Editorial #75: Info for parents about teachers

Autism Politico would like to clue parents in on something important regarding teachers who say they have training in the area of autism spectrum disorders.

Special education teachers will have a background in teaching, possibly a background in a particular subject, and some minor background in their area of interest, which may or may not be autism.

Other teachers may have taken a class or seminar or two that cover autism spectrum disorders in a general way.

Only a few teachers will have studied autism in depth.

But no matter what a teacher’s background is, unless the teacher has actually raised a child with autism, or better yet, unless a teacher is on the autism spectrum, it is doubtful that any teacher will truly be able to understand how autism presents itself and how autism functions.

Good parents of an autistic child will have looked into autism very deeply and will have a good idea of their child’s needs. Parents should trust their instincts and push for what they think their child will need in the classroom.

At the same time Autism Political would be wrong if it failed to point out that some parents are so clueless that teachers without ANY experience in autism spectrum disorders may know a heck of a lot more than parents who have been raising a child with autism since birth.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #74: On THAT note…

Autism Politico wrote about Autism Speaks in its last entry and wants to know what impact if any John Elder Robison is having now that he is a member of their  Scientific Advisory and Scientific Treatment Boards

“which form the core of Autism Speaks’ grant review process”

Although Robison doesn’t have much of a say or influence about the functioning of Autism Speaks itself, one would have hoped that he would have resigned by now in protest at the offensive nature of the organization and its poor view of autistics.

Autism Politico thinks that perhaps it is time for people to begin ignoring Robison as well as Autism Speaks since it appears that he has abandoned autistics in exchange for another item to put on his resume.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #73: Speaking of Parenthood

Autism Politico notes that Autism Speaks, perhaps the world’s most offensive autism organization in the minds of many autistics, is going to  have one of its people appear on the equally offensive show Parenthood.

What a bummer.

In addition to having a silly portrayal of autism, a sillier portrayal of parents’ reaction to it, we now have an Autism Speaks “top official” show up and do who knows what.

Autism Politico would be pleased if the representative in question would say something like: “Your reaction to your son’s diagnosis was typically over-emotional. Your subsequent faith that a special school would solve your son’s problems was misplaced.  And your hope that we will advocate for your son in a manner which elevates his inherent humanity are absurd.”

But that is not going to happen.  

We can guess what will happen.

We can guess because, based on this statement 

The Asperger’s storyline on “Parenthood” reportedly hearkens from the personal experiences of Jason Katims, the show’s executive producer, who has a 13-year-old son with the diagnosis.

and the subsequent role given to an Autism Speaks “official”, the executive producer leans towards Autism Speaks view of autistics, which is that most are in need of treatment and a cure. This viewpoint flies in the face of most people who are on the autism spectrum.

Autism Politico urges everyone who reads this NOT to watch Parenthood, but knows no one will pay attention to what we say anyway.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #72: Aykroyd Speaks

Autism Politico feels the need to remind people that Dan Aykroyd revealed he has Asperger Syndrome some time ago and this fact was reposted in a recent article. 

The now 57-year-old answered that he was analyzed as a Tourette’s and Asperger’s child, not so much schizophrenia, adding that the former can also be associated with hallucinogenic voices.

He said:

“I really haven’t had too much occurrence except on the Asperger’s side, where I have a fascination with police, and I always have to have a badge with me.”

Does it matter?

No. There are plenty of functional people in the world who are diagnosed with AS. Dan Aykroyd is one of many.

What bugs Autism Politico is when people think that kids who are diagnosed with AS have little chance of becoming contributors to society when they grow up. It’s non-functional to be so narrow-minded.  

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #71: Designer Babies

Autism Politco can sum up a recent article in a few succinct words:

If you have any genetic defects, you are a reject that needs to be weeded out of humanity.

While this concept is not new (Hitler used this dictum to his advantage, as have numerous cultures which have slaughtered other ones for their “racial inferiority”) Autism Politico notes that what has yet to be accomplished is a way to weed out the disgusting traits commonly exhibited by humanity: Drug and alcohol abuse, any criminal behaviors, immoral and unethical choices, etc.

How many times have we wanted to stub out a druggy’s joint on the tip of their nose?

How many times has anyone wished that a drunk at a party be thrown out into the street, the liquor he or she is drinking, dumped on his or her head for good measure?

How many times have we wanted  to rob the robber?

How many times have we wanted to revisit a person’s immoral and unethical decisions upon the person who has committed the deed?

Even if we someday create a world in which no person has any genetic flaws of any kind, the one incurable illness society will have left is the blackness of the human soul.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #70: Austin Autistic Antics

Autism Politico has learned that an Austin hotel is either trying to profiteer off of families who have autistics in them, or else is totally clueless about what autistics need when they stay in hotel rooms.

Read this article.

If your browser won’t open the link, there is no need to worry. Autism Politico has provided some choice quotes for you to read:

“We wanted it to feel very much like a hotel room still, because we don’t want people to come in and feel like, ‘Oh, we’ve been tagged with this special needs label,’” said Conference Services Manager Anna Roberts.

Well, if it’s a special room, it means that one of the people who are staying there are special. Just like in a posh hotel, a person would get the “Presidential Suite”, in this hotel autistics get a room “just for them” – except autism carries a negative connotation with it.

Some of the changes are subtle: organic cleaning products, corner protectors and keeping most of the amenities just out of reach.

Organic cleaning products: Some of these are just as irritating to some autistics as inorganic cleaning products, but just the fact that the hotel has them is a good way to lull ignorant parents and caregivers into believing that such a superficial change is worth the effort of trying the room.

