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Monday, May 31, 2021

Research Priorities

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee and research priorities

From IACC:

In 2008, the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC) began issuing a series of IACC Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Portfolio Analysis Reports that describe and analyze the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research portfolio across multiple government and non-government funders in the United States. The reports provide comprehensive information about autism research funding to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), a U.S. federal advisory body, to help in its efforts to monitor ASD research progress and trends. [IACC HAS BEEN DORMANT SINCE THE FALL OF 2019.] This information is also used by advocacy organizations, government agencies, private research funders, and the broader autism community to understand the ASD research funding landscape.

The 2017-2018 IACC ASD Research Portfolio Analysis Report represents the tenth and eleventh years of data collected and the eighth comprehensive report of U.S. ASD research funding across both the federal and private sectors. Project information was collected from 23 federal and private funders, including five private organizations that are new to the analysis. Overall, funding for ASD research among both federal and private funders totaled $373.1 million and spanned 1,495 projects in 2017 and totaled $387.7 million and spanned 1,526 projects in 2018. Over the eleven years of data available, autism research showed an overall upward trend in funding, increasing by 74.2% since 2008.


 

 



Sunday, May 30, 2021

Another Potential Cause: Acetaminophen

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the conditionHere is just a partial list of correlatesrisk factors, and possible causes that have been the subject of serious studies:


The potential etiological role of early acetaminophen exposure on Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is inconclusive. We aimed to study this association in a collaborative study of six European population-based birth/child cohorts. A total of 73,881 mother–child pairs were included in the study. Prenatal and postnatal (up to 18 months) acetaminophen exposure was assessed through maternal questionnaires or interviews. ASC and ADHD symptoms were assessed at 4–12 years of age using validated instruments. Children were classified as having borderline/clinical symptoms using recommended cutoffs for each instrument. Hospital diagnoses were also available in one cohort. Analyses were adjusted for child and maternal characteristics along with indications for acetaminophen use. Adjusted cohort-specific effect estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analysis. The proportion of children having borderline/clinical symptoms ranged between 0.9 and 12.9% for ASC and between 1.2 and 12.2% for ADHD. Results indicated that children prenatally exposed to acetaminophen were 19% and 21% more likely to subsequently have borderline or clinical ASC (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.07–1.33) and ADHD symptoms (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.07–1.36) compared to non-exposed children. Boys and girls showed higher odds for ASC and ADHD symptoms after prenatal exposure, though these associations were slightly stronger among boys. Postnatal exposure to acetaminophen was not associated with ASC or ADHD symptoms. These results replicate previous work and support providing clear information to pregnant women and their partners about potential long-term risks of acetaminophen use.



Saturday, May 29, 2021

Antivax Woodstock in South Dakota

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread  And among those diseases could be COVID-19.

Antivaxxers are sometimes violent, often abusive, and always wrong

Tracy Connor at The Daily Beast:

An alternative medicine conference featuring notorious anti-vaxxers kicked off Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, much to the dismay of local doctors and scientists. They’re worried the misinformation that will inevitably be spewed by the likes of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could dissuade some in the state to reject the COVID-19 vaccine. The annual event is usually held in North Carolina, but organizers said they decided to move it this year to some place that “does NOT oppose our belief systems,” the Argus Leader reported. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has encouraged residents to get vaccinated, but has opposed so-called vaccine passports.

Joe Sneve at The Argus Leader:

Among the featured speakers are Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Ty and Charlene Bollinger, three well-known vaccine skeptics who regularly share medical information that isn't vetted with evidence-based science with their social media followers and through various media forms, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

A recent study by CCDH found the three were among 12 of the most prolific sources for medical misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

 


Thursday, May 27, 2021

Tricare Woes

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.  As many posts have discussed, the challenges are especially great for military families.

 ,At WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, Samantha Kummerer reports:

As of May 1, Tricare added limitations and restrictions to ABA therapy, particularly in schools and community settings.

"To me, they just want people like him to go away," [autism parent Shelly] Roper said. "There's no other alternative for a family like myself and where else would we go? We can't move, we're stationed at this base."

Chase isn't the only one in Cumberland County affected by this change.

"When I heard that they were taking ABA away out of school, I literally felt sick to my stomach. It was a devastating blow because for my daughter to get the education that she deserves and that she's capable of getting it she needs her RBT [registered behavior technician]" said Katrina Powers.

...

Tricare's changes still allow individuals to receive ABA therapy and see RBTs but in a more limited capacity and not during the entire school day.

A spokesperson for Tricare explained the changes were made after three years of collaboration with industry stakeholders and lessons learned.

