One of the arguments that the neurodiversity movement makes against curing autism or against spending money on research with the intent of curing autism rather than curing AIDS or cancer is that AIDS and cancer and other normally fatal diseases kill people. They state that autism is okay because autism does not kill people it would seem once again neurodiversity gets it wrong.
Many members of the neurodiversity movement expressed outrage when Katie McCarron was sensely murdered by her mother and I agree with them rightfully so. However, they basically blamed autism speaks and indirectly blamed people (myself included) who wanted a cure for autism for Katie's horrible murder. I wonder if any tears will be shed by ND for Ryan Barrett who will not live to see his 15th birthday because of autism. Somehow I don't think so. I will admit one exception to this general rule was Ari Ne'eman expressing condolences at Ashley Brock's drowning in a comment on Ginger Taylor's Adventures in autism blog. Other than that, I don't know of a single example where a member of the ND community was not outraged by the senseless death of an autistic child who was killed by their autism per se, rather than being murdered by a disturbed parent or caretaker.
Though a tragedy like this makes me guffaw even more at the ND movement, I will resist the temptation to blame neurodiversity for Ryan Barrett's untimely demise. I don't want to lower myself to their level.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
If ND even acknowledges the dangerous, even fatal behaviour of their lower functioning autistic brethren, (eg; wandering off, darting through traffic, horrendous self injury, pica for coins and other stomach perforating objects); ND will either say these are co morbid conditions or that lack of environmental accommodations ie; dimming the lights, and other such injustices created by a neurotypical dominated society are to blame
Post a Comment