Corner Protectors: All rooms, no matter who they are designed for, ought to have these. The good news is that from now on, it will only be NT children who bang their heads and bodies into them in the regular rooms while autistics can save their heads and bodies for injuries sustained during ABA therapy in schools.

Keeping Amenities Just Out of Reach: This is a good way of flattening the autism spectrum into a stereotype. It says that no autistic is capable of obtaining and using an amenity successfully, and that they are second-rate f they CAN use an amenity successfully. It’s just plain discriminatory.

No need to pack foods –  the hotel offers a gluten and casein free menu. 

As has been shown by studies, autistics are no more likely than non-autistics to suffer gastro-intestinal ailments, and gluten-free diets do absolutelynothing to counter or control the nature of autism or its symptoms. For the hotel to offer this diet is nice, but if they are doing it because they believe the quack science which says gluten-free diets benefit autistics, then they are purveyors of quackery. Autism Politico believes the hotel should be boycotted for that reason alone.

The hotel offers those rooms at a discount.

In many states, the law regarding hotel rooms is that if a customer requests a specific room and that room is available, the hotel must give it to them at the rate for that room. Because this hotel discriminates by offering families with autism a discounted rate, families who have no family members with  autism should try to obtain these rooms whenever possible. This would be a good way to protest what the hotel is doing.

Meanwhile, what the owners of the hotel in question ought to do is ask autistics what they want in hotel rooms. Some of them would be sound-proof walls, internet access, clean bathrooms, a min-fridge, and a microwave. There are many other things autistics would want when staying in a hotel room, but since the hotel in question only seems to care about the FAMILIES of autistics and not autistics themselves, Autism Politico will not offer any further opinions on the matter.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #69: Special Diets Don’t Work

Autism Politico understands that well-informed people know special diets do not improve symptoms of autism. But there are some parents and caregivers who do not love their autistic children and insist on force-feeding them diets which don’t work. Thus this editorial.

An article was published recently that reinforces the existent science which suggest that special diets are just another form of quack therapy.

The article says:

An expert panel says there’s no rigorous evidence that digestive problems are more common in children with autism compared to other children, or that special diets work, contrary to claims by celebrities and vaccine naysayers.

As Autism Politico has said, everyone knows what has been re-discovered about digestive problems in autistics and the uselessness of special diets. Why studies such as these are still funded is beyond us. But perhaps parents and caregivers who refuse to believe the studies drive the useless expenditure of money for even more studies. Or maybe they cannot face up to the fact that as science reinforces that autism is not treatable or curable, parents and caregivers who don’t love their autistics don’t want to be reminded of the facts.

Autism Politico believes that a good therapy for these types of parents and caregivers would be to find out what sorts of disgusting foods they cannot stand and force them to eat these types of foods non-stop for the rest of their lives. Maybe this mental illness these parents and caregivers have would be cured that way.

Or would doing such a thing be considered abusive?

Nah. It can’t be. It’s for their own good, and they’re too dumb to realize it.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #68: Jim and Jenny #2

Autism Politico notes that Jenny McCarthy is closing down her autism school. This is a good thing. After all, what does a parent of kid who does NOT have autism know about autistic kids?

Autism Politico isn’t going to speculate about the reasons for the closing, but hopes that all the people who have put faith in Jenny’s knowledge of autism are seeing now where that faith got them, and are seeing Jenny’s true commitment to autistics.

It is a happy time for autistics that this has happened, and here is hoping this happiness spreads.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #67: Jim and Jenny

Autism Politico notices that Jim Carrey and Jenny McBunny have split up.  Autism Politico is thankful for this because it means that Jenny’s son Evan, who is now rumored NOT to have autism, stands a reasonable chance of getting a father who will not support Jenny’s quack notion that vaccines are the cause of Evan’s problems.

But let’s assume for a moment that Evan DOES have autism. It is well known that autistics do not deal with changes well, and so this would make at least TWO men that have sailed through Evan’s life: His father, and Jim Carrey.

Can this be a good thing?

Here’s an idea: Now that Jenny is a single mom, and presumably rich, she should quit her new talk show and spend the rest of her life trying to raise her son. That way, her son would get some live and attention, and the rest of us would be shut of her belief in quack medicine.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #66: Quote #8

Autism Politico wants to add to the last quote about how autistics are seen by addressing another quote that expands on the same concept: 

“We shall find that it is less difficult to hide a thousand guineas than one hole in your coat.” – Coulton. 

What does this mean for us? 

It means that people look at you closely, and the flaws they see first are the ones that are the most glaringly obvious. 

Just because we are autistic, we are held in poor esteem by others. If we look strange, act strange, look suspicious, act suspicious, look mean or behave mean, this is what they will see first, and this is what they will believe us to be. 

If we wish to be seen as nice, kind, polite, honest, trustworthy, clean cut people, then we must play the part. And because autistics are under increased scrutiny no matter how we behave, if we are to be seen as nice, kind, polite, honest, trustworthy, clean cut people, then we must BE the part.

More so that any other segment of the population, we must dress and act like respectable people and must not engage in activities or behaviors that will defame our population as a whole. 

It does not matter that our own personal preferences may be compromised as a result of this imposition. We must remember that it is not entirely society’s fault that their poor perception of us exists. Part of the responsibility for this lies with ourselves. 

Autism Politico believes it is possible to maintain our individuality even as we seek to integrate with society. It is possible to keep something of ourselves even as we give up so much to be accepted. It is possible to look and appear as others do without giving up any part of our souls.   

When will you begin to make that change in yourself? 

Replies to this editorial are welcome.