"Although this is a new requirement that went into effect May 1, 2021, it was never the intent to reimburse for non-clinical or educational services. School services, where BTs serve as school supports, shadows, or aides are beyond the scope of ABA services covered under the ACD [Autism Care Demonstration]. The ACD is authorized to reimburse for the active delivery of ABA services. Tricare authorized BTs in the school setting are not actively rendering ABA services," a spokesperson wrote in an email.

From Autism Speaks:

Autism Speaks urges the Department of Defense to reconsider recently announced changes that would make it harder for children with autism to access needed care. These changes would make applied behavior analysis (ABA), an evidence-based treatment that helps reduce challenges with social communication and repetitive behaviors, less available in school and community settings.

The changes would also impose new burdens on families and otherwise create more barriers to services. The changes are memorialized in the TRICARE Operations Manual, which sets guidelines for the healthcare program for military families.

Children with autism benefit from an array of interventions, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and behavioral interventions like ABA. ABA is a routinely covered benefit for the children of federal civilian employees. But for the children of military families in TRICARE, ABA is considered an “experimental treatment” available only through a demonstration program.

“TRICARE should listen to the voices of the military families affected by the Manual changes and reverse course. TRICARE is making it more difficult for these families to care for their children,” said Stuart Spielman, Esq., senior vice president for Advocacy at Autism Speaks. “The thousands of autistic children of military servicemembers who rely on TRICARE deserve to have the services they need to reach their full potential. We strongly urge TRICARE to turn its focus to how it can maximize, not restrict, the benefits it offers to its beneficiaries and follow the science when it comes to ABA.”

The Manual changes follow Department of Defense reports to Congress on the Autism Care Demonstration program that cast doubt on the effectiveness of ABA.

“More than 20 studies have established the benefits of ABA therapy,” said Thomas W. Frazier, Ph.D., chief science officer at Autism Speaks. “While we support continued high-quality studies of interventions that use blinded assessments or other objective measures, the evidence that the Department cites does not meet that standard and is not appropriate to justify the finding that ABA lacks effectiveness. TRICARE stands alone in its assessment of ABA as ‘experimental.’ The flawed methodology it has used to evaluate ABA’s effectiveness appears as if it is designed specifically to show a lack of evidence of its efficacy. We hope TRICARE will reconsider this approach, meet with experts and families, and transparently revisit their findings.” 

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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Adults and Developmental Disability Services

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

From the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute:

In the latest National Autism Indicators Report, researchers from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute examined surveys of family members of autistic adults who use Developmental Disability services, and found needs for additional supports like respite care and assistance to plan for crisis and emergencies, especially among families whose adult lived with them.
...

Lead author Anne Roux, a research scientist at the Autism Institute, and her team looked at data from several thousand families across states that participated in the Adult Family Survey and the Family/Guardian Survey conducted in 2018-2019 as part of the National Core Indicators – a collaborative effort to collect data to help improve the quality of states’ Developmental Disability services.

From the report: 

Among all families:

• Autistic adults who received DD services were more likely to have co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). About 60% of adults on the spectrum who lived with family had ID, and 75% of those who did not live with family. This means autistic adults who received DD services were more than twice as likely to have cooccurring ID as the overall population of people on the spectrum – about one-third of whom have ID.

• High levels of co-occurring health and mental health conditions. Like the general population of adults on the spectrum, those who received DD services experienced higher rates of many health conditions and mood/psychiatric disorders which can contribute to earlier mortality and poorer quality of life.

There is a need for more employment supports. Although DD services are a key source of support for employment, only about one-third of adults on the autism spectrum had paid daytime activities. Families also reported that about one in three adults did not have enough supports to be able to work or volunteer in the community.

• Families report inadequate planning for emergencies. About four in 10 families did not discuss a plan for handling crises and emergencies at their last person-centered planning meeting. Thus, many families may have been unprepared for managing emergencies as they headed into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Families with an autistic adult who lived with them were more likely to report:

• Financial hardship. 22% of families reported an income of $25,000 or less, signaling possible financial burden. But only 37% of all families with an adult living at home received payment for the care they provided

• Need for additional support. 27% of families felt they didn’t have enough supports and services for themselves. Over half of these families needed respite services so they could take a break from caregiving. And 40% said they needed more information about public benefits the adult might qualify for.

• Need for information and training. 70% of these families managed the staff who provided support for the adult in their home. 30% said that the information they were given about services and supports was seldom or never easy to understand.

