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Article on the Autistic Liberation Front.

Which I always thought was a non-real organization....

1. The movement is causing anxiety, however, among British parents concerned by their children's unpredictable, often aggressive behaviour. They believe that intensive behavioural therapy is the best way to ensure that children with autism can make a contribution to society and lead lives that are as fulfilling as possible. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of attempts to use dramatic medical interventions for people with autism.

One such treatment involves injecting them with secretin, a hormone obtained from pigs' intestines. When the treatment first became available in the late 1990s, scientists believed that they had discovered a cure but doctors now caution against the use of secretin, which researchers at the University of North Carolina have concluded "may be no more effective than salt water".


2. Mrs Moore disagreed, however, with the front's suggestion that autistic people should be left to their own devices. "There are therapies and interventions that can help to alleviate symptoms that are distressing to autistic people and their families or carers."

3. He added, however, that there were "a hell of a lot of people out there who do have serious types of autism and really do need help".

4. Many British parents are unconvinced. Faced with the difficulties of raising autistic children, such as their shifting moods and sometimes violent outbursts, they say the idea of "freedom" for all autistic people is "pie-in-the-sky".

5. Samantha Hilton, from Crowborough, East Sussex, who has three autistic sons, aged five, seven and 11, said that it was absurd to say that all autistic people should be left alone. "It all depends on the level of autism," she said. "The people who organise demonstrations and such like must be very high-functioning autistics and so could probably cope by themselves. But their autism is making them insensitive to the many autistics who are not so high-functioning and would find it very difficult to be 'liberated' in this way."

6. Mrs Hilton said it was inaccurate to compare freedom for autistic people with gay liberation. "Being gay does not stop you having a job and getting on with daily life. Autistic people don't have a choice."

I'll add commentary later, if I feel like it. Really, it's nothing you haven't heard/said before, so you can just kinda fill in the blanks.

Date: 2005-01-10 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] celticess.livejournal.com
You may of got the link from me. I had posted it after DaNutBall pasted it to me in IM. I also wrote the editor of the paper. I've not heard back yet. But I pointed out that there are people involved in autistics.org from all over the place. That we haven't said let your kids run wild. I also asked if they bothered to talk to the people at the sites they linked to.

Date: 2005-01-10 03:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wakasplat.livejournal.com
I think I'm going on hundreds, or thousands, or something, and I don't know if I've cracked yet or not.

Date: 2005-01-10 03:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] celticess.livejournal.com
I think the parents and some professionals get locked in tunnel vision. For the kids with overlapping stuff it's exhausting when they are small sometimes. By the way I pointed out to them that what some parents are complaining about aren't exclusive to autistic kids. And they don't treat non autistic kids with those same issues the same as they do autistics. I also mentioned the stats they have are people with autism but it doesn't state what other stuff they have. That people with complex cases may have a harder time. That personality and determination plays a role. As well that alot of things include autism as part of them.

But I've found you can talk til your blue in the face as the saying goes with some. With some press they want the sensational angle not the truth.

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