An extraordinary dispute has broken out between people with autism and a charity that aims to help them. At stake is how such people are perceived by the general public.
Like many people with autism, an autistic blogger who goes by the screen name 鈥淎bscout鈥� is angry about the way the condition is portrayed by some charities. To try and paint a different picture, Abscout set up a spoof website called NTSpeaks.org, a parody of the site of the New York-based charity . The NT stands for neurotypical, a term sometimes used by people with autism to describe the rest of the population.
Last week, however, in response to demands from Autism Speaks, Abscout took the site down. Autism Speaks claims the site infringed its copyright, and that it could have confused people looking for information about autism. That in turn has outraged Abscout鈥檚 supporters, who say that Autism Speaks is suppressing the views of the very people it is supposed to represent and help.
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鈥淚f we do speak, we鈥檙e only allowed a voice if it agrees exactly with the people who say they鈥檙e speaking for us,鈥� says Amanda Baggs, another based in Burlington, Vermont. 鈥淭hat keeps people believing the same thing Autism Speaks wants people to believe, including every negative stereotype of autism out there.鈥�
Autism Speaks says its aim is 鈥渢o change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders鈥�. One of its stated goals is to 鈥渃ure鈥� autism 鈥� an aim some people with autism find offensive. 鈥淭he autism spectrum is something that is intrinsic to our personalities,鈥� says Ari Ne鈥檈man, president of the Autism Self Advocacy Network in Baltimore, Maryland. 鈥淲e can no more separate the autistic part of ourselves than we could our gender or race.鈥�
鈥淥ne of the stated goals of Autism Speaks is to 鈥榗ure autism鈥� 鈥� an aim some people find offensive鈥�
Particularly galling for people with autism, he says, is a video on the charity鈥檚 site called , in which mothers of children with autism talk about the emotional and financial impact the condition has had on their lives. 鈥淎utism Speaks puts out a very fear-based message,鈥� says Ne鈥檈man.
carried a much more assertive message. Under the slogan 鈥淟earn the signs of NTism鈥�, it listed 鈥渄islike for people who are different鈥�, 鈥渞efusal to accept that there is a problem鈥� and 鈥渃onforming attitude鈥�. Another one of its headlines read, 鈥淣Ts destroying AS/Auties pride and joy鈥�.
Autism Speaks says that people could have confused NTSpeaks.org with its own site, as it carried a similar logo. 鈥淚f an improper use of our name or logo creates confusion among those we serve about the source of information, it is a disservice to all,鈥� a charity spokesman says.
Baggs insists there is a need for people with autism to publicise their own messages. She says the charities 鈥渃hange a lot about how autistic people are treated and understood by other people and by professionals鈥�.
Gareth Nelson, who founded the autism rights group is doing his bit. In protest at Autism Speaks鈥檚 actions, he has secured the and domains and posted new parodies of Autism Speaks there. 鈥淚t is important to do this in order to stop Autism Speaks from simply silencing their critics and to show them that we are not going to sit back while they intimidate people,鈥� he says.
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