Families whose autistic adult did not live with them were more likely to report:

• Less empowerment. Only 45% of these families said they usually or always had a choice of the staff who supported their autistic adult. And 22% felt they could not change their service coordinator.

• Safety concerns. 10% of families with an autistic adult who did not live with family said they reported abuse or neglect within the past year.

...

CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISTIC ADULTS

Among those who lived with family:

• More than six in every 10 adults with autism (64%) also had intellectual disability –almost double the rate found in the overall population of people on the autism spectrum.

• Most autistic adults who lived with family were male (73%) and non-Hispanic white (73%). A higher percentage were non-Hispanic Black (15%) compared to the general population (13%), but a lower percentage were Hispanic(6%), compared to 19% in the general population.

• 24% of autistic adults needed extensive supports for managing distressed behavior, compared to 10% of adults with other types of disabilities.

• Nearly 80% of families reported the autistic adult had extensive needs for support with daily activities like scheduling, managing money and shopping.

• While many families reported their loved one had activities in the community, only 33% had any type of paid daytime activities, and nearly 40% were doing some type of facility-based work in settings that do not include people without disabilities. Autistic adults who were Hispanic were less likely to participate in community-based activities compared to non-Hispanic White adults.

Among those who do not live with family:

• More than seven in every 10 adults with autism also had intellectual disability – more than double the rate found in the overall population of people on the autism spectrum.

• Autistic adults who did not live with family were primarily male (78%) and were more likely to be non-Hispanic White (79%) than the U.S. general population. Approximately 12% were non-Hispanic Black - roughly equivalent to the general population. A lower percentage were Hispanic (3%), compared to 19% in the general population.

• 42% of autistic adults needed extensive supports for managing distressed behavior, compared to 24% of adults with other types of disabilities.

• 88% of families reported the autistic adult had extensive needs for support with daily activities like scheduling, managing money and shopping.

• While many families reported their loved one participated in activities in the community, only 30% had any type of paid daytime activities, and nearly 60% were doing some type of facility-based work in settings that do not include people without disabilities. Autistic adults who were Hispanic were less likely to have any type of paid work compared to those who were non-Hispanic White, Black, or Other/Mixed race.

• Nearly 70% of adults with autism who did not live with family members were in group home or agency-operated apartment settings. Nearly 12% were in specialized facilities for people with I/DDs, and 9% lived in independent homes or apartments.

CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND HOUSEHOLDS

Among families whose autistic adult lived with them:

• 91% of survey respondents were parents, and 5% were grandparents.

• Nearly half (48%) of family members had a college education, and 61% were between 55-74 years old at the time of the survey.

• 22% of families reported annual household income of $25,000 or less. Approximately 37% received pay for providing supports for their loved one.

Among families whose autistic adult did not live with them:

• 75% of survey respondents were parents, and 9% were siblings.

• 68% of family members were between 55-74 years old at the time of the survey, and 15% were age 75 or older. Over half (55%) had a college education or higher.

• 20% of families reported annual household income of $25,000 or less.

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

House Members Call for Increase in Funding

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the congressionarole in the issue.

 From Autism Speaks:

A record number of Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed a letter urging leaders of the House Appropriations Committee to increase the federal investment in autism research, training and services. Co-led by the Chairs of the Congressional Autism Caucus, Congressmen Chris Smith (NJ-4) and Mike Doyle (PA-18), the letter to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee garnered a total of 90 signatures. This is the largest number of House Members to sign an autism-focused appropriations letter, which is circulated annually and represents a bipartisan and diverse coalition of members calling for an urgent and record increase in the federal investment related to autism.

“We are so grateful to these 90 House Members, including the steadfast leaders of the Autism Caucus, Representatives Doyle and Smith, who have heard from their constituents loud and clear that an urgent, increased and sustained commitment to autism research and services is absolutely imperative. This show of support demonstrates the momentum that has been building amongst Members of Congress to significantly enhance the federal commitment to addressing challenges faced by the autism community,” said Senior Vice President of Advocacy Stuart Spielman.

Federal investments in autism research have contributed to a better understanding of the biology of autism, the number of individuals across the country with an ASD diagnosis and the types of interventions and supports that benefit the autism community. With this increased understanding has also come the knowledge that so much more needs to be done to address the significant challenges that still exist for individuals across the autism spectrum and throughout the lifespan. Autism Speaks looks forward to working with the leaders of the Autism Caucus, the Members who signed this letter and the Appropriations Committee to build on the progress that has been made and make the needed investments.

The full text of the House letter and a list of the signers can be read here. The House Appropriations Committee will consider the FY22 appropriations bills in the coming months, and Autism Speaks will continue to advocate for increased investments as the process unfolds.

