[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]
Chase the Hope, Vote for National Autism Association on Facebook
By Denise Reynolds RDG+ Jan 22 2010 – 10:50am
The National Autism Association, celebrities such as Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, and moms across the country are asking Facebook users to “Chase the Hope” and vote for the NAA in the Chase Community Giving Challenge. Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JP Morgan Chase which sponsors the Chase Community Giving program says that “the grassroots nature of Facebook will allow us to hear directly which local charities matter most to our communities, hopefully creating an even bigger impact.”
Facebook is estimated to have more than 300 million users. By simply adding Chase Community Giving as a friend and voting for one of the more than 500,000 small and local nonprofit charity organizations, JPMorgan will donate $1 million to the charity receiving the most votes and the top five runners-up will receive $100,000 each. In addition, the top 100 finalists will receive $25,000 each.
Voting for the charities will continue through today, January 22, 2010.
The National Autism Association is the only organization in the challenge that is strictly devoted to autism. Autism rates have increased 600% in the last 20 years, with an estimated one in 110 children affected. The award would allow NAA to significantly broaden its existing assistance programs which address the most critical needs among families impacted by autism, including a program called Helping Hands, which assists needy families in funding to receive treatment and therapies.
Another program, called FOUND, will combat the rise in wandering-related deaths in the autism community. According to the NAA, deaths of wandering autistic children have increased over the last ten years. Abusive treatment, restraint and seclusion practices are on the rise.
If voted top charity, the National Autism Association plans to implement a three-pronged plan to significantly impact the most critical areas of need over the next three years with its winnings:
1) Direct Assistance: We’ll begin immediately by providing real help, right now – giving direct financial assistance to families unable to afford treatment for their children. In addition, we will provide grants to local community agencies to protect those at risk of wandering-related death, and provide free resources for couples in need of marital support.
2) Education: We will produce workshops, toolkits and PSAs addressing the issues of abuse in schools and wandering. We will produce national conference events to educate clinicians and families on the latest advances in research and treatment.
3) Advocacy: We will advocate for meaningful scientific research, legislation to ensure access to appropriate medical care, lifetime care for adults with autism and laws to address the issue of abuse in our schools.
To vote for NAA in Chase Community Giving on Facebook, go to
http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/486243?
To share “Chase the Hope” messages on Facebook, visit http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/chase/share.htm
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.
International Badass Activists 