Newsweek Article on Ari Ne’eman

Newsweek has put out an article on Ari Ne’eman, “Erasing Autism.” The issue of research into the genetics of autism is certainly a tricky issue. One does not wish to hold back legitimate scientific research. On the other hand there are important questions to be asked particularly since we can count on this research being abused by the anti neuro-diversity people. I actually wrote a piece on this last year, back before Sarah Palin completely imploded on herself.

Speaking of the anti neuro-diversity people, they are already up in arms, which tells you how good an article it was. Hating Autism even accuses Newsweek of sodomizing autistic children. This strikes me as strange because the article is remarkably balanced. Upon reading the article I do not get the sense if the author of the article, Claudia Kalb, is for us or against us. She explains what Ari believes, gives a sense of what kind of person he is and offers some context as to the politics of autism. This is not a criticism of Ms. Kalb, on the contrary she is acting the part of a responsible journalist. One can only include that our anti neuro-diversity friends have a problem with anything that even acknowledges that articulate autistics, supporting neuro-diversity, even exist.

In regards to neuro-diversity, in case you have not seen it, please check out this twenty minute video, "Positively Autistic," done by the Canadian Broadcast Company last year on the topic. It features interviews with some of my favorite people in the autism world. First off it has Ari Ne’eman. Estee Klar of Joy of Autism is also interviewed. Ms. Klar is not on the spectrum, but is the mother of an autistic child, Adam. With neuro-diversity politics so often degenerating into autistics fighting against the parents of autistics it is good to know that people like Ms. Klar exist. Maybe we could start a “Mothers Who are Not Like Jenny McCarthy Award” or, to keep it short, a “Mom Award” to mothers and fathers, like Ms. Klar, who love and accept their autistic children instead of simply trying to “cure” them.