Autism Speaks (for People It Doesn’t Understand)
Like this guy here, I am tired of NPO’s speaking for people it doesn’t understand. In my case, this means NCLD, Easter Seals and others who think kids with disabilites need to be beaten over the head with standardized tests, in the name of “leveling the playing field.”
From Disability Scoop:
A prominent self-advocate is resigning from his post with Autism Speaks citing “destructive” public statements from the organization’s leadership and their disinterest in his ideas.John Elder Robison says he has resigned from Autism Speaks’ science and treatment advisory boards, which help review scientific proposals that the organization considers funding.In the role, he was one of, if not the only, individual with autism actively weighing in on decision-making at the group.Robison said he was prompted to resign after reading a commentary this week by Autism Speaks co-founder Suzanne Wright who wrote on the group’s website about an “autism crisis” that she described as a “national emergency.”In the piece, Wright said families affected by autism have been left to “split up, go broke and struggle through their days and years.”“Life is lived moment-to-moment. In anticipation of the child’s next move. In despair. In fear of the future. This is autism,” Wright wrote.The words did not sit well with many in the autism community and, as a high-profile