AutismCares Offers Support to Families Affected by California Fires
New York, NY (Oct 25, 2007) – AutismCares is actively seeking families affected by autism who are also victims of the California wildfires, and invites those families to call the Autism Response Team at 1-888-Autism2 or email autismcares@autismspeaks.org to receive assistance. Families may also register directly at www.autismcares.org.
Registration will enable AutismCares to contact families to provide support services. AutismCares can also facilitate temporary and permanent relocation for families, mobilize specialty assistance teams including therapists, and provide autism-related supplies directly to families and the professionals caring for them.
AutismCares is a consortium of leading autism organizations and was formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to coordinate relief efforts for the thousands of families who were victims of the disaster. AutismCares subsequently assisted families displaced by Hurricanes Rita and Wilma and now supports all families affected by autism who fall victim to natural disasters. Children with autism often require intensive biomedical and behavioral therapies and thoroughly planned routines. AutismCares has created a network to support families whose struggle with autism is intensified by natural disaster, forced relocation and scarce resources.
After Hurricane Katrina struck, AutismCares directly assisted over 80 families, providing housing, furniture, toys, groceries and other essential items.
“AutismCares was born out of the compassion that members of the autism community have for one another,” said Peter Bell, executive vice president of Autism Speaks and executive committee member of AutismCares.
“Many of us know firsthand how challenging it is to care for a child with autism. Add a natural catastrophe that strips a family of everything it has and it’s a recipe for disaster.”
Monetary donations to AutismCares may be made online at www.autismcares.org. The legal entity of AutismCares was originally housed under Boise State University Foundation – c/o Center of Health Policy Autism Programs, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Foundation provided legal and fiscal oversight, as well as resources to ensure expedient and compliant public policy and support. Earlier this year, oversight was transferred to Autism Speaks. This week Autism Speaks made a donation of $15,000 to support the work of AutismCares. The Help Group has donated $5000.
Visit www.autismcares.org for additional information about: the AutismCares relief initiative; current newsroom information; aid coordination for families living with autism; online registration forms for in-kind donations of transportation, accommodations, therapy and respite services, volunteer information; and information on products needed for care packages. The Help Group is also offering counseling services to affected families. Interested individuals can call The Help Group at 877-943-5747
Autism leadership groups participating in relief efforts through AutismCares include:
Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ‘cure’ for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ‘cure’ is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on ‘autism risk.’ The cure is abortion. This is the same ‘cure’ society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or ‘mercy killings’ like in Aktion T4, it’ll happen at the doctor’s office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You can’t cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You can’t recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. … however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
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