Autism: The Scientific Truth About Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment—And What Parents Can Do Now
Melilla
2012 year
Sender: Autistic people have it hard enough in life without abuse, threats and discrimination and are invisible in mainstream society, so books, websites etc that spew hatred, stereotypes and misrepresentations of autism damage the self-esteem of already vulnerable people . The content of this book is no exception. For example, the foreword on page XI says that the book is about preventing autism before it develops and possibly curing it. And it gets even worse: p. 4: “Autism is a real threat.” Ableism is the real threat, not autism. It should be society’s responsibility to create a world that is more accepting of autistic people, not autistic people’s responsibility to assimilate with neurotypicality so that everyone else feels comfortable. And autism is repeatedly called an “epidemic” in this book, as if it is a virus that needs to be eradicated. And the use of the r-word. I have Asperger’s myself, and finding this book in my local library was very upsetting. Being told that I’m a threat to society and that I need to be “fixed” is the worst thing I’ve ever heard. I may be smart enough to know that I don’t need to be medicated, but it can damage other people’s self-esteem and even make them suicidal. If you want proper information about autism, check it out Autistic Self-Advocacy Network – they are real specialists in this business.
Holly: Dr. Melilla Centers for achieving brain balance have definitely been criticized. Take a look at the external links on this Wikipedia page; especially part of NPR.
