
AutisticHistory: October 23, 2009
Image description:
Square image divided. Left side features blue background and an image of a woman with long blonde hair wearing a blue shirt and necklace.
Quote: “There is an autism tsunami coming … .”
— Lorri Unumb
Autism Speaks Senior Policy Advisor
October 23, 2009
Other half of the image is white and gray with red text:
“The ‘autism tsunami?
Try the Autistic Tsunami.
Why? … because of your work we Autistics have to fight for basic civil and disabled rights. We have to fight for real Autistic healthcare.
We have to fight the harm you’ve created in our name.”
— Eve Reiland,
ActuallyAutistic vintage ’72
& Parenting Autistics Since ’93
“There is an autism tsunami coming, and it is going to cost the state an extraordinary amount of money in special education and adult care if the current generation of kids does not get the treatment they need,” added Unumb. “Without private insurance playing its part, the treatment is simply not going to happen.” Autism Speaks applauded State Senator Neil Breslin, chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, Senator Thomas Duane, chairman of the Senate Health Committee, and Senator Shirley Huntley, chairwoman of the Senate Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee, for holding the hearing, a critical first step in advancing legislation.”
More with Lorri Unumb
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.