabilities. We applaud the NYU Child Study Center for hearing the voice of the disability community and withdrawing the "Ransom Notes" ad campaign.

Twenty-two disability rights organizations came together to ensure the withdrawal of this advertising campaign. Our response to this campaign stretched continents, with e-mails, letters and phone calls coming from as far away as Israel, Britain and Australia. The disability community acted with a unity and decisiveness that has rarely been heard before and we are seeing the results of our strength today. Our success sends an inescapable message: if you wish to depict people with disabilities, you must consult us and seek our approval. Anything less will guarantee that we will make our voices heard. We are willing to help anyone and any group that seeks to raise awareness of disability issues, but those efforts must be done with us, not against us. This is a victory for inclusion, for respect and for the strength and unity of people with disabilities across the world. It is that message that has carried the day in our successful response to this campaign. Furthermore, we intend to build on this progress, not only by continuing a dialogue with the NYU Child Study Center and using this momentum to ensure self-advocate representation at other institutions as well, but also by building on the broad and powerful alliance that secured the withdrawal of these ads in the first place. We are strongest when we stand together, as a community, as a culture and as a people. Thank you to all of you who have made this victory possible. Remember: "Nothing About Us, Without Us!"

Regards,
Ari Ne'eman
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, President
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
info@autisticadvocacy.org

NYU Ransom Notes Ads: Public Outrage

We have your ignorant and ill-conceived advertising campaign, which is a detriment to itself and society. We are making sure that when people search the Internet for information about it, they will find nothing but a deluge of furious condemnation on blogs and forums. We're also posting links everywhere to an online petition protesting the ads. If you fail to provide appropriate remediation and a prompt public apology, we will make sure you no longer have the respect of any decent people and will be driven into a life of complete isolation. Do nothing and see what happens.

— Public Outrage


Or, worded a bit more diplomatically in a joint letter from the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and thirteen other disability rights organizations:

__________________________________________


The following letter was mailed and hand-delivered to the NYU Child Study Center on December 11th, 2007. It is co-signed by fourteen premier disability rights organizations, including ASAN, ADAPT, TASH, ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights, the Autism National Committee and many more. In it, we urge the Center to withdraw its offensive "Ransom Notes" advertising campaign, which stigmatizes people with disabilities and misinforms the public. As some of you have already heard from our previous communications on this topic, the advertising campaign is expected to garner 700 million impressions over the next four months, requiring us to act quickly to stop grave damage to the public perception of people with disabilities.

As several others have indicated an interest in joining our statement in response to the "Ransom Notes" advertising campaign, we are encouraging organizations to issue letters endorsing the joint statement and send them to the supporters of the "Ransom Notes" campaign, urging them to withdraw the offensive advertising. Contact information for all of the supporters of the "Ransom Notes" campaign is available here on ASAN's website. We will also be making available in the next day or so a petition for individuals to sign to express their support for the disability community's efforts. We urge individuals and groups to indicate their support now for the joint statement of fourteen disability rights organizations on this topic directly by contacting the NYU Child Study Center by e-mail at Harold.Koplewicz@nyumc.org or by phone at 212-263-6205.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already written and called to protest the "Ransom Notes" campaign over the course of the past few days and for those who will do so for as long as it takes to show that the disability community will not stand for advertising that questions the humanity of people with disabilities. We will be keeping you informed as we continue to mobilize the disability community against these hurtful and unfortunate statements. Your support is what keeps the disability community strong.

Regards,
Ari Ne'eman
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, President
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/
info@autisticadvocacy.org
732.763.5530

_____________________________________________

Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D.
The NYU Child Study Center
577 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Dr. Robert Grossman, M.D.
NYU School of Medicine
IRM 229
560 First Avenue
New York NY 10016

John Osborn
President and CEO of BBDO New York
BBDO New York
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019

Richard Schaps, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Van Wagner Communications, LLC.
800 Third Ave 28th Floor
New York, NY 10022

To the NYU Child Study Center and the supporters of the "Ransom Notes" advertising campaign:

We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to you regarding your new ad campaign for the NYU Child Study Center: "Ransom Notes." Our organizations represent people with a wide range of disabilities, including those portrayed in your campaign, as well as family members, professionals and others whose lives are affected by disabilities. As people who live and work with disability, we cannot help but be concerned by the way your campaign depicts individuals with disabilities. By choosing to portray people on the autism spectrum as well as those living with OCD, ADHD and other disabilities as kidnapped or possessed children, you have inadvertently reinforced many of the worst stereotypes that have prevented children and adults with disabilities from gaining inclusion, equality and full access to the services and supports they require.

