Despite Popular Myth, Autism Speaks Does Not Support Local Autistic People
Editor's Letter Dear readers, I helped start this magazine because when my children were diagnosed, I was scared and overwhelmed but as time went on I learned that I didn't have to be. There are a ton of resources and help out there and I wanted to help parents sort through all the ...
"However, I really didn’t take the time to research it further because I figured people can choose who they want to support; that is the beauty of America – choice! Besides, the mission statement seems so positive and they even claim to bring “hope,” “raise awareness,” and are dedicated to finding “treatments,” but what is meant by and what will come of the biomedical research? How exactly is a neurology going to be “prevented” or “cured?” Neurology isn’t an illness. Will any of this science result in harming people/babies/embryos/etc.? I have many questions to which I couldn’t find answers."
Many people want information about autism. Are they getting the right information from Autism Speaks. Parents, autistic people, and advocates discuss Autism Speaks. This blog contains other nonprofits who could use donations. Since writing this blog Autism Speaks has appointed two autistic people to its board.
"“I was at an event in Canada,” Keri Bowers says. “Autism Speaks had a big fundraiser that day. I was at a dinner with the Director of another nonprofit which served autistic people. The woman was complaining about donations diminishing for her nonprofit after the Autism Speaks Walk came to their city. An elderly lady sitting across the table, said ‘Do you mean the money doesn’t stay in the community? I thought when I was walking I was helping local autism families.'”
Probably the two most common misconceptions about Autism Speaks are people who walk are walking for autism supports in their own community and autistic people benefit from the majority of money raised."
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