Jordache Jeans, Betamax, Yugo and Autism Speaks

[Guest guest]

http://www.rescuepost.com/rescue_post/2007/09/jordache-jeans-.htmlBy J.B. HandleyIs it just me, or do Autism Speaks and the Wrights all of a suddenfeel about three inches tall after Jenny's appearance on Oprah?I remember several years ago when I heard that the president of NBC'sgrandson had autism. Man, I thought, this could be IT!! I was evenmore astonished when, about a year later, this guy's daughter, KatieWright, emailed one of our Rescue Angels like any other parentlooking for help. OK, I thought, it's really going to happen: thestory of these kids is going to have the chance to be told for everyMom and Dad to hear!And, I was dead wrong. (Katie, as we all know, did go on to showunbelievable courage, break down the door at Oprah, and ultimatelypart ways with Autism Speaks.)And now, like the Jordache jeans you moms no longer wear, who gives aflip what Autism Speaks does, says, or sponsors? The reason theydrove us all crazy is because it felt like they were controlling themessage. There was Allison Singer in the Wall Street Journal sayingthe parents provided bad genes, there was Suzanne Wright on LarryKing never mentioning vaccines or recovery. It was starting to driveus all a little mad.With Jenny, the proverbial cat is firmly out of the bag. In fact, thecat has taken off and is visiting your neighbor's lawn! With eachsale of an additional book, more parents have the chance to decidefor themselves what is best for their kids. Who cares if 20/20doesn't mention vaccines? You can no longer fool everyone.Just for fun, I did a little recon yesterday, I called Autism Speaks.I asked them if they had any information on this "GF-CF thing" Ms.McCarthy mentioned on Oprah. After a few minutes and some other phonenumbers, a very kind person came on the line, I won't mention names(but she was warm, polite, and caring). I asked her about Ms.McCarthy, the Oprah show, these improving kids, the diet, and that asa parent I wondered what Autism Speaks position was on all of this?Her response, and I'm quoting:"We're acknowledging that the work they are doing [referring to DAN!Doctors] is having extraordinary results, but Autism Speaks is aboutthe science."As far as learning more about the GF-CF diet, she encouraged meto "Google for more information" and she also said to take a look atAutism.org where they have "quite a bit of good information." Forthose of you who don't know, Autism.org is the home of The AutismResearch Institute, founders of the DAN! movement, aka "The Housethat Bernie Built."What to make of this interaction? On the one hand, the kind person Iwas put in touch with was very helpful. Had I been new to thediagnosis, referring me to ARI would have been the best thing theycould have done for me. They did this, and I give them credit for it.This means parents who are calling there are getting help. Bravo.But, and there is a huge BUT, the hypocrisy of this interactionleaves me sputtering for understanding. While a person givenauthority by Autism Speaks to talk to parents clearly has the best ofintentions, the Autism Speaks that 99% of the world sees does notacknowledge DAN!, does not acknowledge recovered children, and doesnot honestly address the issue of vaccines and the role they may playin the epidemic. And, their research dollars are doing nothing toexplore the "extraordinary results" that DAN! appears to be offeringsome of the kids. And, while Katie Wright, Peter Bell, and God knowswho else at Autism Speaks has used a DAN! Doctor, we don't see wordone of that in any of their materials or statements.It's also interesting to note that at Autism Speaks headquarters inNew York City, the mother ship, there is exactly one employee who isthe parent of an autistic child: Alison Singer. (That's the mom whotold Bob & Suzanne it would be a good idea to publicly throw theirown daughter under the bus.)Autism Speaks has become a shameful, pathetic, political blight onthe autism landscape. One celebrity – Jenny McCarthy -- with thewillingness to speak the truth has done more in three days to helpchildren than Bob and Suzanne Wright and their tens of millions havedone in three years. Until Autism Speaks decides to be trulyinclusive and acknowledge DAN! and the recovered children in a publicway, and then back it up with research dollars, your donations wouldbe put to far better use trying to lobby to get the Yugo back on theroad.J.B. Handley is co-founder of Generation Rescue.

 

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