While the "Ransom Notes" campaign was no doubt a well-intentioned effort to increase awareness and thus support for the disabilities it describes, the means through which it attempts this have the opposite effect. When a child with ADHD is described as "a detriment to himself and those around him," it hurts the efforts of individuals, parents and families to ensure inclusion and equal access throughout society for people with disabilities. When individuals with diagnoses of autism and Asperger's Syndrome are told that their capacities for social interaction and independent living are completely destroyed, it hurts their efforts for respect, inclusion, and necessary supports by spreading misleading and inaccurate information about these neurologies. While it is true that there are many difficulties associated with the disabilities you describe, individuals with those diagnostic categories do succeed – not necessarily by becoming indistinguishable from their non-disabled peers – but by finding ways to maximize their unique abilities and potential on their own terms.

The "Ransom Notes" campaign places a stigma on both parents and children, thus discouraging them from pursuing a diagnosis that might be helpful in gaining access to the appropriate services, supports, and educational tools. The autism spectrum should be recognized for what it is: a lifelong neurological condition – not a kidnapper that steals children in the dead of the night. The devaluation of the lives of people with disabilities has led to public policies and funding decisions that have forced thousands of people with disabilities into nursing homes and other institutions. The unintended consequences of ad campaigns like yours give legitimacy to the taking away of the civil and human rights of people with disabilities.

It is true that diagnoses of ADHD, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and OCD often accompany great hardships for families. It is true that depression and bulimia are terrible disorders that require treatment. Yet, the way you choose to convey those messages is inappropriate and counterproductive. Individuals with disabilities are not replacements for normal children that are stolen away by the disability in question. They are whole people, deserving of the same rights, respect, and dignity afforded their peers. Too often, the idea that children with disabilities are less than human lies at the heart of horrific crimes committed against them. The recent tragic instances of violence against children and adults on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities are linked to the perception that these people are less than human. We – the adults, families, professionals and others affected by these conditions - assert that nothing could be further from the truth.

We are also concerned that the negative stereotypes the "Ransom Notes" campaign depicts could make it harder for the many people with disabilities and their family members who are working to ensure that students with disabilities have the right to be included in their home schools while still receiving all necessary services. Federal law mandates that students with disabilities have the right to a "free and appropriate public education" in the "least restrictive environment."

Your advertising campaign claims that children with disabilities could be a detriment to those around them and as a result hurts the efforts of parents working to secure the opportunity for their children to be included with their peers. While we recognize and applaud the good intentions intended by this effort, we must urge you to withdraw this campaign immediately, as it threatens to harm the very people whom it seeks to benefit: people with disabilities, their families, and their supporters. In the press release announcing this campaign, the Center gave as one of its goals "eliminating the stigma of being or having a child with a psychiatric disorder". We are in full agreement with the goal of eliminating stigma against people with disabilities and their families. Yet, this campaign serves to increase that stigma rather than lessen it. We hope that you will heed our concerns and those of many other people with disabilities, family members, professionals, and countless others and end the "Ransom Notes" advertising campaign.

Please do not hesitate to contact any of the organizations listed as signatories to this letter in order to better solicit the opinions of the disability community prior to your next advertising campaign. We would be more than glad to help the Center to develop better strategies to achieve its excellent goals. The NYU Child Study Center has the potential to do enormous good for children and families affected by disability. By showing that the Center respects the views of people with disabilities, families, and professionals, you can make that aspiration a reality.

