[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]
ACTRESS AND AUTISM SPOKESPERSON HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE AND DAUGHTER TO PUBLISH PICTURE BOOK WITH SCHOLASTIC
My Brother Charlie to be published spring 2010
New York, NY — April 2, 2009 — Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, is delighted to announce the acquisition of world rights to a picture book written by actress Holly Robinson Peete and her eleven-year-old daughter Ryan Elizabeth Peete. My Brother Charlie, to be illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is scheduled for publication in Spring 2010, to coincide with Autism Awareness Month in April. The deal was negotiated by Jennifer Gates and Jason Anthony from Zachary Shuster Harmsworth for Holly Robinson Peete and Andrea Davis Pinkney, Vice President, Executive Editor, from Scholastic, along with Rebecca Sherman from Writers House, who represents Mr. Evans.
A heartwarming fictional story of patience, love and acceptance, My Brother Charlie is based on the Peete family’s own experiences living with Ryan’s twin brother RJ who has autism. The story is told from the twin sister’s point of view. My Brother Charlie is bestselling author Holly Robinson Peete’s first children’s book, and will include additional information from both Holly and Ryan about living with a child who has autism.
“We’re honored to welcome Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete to Scholastic,” said Andrea Davis Pinkney, Vice President, Executive Editor, Scholastic. “My Brother Charlie is so much more than a book about autism. This is a story about the joy we all find in the uniqueness of people and the power of love.”
“My daughter and I cherish the opportunity to partner with Scholastic to introduce our family’s journey through autism with My Brother Charlie,” said Holly Robinson Peete. “Children with autism are often misunderstood. Our hope is that this book will help families embrace and accept these exceptional people.”
Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete will donate a percentage of the proceeds for My Brother Charlie to the HollyRod4Kids Foundation to help children with autism gain access to affordable treatments and therapies. For information about HollyRod4Kids visit http://www.hollyrod.org.
Actress, author, activist and philanthropist Holly Robinson Peete has been a part of the entertainment industry all of her life, and her career as an actress dates back more than two decades. Robinson Peete was recently named a Board member of Autism Speaks, and travels internationally to advocate on behalf of autism causes. Since 2000, when Holly learned of her son RJ’s autism diagnosis, she has worked tirelessly to help families everywhere who are raising children with autism. Ms. Robinson Peete is the wife of former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, and the working mother of four children, Robinson, Roman, and twins, RJ and Ryan. With her husband, Ms. Robinson Peete founded the HollyRod Foundation in 1996, with the mission to help improve the quality of life of people plagued with devastating life circumstances inspired by her father Matthew Robinson’s battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Holly Robinson Peete’s television credits include roles in “21 Jump Street” (1986) opposite Johnny Depp, “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,” “For Your Love,” and “One on One.” She recently starred in the original Lifetime movie “Matters of Life & Dating” for which she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. An accomplished author, Robinson Peete won the 2006 Quill Literacy Award with her first book Get Your Own Damn Beer, I’m Watching the Game: A Women’s Guide to Loving Pro Football (2005, Rodale).
Ryan Elizabeth Peete, age eleven, wrote My Brother Charlie with her mother Holly to help share awareness about autism with other children who have been touched by autism in some way. Ryan travels with her mother speaking to kids about her experiences with her twin brother RJ. She based the narrative for My Brother Charlie on events that happened in her family.
Shane W. Evans is a successful illustrator, designer, and photographer. He has illustrated many acclaimed books for children, including When Gorilla Goes Walking by Nikki Grimes, and Nobody Gonna Turn Me ‘Round by Doreen Rappaport. Mr. Evans lives and works in Kansas City, Missouri.
About The HollyRod Foundation
The HollyRod Foundation was formed in 1996 with the mission to help improve the quality of life of people plagued with devastating life circumstances. The foundation was given life through Holly Robinson Peete’s father’s sad but inspiring battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Last year, inspired by her son, HollyRod4Kids was formed to focus on children’s causes and improving the lives of children affected by circumstances beyond their control. Through hollyrod4kids and her family’s personal experiences, Robinson Peete has become an advocate for consistent and reliable education, outreach and support on autism. Her activism is respected around the world and she has appeared on such programs as “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Larry King Live,” “CNN,” “Access Hollywood” and many other news, political, informational and entertainment shows.
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children’s books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs and school-based book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, television networks and the Company’s Internet Site, http://www.scholastic.com.
Contact:
Scholastic Inc.
Tracy van Straaten Vice President of Publicity
Children’s Book Publishing
212-389-3782
tvanstraaten@scholastic.com
Amy Pfister
Fifteen Minutes Public Relations
323-556-9700
Amy@FifteenMinutes.com
More With HollyRod Foundation
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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 