Radio host wrong, kids with autism NOT brats!
I have heard it all before, in fact far too many times. Kids with autism are not brats! Kids with autism are not simply acting out!
And, to all those who would say that, I say: Walk a day in their shoes (or their parents’ shoes) and then tell us they can control what they do or say like everyone else.
No, in my opinion, the only people who should “cut out the act,” are people like radio host Michael Savage, who make unsubstantiated claims that 99 percent of kids with autism are misdiagnosed. Like far too many people in our society – people who have no idea whatsoever of what they are talking about — he is displaying a total lack of empathy and ignorance!
Children with an autism spectrum disorder are children who, through absolutely no fault of their own, were born with a disorder that would impact not only their own lives but those of everyone around them. And, while it is true that individuals with mild symptoms of autism are able to function creatively and normally in our society, those with a more severe form on the spectrum will likely never know what it is like to live a normal life.
In other words, those with a severe form will never know what it is like to graduate from college or university, never know what it is like to have a regular competitive job or career, never know what it is like to bring up a family, or never know what it is like to retire and travel in their leisure years.
That is not to say they cannot have a productive life. They can. My son is 43, married to a wonderful woman who has physical and developmental disabilities. They are companions. He takes care of her, doing the shopping, cooking and cleaning. He also volunteers at a local nursing home. But, he still misses all the normal milestones that other people experience. He is of average intelligence, so make no mistake about it, he knows what he is missing. We talk about it often, particularly now that he is in his early forties — at just the right time when all of us think about where our lives have been and where we want to go.
So, to suggest these individuals simply need “to cut out the act” is nothing short of cruel and abusive. While some are calling for Savage to be fired, I am not sure about that. It is the essence of free speech that people can make cruel and abusive statements. There are plenty of shock jocks that represent all manner of nonsense.
The bottom line is we simply don’t have to listen to them if we don’t like it. As a result, what I would recommend instead, is for listeners to boycott the radio station.
H/T a regular reader.
