Thursday, January 28, 2010

SSDI update

After a nearly 5 month wait I have gotten the results of my administrative law hearing-unfavorable.

Well, it was really no surprise. I was not expecting a favorable decision. I will probably never be able to get this money after putting in more than $40,000 into social security and feeling that I can't take getting fired constantly anymore and having other problems on more marginal jobs forcing me to resign.

My lawyer said that he will file an appeal (appeals are usually rubberstamped 'no') and then after the appeal I guess there will possibly be a hearing in federal district court which will take a couple of years to get. My lawyer did emphasize to me that I did not have a really strong case as I did work somewhat successfully with my limitations and my condition did not deteriorate from the time I was still able to work at my last job, but he would do his best.

As I said before, I guess I can't count on ever getting the money but I will see what happens. So it goes.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Zakhqurey Price:More inconsistencies from Ari Ne'eman?

I see that Ari Ne'eman and ASAN have yet a new crusade and that is to exonerate and free Zakhqurey Price, an 11-year-old autistic boy who was being restrained by some special educators due to some behavioral issues and in the process injured the special educators and is now facing felony charges. One of Ne'eman's and ASAN's recommendations is that the charges against the young boy be dropped. They are crusading other ND's to write letters to the principal of the school and to have legislation passed that would give protections to handicapped children such as these in future situations.

Normally, autism's gadfly would be praising Ne'eman and saying perhaps this is a rare example of ASAN actually doing something good, as in the past when they have criticized the judge Rottenberg center (of course this is aside from the issue that ASAN does not do much more than give lip service opposing Matthew Israel and his ilk and spends more time protesting autism speaks than the electric shocks and other aversives that Israel and his colleagues dispense). I would agree this boy was too impaired to know what he was doing, had a disability/disorder/disease which would not make him culpable of these actions and though I don't know all the circumstances, I would probably be in favor of dropping the charges. It is likely a diminished capacity defense would be warranted under the circumstances.

However, in this case, it is my opinion that attention needs to be brought to inconsistencies on Ne'eman's part (seemingly so common for him) in regards to this issue which at the very least reduces his and ASAN's credibility.

Ne'eman has written an essay ,entitled 'equality demands responsibility', in which he completely digresses from the tenets that he is currently expounding upon to help protect and give rights to Zakh.

Ne'eman complains of a Dr. Phil show in which a case similar to Zakh's is presented and Ne'eman feels this puts people with ASD in a bad light:

Dr. Phil portrays those of our neurology as unstable, aggressive and out of control. As a community, we can probably agree that this alarmist ratings ploy is not the face we want to present to the public.

Of course Ne'eman wants to make a public case out of this 11-year-old boy.

Ne'eman goes on with other interesting statements in this essay, describing a character with an ASD in a television show who commits a crime and then has charges against him dropped:

it arguably paints almost as insulting a picture as Dr. Phil. When Jerry’s threatened colleague agrees to drop the charges against him—after learning about his unfortunate “disorder” and ensuring that he leaves the firm for “treatment”—the message sent is a simple one: his actions were simply outside of his control. This makes for good television, but does it really benefit our community as a whole if autistic identity is portrayed as a defense against assault? The resulting implication is not a positive one.

Ne'eman goes on to make other baffling statements in light of his new position about this 11-year- old boy's situation:

Yes, we are autistics living in a neurotypical society. Undoubtedly, that brings about certain pressures and problems. But if we are to demand equal legitimacy, if we are to assert that a “cure” is not only unnecessary and undesirable but also morally reprehensible,(emphasis added) then we must accept for ourselves equal responsibilities. Accommodation within the law can be sought when reasonable, exemption from the law cannot be.

Ne'eman then goes on with a homily about how terrible it is that there is a trend among persons with Asperger's syndrome to use this as a defense when charged with crimes. So apparently it would seem he is opposed to a diminished capacity defense for criminal behavior under any circumstance for persons on the spectrum.

He claims that curing this 11-year-old boy of this neurological condition that caused him to be charged with felonies is not only unnecessary but is morally reprehensible.

One wonders why Ne'eman is not more consistent in his thinking. Based on the essay he wrote about equal responsibility, one would think that Ne'eman would be helping to prosecute the young man accused rather than saying that the charges should be dropped. Ne'eman would be recommending juvenile hall or institutionalization for this boy. After all, this young man should be living up to his responsibilities if he wants to be treated as an equal. A cure for his condition would destroy who he is, it would be totally undesirable, so instead one would think Ne'eman would want him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and have the book thrown at him.