Sincerely,

Ari Ne'eman
President
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/
info@autisticadvocacy.org

Bob Kafka
National Organizer
ADAPT
http://www.adapt.org/

Diane Autin
Executive Co-Director
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey
http://www.spannj.org/

Jim Ward
ADA and the National Coalition for Disability Rights
http://www.adawatch.org/

Janette R. Vance
The Family Alliance to Stop Abuse and Neglect
http://www.thefamilyalliance.net

Estee Klar-Wolfond
The Autism Acceptance Project
http://www.taaproject.com/

Barbara Trader, MS
Executive Director
TASH
http://www.tash.org/

Jim Sinclair
Autism Network International
http://ani.autistics.org/

Stephen Drake
Not Dead Yet
http://www.notdeadyet.org/

Stanley Soden
Director of Independent Living Services
MOCEANS Center for Independent Living
http://www.moceanscil.org/

Ethan B. Ellis
Executive Director
Alliance for Disabled in Action, Inc.
http://www.adacil.org/
President Next Step, Inc.

Phil Schwarz
Vice President
Asperger Association of New England
http://www.aane.org/

Sharisa Kochmeister
President
Autism National Committee
http://www.autcom.org/

Mixed Signals

And now for something completely different.

Instead of the usual cabal of evil eugenicists plotting to wipe autistics off the planet, we have kindhearted state legislators who apparently want to help us reproduce. Yes, really. Take a look at New Jersey's Senate Bill 690, which has been approved by the New Jersey Senate Health and Human Services Committee:


The purpose of the initiative shall be to provide vocational, educational and social training services to persons with Asperger's Syndrome, through community-based service sites, which offer these individuals appropriate support, guidance and education to enable them to: further their education, achieve gainful employment, develop meaningful friendships, and become broadly competent adults who are able to lead fulfilling lives.


What a nice bunch of senators. They want to help us go to college, get good jobs, and even improve our friendships and (presumably) our love lives. If they keep on this way, they might even start believing we're human.

More seriously, this bill does seem to be part of a genuine effort to integrate autistics into mainstream society, even though its language is ridiculously paternalistic (and contains some inappropriate references to "suffering" and "psychosis"). Ari Ne’eman of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network was invited to present testimony at a hearing on the bill, which is definitely a good sign; at the very least, it is an acknowledgment that autistic citizens are entitled to a voice in their own government, just like everyone else.

Still, this legislation is seriously flawed because its approach is based on guesswork, not fact. More specifically, it is based on a relatively recent hypothesis that has not been conclusively established—the idea that autistics lack the ability to understand body language and other nonverbal social signals. Scientific research in this area is still in its infancy. We don't yet know why there are differences in social behavior between autistics and non-autistics, and we don't fully understand the nature and extent of these differences.

In a discussion on my blog not too long ago, Phil Schwarz posted a link to a comment he wrote on another website, in which he hypothesized that the social advantages of non-autistics may simply be a consequence of their status as the majority population. It's possible that autistics can read the body language and social signals of other autistics just fine, but because we are such a small minority, maybe we don't spend enough time around other autistics for that ability to be noticed. Likewise, non-autistics may be just as clueless (or even more so) at reading our body language as we are at reading theirs. For all we know, the human species may be divided into several naturally occurring social subgroups, each with its own genetically determined style of social interaction.

This isn't just an abstract discussion of various possible permutations of social behavior. It has real-life ramifications. If there is only one type of nonverbal social signaling that goes on among humans, and non-autistics know it instinctively while autistics do not, then the proper course of action may well be what New Jersey is doing: Provide social skills training to help autistics cope with an innate lack of social ability. But if, instead, there are different kinds of nonverbal social behavior that come naturally to different kinds of people, then we shouldn't be declaring the majority's form of social interaction to be superior to all others. Rather than sending the autistics off to social skills classes for training in how to behave like non-autistics, we should be sending everyone to neurodiversity seminars to teach them that it's OK for human beings to have natural differences in social behavior.

With so much prejudice out there, and so many unfounded assumptions and unproven hypotheses floating around, governments shouldn't be creating major new autism policy initiatives based on anything that hasn't been thoroughly researched and shown to be scientifically accurate. Given the current woeful state of the science, that means we should proceed with extreme caution when making any policy decisions concerning autism.