So, this woman got a new job.

[conuly]

She was very excited about it, because, really, who isn't excited about the prospect of being gainfully employed?

Her autistic son gets home from school early one day a week, and she asked for accommodations for that day, maybe the ability to work from home, so she could better care for him. They rescinded the job offer, and now she's suing as a violation of the ADA and the Civil Rights Act.

Now, which big company am I asking you to boycott right now? Who could possibly act in such a stupidly heinous manner?

Take a guess, and then I'm sticking the answer under a cut.



The answer is....

AUTISM SPEAKS!

Well, of course it is!

You know, I considered using the word irony somewhere in this post, then realized that this is about as ironic as rain on your wedding day. Irony is when something happens contrary to expectations. This just ain't it.

Comment if you were surprised. You'll get a consolation cookie.

Comments

[atalantapendrag]

So disappointed to be right.

[conuly]

I tell you, I don't know how those people get out of bed in the morning. Literally, that is - do they just kinda flop around until their blankets fall off of their own accord? Jump into their pants both legs together? Because they can't seem to get anything right!

[steorra]

I'd read about this story some time ago, but even if I hadn't, I doubt I'd have been surprised.

[conuly]

It's just so sadly, drearily predictable, isn't it?

[kyrielle]

...of course.

BAH.

[conuly]

Hah, I just went down and set it up to my mother, and she got it on the first try! And all she knows about is that I routinely refer to them as "evil" and "incapable of ever doing the right thing".

[hopefulnebula]

Autism Speaks is composed of the worst kind of people (at least on the higher levels). They prey on well-meaning but clueless people (and desperate people, not that the two groups are exclusive), take their donations, and pay themselves huge salaries while not actually doing anything helpful.

[conuly]

So tell me something I don't know.

[hopefulnebula]

Oh, I figured you already knew, I just needed to add to the venting, because seriously wtf is wrong with them.

[conuly]

They have autistic children, that's what. Why, it's enough to make a sane mom mad, don't you recall?

/pissed

[oneill]

Completely unsurprised, and that's largely thanks to you. (I rarely comment on your posts because I don't have much to add. I do read them, though, so thanks for taking the time to put them up.)

[conuly]

I know the feeling. Sometimes I reply to people just so they don't feel they're shouting into the void, and I feel so stupid saying things like "good post!" or "interesting, I never thought of that!"

But sometimes, really, what can you say?

Also, seriously, if I've done one good thing in this world, it's spreading the word about Autism Speaks. I'm not sure if they're really evil so much as ludicrously incompetent, but I do know they're annoying as fuck.

[oneill]

Exactly. I hate leaving generic comments because it feels very here's-a-greeting-card-I-grabbed-off-the shelf-at-the-last-minute, but at the same time, radio silence is often interpreted as lack of interest or--worse--tacit disapproval. There's also the fact that I appreciate such comments when I get them, so it's weird.

(I have a similar problem in re: donations. When I'm short on funds, I tend not to give anything because $5 is not even close to enough! But somehow $0 is? Brains are stupid sometimes.)

I have noticed that now, whenever someone mentions autism, my immediate reaction is to scan my memories to determine whether I have told them about how awful Autism Speaks is yet. You probably get asked this all the time, but is there an organization out there you'd recommend instead? This is one of those things that are not so easy to google.

[conuly]

It depends on the audience. If I think they'll be amenable to the concept of neurodiversity, then I suggest ASAN, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network. Some people immediately go into "well, they're obviously very high functioning, not like the people who need REAL help!" mode, though, and I just never have the energy for that, nor the time. It gets tiring.

If I have any doubts about them, I go with the Autism Society of America. They're more mainstream, which means they are acceptable to a broad swath of people.

Since I live on Staten Island, which has a higher-than-average rate of autism and has had for a while, I sometimes will suggest to locals that they support one of our local schools that has a program for autistic children.

"There's also the fact that I appreciate such comments when I get them, so it's weird"

Yeah, but then do you have trouble finding something to say in reply? LOL, I'm like "yay, people read these articles! Wait, now, what do I say that doesn't sound totally inane???" Three days later I finally settle on "Thanks for reading!" and end up kicking myself for it.

[oneill]

Thanks, I'll keep those in mind. I especially appreciate the audience-tailoring aspect because . . . yyyyyyyeah, that is a thing that happens. Looks like ASAN has plenty for me to read through, so thanks for that as well.

I often take generic thank-you comments as an opportunity to say OH, AND ALSO. Because there is pretty much always something I forgot to mention in the OP/something that only occurred to me after posting, haha. On the rare occasion I have nothing more to add, I just leave a thanks and a thumbs-up emoticon of some sort, viz., ツb or : Db. I'm okay trading generic for generic, partly because I've already contributed something by way of the OP and partly because it's like completing an offered high-five.

[invsagoth.livejournal.com]

I wasn't surprised, and it's sad that I wasn't. :P

[conuly]

Tragic, really.

[ncp.livejournal.com]

I guesses correctly. No cookie for me.

[conuly]

Sorry, ducky. I can offer you a recipe for one of my favoritest cakes ever, though!

http://retrorecipe.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/lady-goldenglow-cake/