Blast From the Past: NYU's ransom notes campaign

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From December 2007. This brilliant advertising campaign was supposed to raise the profile of autism or something. Still not sure why so many learned people thought this was an okay way to present autism and the people who live with autism to the world.

This is quite repulsive. In a society that seems to put self esteem above all else for children it seems that it is quite alright to degrade individuals with developmental delays and psychiatric disorders and perpetuate stereotypes about them under the guise of raising awareness. 
NYU ransom notes campaign [link now leads to the NYU School of Medicine Child Study Center]
An Urgent Call to Action: Tell NYU Child Study Center to Abandon Stereotypes Against People With Disabilities

  • "We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning…Autism."
  • "We have your son. We are destroying his ability for social interaction and driving him into a life of complete isolation. It's up to you now…Asperger's Syndrome."
  • "We are in possession of your son. We are making him squirm and fidget until he is a detriment to himself and those around him. Ignore this and your kid will pay…ADHD."

Dear NYU Child Study Center,
No one has my children. They are happily taking my house apart as young children often do. They are eagerly awaiting Christmas morning so they can rip into the presents we have hidden around the house and play with the boxes that they all came in.

The kids really did spend Christmas playing with the boxes the toys came in.

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