Here we go again

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What, does the autistic population of North America have a sign on their collective backside saying "Kick Me"? Dennis Leary seems to think so and takes aim with one of the usual sticks used to beat autistics these days. According to some book he wrote most autistics are just dumb and lazy with bad parents. Dude, put or shut up. Where's the evidence to support your claims?

It doesn't help that there are those who screech (yes I said screech) about how vaccines and "toxins" poisoned and/or stole their child from them pouring their money into unproven treatments and cures. I think most carefully thinking people know a scam when they see one. Especially when so many of the people pushing the idea that vaccines are involved in autism (despite all evidence to the contrary) are so conveniently also pushing cures and treatments for what they claim is wrong with autistic kids (autistic adults don't seem to exist in their minds). People are right to push back against such nonsense and those who prey on autistic individuals and their families. But don't up and throw the baby out with the bath water. Just because there are shady people misleading the public about autism in order to make money peddling unproven cures and treatments and their latest book (ahem) doesn't mean that autism isn't real and more common than was ever realised.

Those who realise that autistic individuals are not poisoned, broken, trapped in their own world, or faking it for mummy and daddy are caught between the likes of Jenny McCarthy and her vaccine phobic ilk and folk like Mr Leary and Micheal Savage. It irritates to me no end that people like Jenny McCarthy and those who follow her would presume to speak for me and say such reprehensible things about autism and so blatantly abuse the truth and sound scientific research. I am equally irritated by empty headed fools who dismiss autism as a fraud with no more evidence than their opinion that it must be so.

I'd love to see what evidence Mr. Leary, or anyone else who makes the claim, has that autistic individuals are dumb, lazy, or the product of bad parenting.


Hat tip Autism Vox, although I could have done without hearing about this bit of foolishness today.

Previous posts.
I'm a "Far Left Stalinist"
Real Autism



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Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 13, 2008 2:18 AM

    Here's another quote of his: "I thought I made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child.... The point of the chapter is not that autism doesn't exist -- it obviously does -- and I have nothing but admiration and respect for parents dealing with the issue, including the ones I know. The bulk of the chapter deals with grown men who are either self-diagnosing themselves with low-level offshoots of the disease or wishing they could as a way to explain their failed careers and troublesome progeny."
    People's words are taken out of context so often.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SamNovember 13, 2008 7:43 AM

    Thanks for stopping by anonymous. The fact that he calls autism a disease suggests that he doesn't know as much as he thinks about autism. There is no excuse for his previous claims about autism and there is no excuse and no evidence for his claims that people are diagnosing themselves as a cover for their perceived failures or the short comings of their children. Context doesn't make him or his comment look any better or any more factual.

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