Old time readers of Autism's gadfly may remember when a newsweek article about Ari Ne'eman and neurodiversity came out. In response to this, I asked Newsweek to give me (or some other pro-cure person on the spectrum) equal time to rebut what Ne'eman said. I was further dismayed when journalist Claudia Kalb questioned why anyone would be opposed to Ne'eman's nomination to the NCD. This particular article generated some controversy when I got some inside info on it from a reliable source telling me about it before it was actually published. I blogged about it. Angry anti-neurodiversity blogger John Best also blogged about it with the inflammatory headline "Ask Newsweek to Kill Ari Ne'eman" When a commentor on his blog stated he felt the title was inflammatory, Best stated that he was not asking anyone to actually go out and shoot Ne'eman, but he believed that Ne'eman's activities were criminal and he hoped that the neurodiversity activitist would be prosecuted, convicted and executed. This created a hornet's nest among the ND movement, who distorted the facts and claimed that Best actually threatened Ne'eman with death.
I'm happy to report that in the better late than never department, Newsweek has given me equal time I won't comment further except to say I'm glad they are willing to let voices of those on the spectrum other than those who believe in neurodiversity be heard.
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9 comments:
Hello, Jonathan. My name is Kaylee. I am 25 years old, from the UK. I have Atypical Autism PDD-NOS, I also have a Rare Chromosome Disorder among other medical issues. All theories are based from my Chromosome Disorder as to why I have these various issues.
Now, while I don't quite agree with your stance on Neurodiversity, I can certainly understand where you are coming from. I get the frustration when trying to interact with others, not knowing when you're being rude, or not getting any social cues and so on. I totally get that!
Now, me I am comfortable with my Autism, it may not be all of me but it is a part of me and I wouldn't know any other way to be. But I understand those who would rather it never existed, at least not in them. Now I believe if there ever will be a cure, it should be down to choice, for those who can make it.
I have much more I would love to discuss with you, but it may be a little long winded here ;), and I am always around if you ever need a chat. Contact me at my email, Sharance@outlook.com
All the best,
Kaylee
Congrats Jonathan!
As I commented on Facebook, great article! It's fantastic getting the opportunity to share your stance and the truth as to what goes on in reality for some disabled people, especially from someone I've known online for YEARS and have met in person.
If you see my comment, Julia (you know who you are), based from deciding to check Jonathan out if you came across the Newsweek article, please ask him or Stephen Shore for my email!!! If you don't know Steve's email address, just google him and you'll find it on his site!
The article was pretty good except for the constant faux balanced reporting. Kudos for getting it published.
thanks MJ, sorry to see you retired from blogging.
Jonathan,
I just read the Newsweek article about you. Since you are interested in finding cure or treatment for autism, I am wondering if you have heard of what is being done with chlorine dioxide as an autism treatment. Of course this approach is met with opposition from the same groups who oppose your stance on autism, but this has not stopped thousands of families from many nations from finding a means to recover both adults and children from "the symptoms known as autism".
Since chlorine dioxide (CD) is simply an oxidant with some unique properties that make it safe for healthcare uses and drinking water treatment, it only affects autism symptoms by killing off microbes and other pathogens, such as parasites. Toxins from these undesired organisms seem to cause autism symptoms. Autism symptoms begin to vanish, both in adults and children, through the use of diluted solutions containing chlorine dioxide, along with diet improvements that also contribute to improved gut health. This concept treats the cause, rather than symptoms, reulting in permanent improvements.
If you or any of your readers are interested in pursuing this alternative healthcare approach to recovering from autism symptoms, there is a forum at http://cdautism.org/forum that you could join to see what is being said by parents and others who are having dramatic success with it.
Don Cuthbert
@Don, I don't know anything about chlorine dioxide as an autism treatment, but I'm rather skeptical as I am about most things alleging to be an easy fix for autism spectrum disorders.
@jonathan,
Well I was skeptical as well, especially after reading about Jim Humble and his "church" idea that he decided to use to promote CD use and other similar things. But after reading other parents success stories on Facebook about it and doing enough research to know that it was at least safe enough to try, we told my step-son about it and he insisted on taking it ever since.
His recovery has been dramatic and we have been able to document his improvements. We recently did some travel for about 2 months, during which time he could not take these treatments and he gradually did worse without it and was very glad to get back on it upon our return. Once he was treating himself again he again improved greatly. He is 18 years old and 6'2", so quite a big man now.
@ Don Cuthbert,
I tried going to the forum you suggested but it was members only. On the one hand I do think there are medical issues associated with some autisms and if they are addressed it seems some "autistic" features also resolve.
However I think the best way forward for autistic people is to remain open minded and accept our autism as a condition that we need to learn to understand, adapt to and live well with.
I am afraid I no longer necessarily trust all positive reviews of treatments and I don't believe any work for everyone (although I do think some that fail for most are spectacularly successful for a few) - it is not too difficult to find people prepared to post positive reveiws for a variety of reasons.
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