Instead Ne'eman not only recommends dropping the charges but he is recommending accommodations under the IDEA and behavioral support which constitutes "treatment" for this "disorder" which Ne'eman put in quotes in the example from the television show.

Well, I continued to be baffled by the logic of neurodiversitites.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

An email from Alex Plank

I have received an interesting email from Alex Plank, the owner of the infamous neurodiversity website, wrong planet. As I am pretty sure it was a form email, I think I can print the contents without it being considered any sort of breach of ethics.

Happy 2010 to my fellow Aspergians and friends! You guessed right, it's Alex, your favorite autistic website admin sending you greetings again. I think 2010 is going to be an exciting year in autism which is why I'm sending out another newsletter (even though I usually only send one every 6 months).First of all, if you haven't seen my autism documentary, please check it out ( http://wrongplanet.net/postt114120.html ). It's been quite the hit but I don't think all of you have gotten a chance to watch it and if you have watched it, please share it with as many people as you can!In addition, the site has started to load more slowly due to a recent increase in WP's popularity. If you have any extra cash, consider donating to help pay for WP's new server (one year it'll cost $4800 to run just one really fast web server and from where things are going, it looks like we'll soon need to add another server.). Every bit counts (people have donated everything from $5 to $500 so far.)I'd also like to be able to continue to produce videos like autism reality which aren't free (well they're free for you, but not for me. . . lol!) Keep in mind that WP is not tax-exempt and I only added the option to donate after I was continually asked by members of the site.

In addition, if you're on twitter, follow the Wrong Planet twitter alien: http://twitter.com/wrongplanet

and if you get a chance, follow me as well: http://twitter.com/alexplank

Also, I respond to your emails. Please let me know what you plan on doing for autism in 2010!!!!!!!


So it is interesting that this person who banned me from his website just because I happened to post an opinion that was not in agreement with the usual ND rhetoric and was too cowardly to refute any of my positions would have the temerity to ask me to donate money to his cause.

Also, Plank has stated that most autistics don't want to be cured. It is very interesting that he would consult someone whom he has banned from his website for a solicited donation yet did not bother to consult me, Stephanie Keil, Roger Kulp, Jake Crosby or other numerous autistics who do want to be cured before making this bold statement to the media.

One reason not to donate money to Plank's cause is that he engages in very slipshod journalism on his webpage, claiming that autism speaks forced Zazzle to discontinue Zach Lassiter's line of t-shirts. Without investigating any of the facts, Plank ran this boldfaced lie on the front page of his website. For a while, this was a cause celebre' of neurodiversity. It was autism's gadfly who exposed this neurodiversity propaganda as being untrue. It would seem Mr. Plank has not learned his lesson and shows how ludicrous Plank is for asking someone who exposed his shoddy journalism for a donation.


It is also interesting that Plank would have the gall to ask people to donate money to him so he can make more videos like his self-promoting autism reality video. Somehow because it cost him money to make this he seems to think that those who viewed it on you tube or elsewhere should pick up the tab.

He also dates Katie Miller who testified before the IACC trying to convince the federal government not to fund autism research that would lead to a cure or preventing a child from becoming crippled and sick from autism. This is in spite of the fact that the IACC grew out of the combating autism act which Miller, Plank and other ND's vigorously opposed while it was being debated in congress, so it would seem Ms. Miller wastes the taxpayer's money by proposing autism policy which is exactly opposite of the purpose for which a law was created.

Though these are all good reasons not to donate money to Plank not only from someone banned from his website, but from any person at all, it would be charitable to this young man to say these are the main reasons.

Plank does not give a rat's ass about autistic persons having human rights, the oft stated goal that neurodiversitites falsely claim to have. He does not care about helping anyone but himself. His agenda is entirely self-service, self-promotion, so he can continue his propaganda to help himself make money and get publicity. This is the main reason I urge anyone not to donate money to Plank.

Alex, if you happen to read this I accepted your invitation to email you with my plans for autism in 2010, as I stated in my email to you, I have started out autism 2010 by writing this blog post. You said you respond to emails. I await your response with baited breath.