“To Siri With Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son, And The Kindness of Machines” is a BadApple Book and on the Autistic #Boycott list.
The story written by a Neurotypical mother of an Autistic Son promotes values that are harmful, and not supportive of Autistics. Demeaning, dehumanizing language was used in this book, and the Autistic voices that were included — those were snatched and used without permission — or even notifying the Autistics folks about it being used.
In this book, Amythest Schaber, a well-loved Autistic Activist, was characterized by the author as a “manic pixie dream girl.” When Amythest shared her dislike — the author took her book marketing into Autistic Bashing.
The Author’s responses are a form of bullying | Paraphrased, it goes like: I mean, why could you ever take offense when I was doing such nice things for you — and trying to help you reach even more people? Why don’t you like me after I say such good complimentary things about you? Fine, I won’t help you increase your audience and do magic fucking shit for you. — Right? So this is essentially the gaslighting/abusive-pattern response received from Judith Newman.
Middle-finger to Judith Newman and her spread of stigma and hate for Autistics. Double middle-fingers to Harper for harming our community with their lack of compassion and bringing this book to print.
Always, everyone making a buck off Autistics while not helping us. At the same time bashing us for not sitting down, shutting up and letting them do all the talking, or in this case, writing.
Judith Newman & Harper: How much money are Autistics making you? None of it is seen by us. Thanks for the no-help smear book.
#BoycottThisShit or rather #BoycottToSiri
If you live near a book store selling copies, maybe slip a printout of the Autistic Union points in there with a statement, this book is boycotted by #TheAutisticUnion.
If I see it, I know I’m going to. — Eve Reiland
Twitter thread below.
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Newman, non-autistic, is taking up space with her mediocre book and making money repeating stuff
#actuallyautistic people have said. She didn’t ask permission before including me in her book along with problematic commentary. Did she ask any of the autistic folk she wrote about?![A tweet by Judith Newman @judithn111 that says: When you write a book or article, [sic you] do not call public figures or people who post online and get their permission for how they want to be described . Once I knew I had offended her, I was happy to change the descriptor.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DPwJrKWVoAEybhM.jpg)
Newman included Autism Speaks in the US and Canadian subsections of her “resources” section. How do get that one so very wrong? How many years has it been since you could google without hitting a dozen different articles about how terrible they are?
Newman didn’t ask my permission re: including me. She othered me and reduced me to my appearance by calling me a manic pixie dream girl. Not okay. When called out on it, she only nonpologized and dug deeper into her bullshit with excuses > https://twitter.com/amythestschaber/status/934968401897799680 …
#BoycottToSiri
Despite her insistence that she “was ready to listen”, Newman did no listening or learning whatsoever, seems very resistant to correction, has flounced a couple of times, and has never actually apologized. She’s back again this afternoon, bothering other autistic folk. yeah.
To conclude, please pass on To Siri With Love and Judith Newman’s allistic nonsense. As soon as I’ve calmed down a little, I’m going to come back and recommend some books about autism by
#actuallyautistic folk that you should support instead!#BoycottToSiri#ToSiriWithLove -
Oh, a gross cherry on top. Image: A direct message from
@Judithn111 that says: I have zero interest in fighting with you and your friends, so I’ll make this easy on both of us and block you. I really did think your videos were great, and good luck (continued in next tweet)
finding a wider audience. I hope you recognize one day when someone is actually on your side. I feel sorry, and wonder about your parents if you’re so disparaging of an ‘autism mommy.’ I hope your life finds sweetness, & I Hope you have it in you to be more generous to strangers.
When an Autism Parent™ threatens to stop “supporting” you: Gif: Toni Braxton singing “Unbreak my heart” in the shower.
We’re off to a great start!
#BoycottToSiri because this thread of tweets from a ~very autism friendly~ warrior mommy to a dedicated autistic advocate show her true lack of fucks given for the#ActuallyAutistic community. end this book, end this woman’s career as an author
Geez. All her other idiocy aside, I used to work for a completely awful publishing company, and even they insisted that authors inform people who were mentioned in the author’s book. It’s Publishing 101.
#BoycottToSiri because this thread of tweets from a ~very autism friendly~ warrior mommy to a dedicated autistic advocate show her true lack of fucks given for the#ActuallyAutistic community. end this book, end this woman’s career as an author.
International Badass Activists 
4 responses to “BadApple Book | To Siri With Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son, and The Kindness of Machines (aka #boycottthisshit)”
I have seen plenty written about this book and its author, none of it pleasant reading. I have noted her name and if I see it on the cover of a book I will immediately look elsewhere.
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Really love the pick of Toni Braxton. She too is an Autism Warrior Mama and by that I mean nothing good.
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OMG LMAO
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[…] Many Autistics continue to struggle with Judith’s ability, influence and power to silence, smear and dehumanize Autistics. And wow — she pulled in some mighty damn powerful friends to silence Autistics too. […]
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