Monday, May 24, 2021

New Jersey Driver License Bill

 

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people.  Sometimes they occur on the road.  A number of ASD people drive cars.

Jerry Carino at The Asbury Park Press:
In 2019, a 22-year-old Virginia driver with autism was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a car accident. Due to a communication breakdown at the scene, police — who were unaware of driver Matthew Rushin’s autism — determined he intentionally caused the crash.

Rushin later was pardoned by Virginia’s governor, but the case left a deep impression on Marlboro’s Deb Fisher. Her son Jay has autism, functions well enough to drive and has experience with a traumatic misunderstanding.

“That age was coming up when Jay’s going to start driving,” she said, “and I was really nervous about his independence as far as driving and what would happen if he were to be pulled over and in any kind of stressful situation.”

In late 2019 she caught wind of a New York bill that provided a simple solution: a voluntary notation on a driver’s license that informs police of a person’s autism.

“I thought, what a great idea,” Fisher said.

Thus began a campaign of letter writing and phone calls. A year and a half later, a similar bill is on track to become law in New Jersey. The bill, S-741 in the state Senate and A-3191 in the Assembly, permits people diagnosed with autism or a communication disability to voluntarily make a notation of it on their driver’s license and in the motor vehicle commission’s registry, and establishes a program to train law enforcement officers in these kinds of interactions.

It has cleared the transportation committees with bipartisan support and could get sent to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk sometime this summer.

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Disability Community Condemns Remarks by Lawyer for Insurrectionist

In The Politics of Autism, I write:

There is no evidence linking autism to planned violence, but in recent years, mass shootings by young men have led commentators in the mainstream media and on the Internet to suggest such a connectionAfter the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, for instance, news reports said that the shooter was on the spectrum. The speculation made little sense to anyone who understood autism. Whereas autistic people have language delays and deficits, the killer had learned English as a second language — and learned it well enough to major in the subject in college. Later on, it turned out that he had an entirely different problem, a social anxiety disorder. Adam Lanza, who committed the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, may have had an Asperger’s diagnosis, but his father emphasized that his behavior stemmed from the psychiatric illnesses that he also had. Nevertheless, the media speculated about Lanza’s place on the spectrum, which worried autism parents. One mother of an autistic child wrote: “This is the first time I'm truly afraid for him. Afraid of what may happen to my son with autism at the hands of a stranger; a stranger who has chosen to buy into the media-fueled misinformation that individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are dangerous and capable of horrendous acts of terror and violence.”

The lawyer for a Capitol insurrectionist is blaming autism.

From the Autism Society:
As leaders of intellectual and developmental disabilities organizations, we find recent statements made by Albert Watkins regarding our communities as reprehensible, inexcusable and deeply offensive.

Albert Watkins, an attorney representing Jacob Chansley, one of the rioters of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, recently suggested that Mr. Chansley has Asperger’s syndrome, which is an older term that is no longer used as it’s part of the diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. He stated that this diagnosis and other contributing factors will be a part of Mr. Chansley’s defense.

While making his argument, Mr. Watkins stated, “A lot of these defendants—and I’m going to use this colloquial term, perhaps disrespectfully—but they’re all f__king short-bus people. These are people with brain damage, they’re f__king ret__ed, they’re on the g__damn spectrum.”

This language is unacceptable and the suggestion that having autism or other developmental disabilities is a defense to a crime cannot be tolerated. As a graduate of St. Louis University and having received his law degree from Georgetown Law School, Mr. Watkins knows the power of words and the harm caused by such offensive and unnecessary language.

His offensive and derogatory language contributes to the stigma that people with autism and other developmental disabilities experience. People with developmental disabilities are not more likely to commit crimes, nor is their disability a defense when they do offend. In fact, people with disabilities are much more likely to be victims of violence and abuse than they are to be criminals.

Our collective organizations have worked for years for and with people with disabilities and their families to promote a fully inclusive society. History tells us that comments like these, left unchecked lead to further discrimination and violence directed at people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Attempting to link people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to hateful or violent crimes furthers harmful stigmas. People with disabilities can hold their own opinions, and/or make bad choices, but this is because they are human, not because of their disability.

How we portray people with disabilities matters. The ADA National Network has a Fact Sheet that provides “guidelines for portraying individuals with disabilities in a respectful and balanced way by using language that is accurate, neutral and objective.” We urge those who are writing or speaking on disabilities to read this useful resource.

We call upon the public to join us in condemning the remarks of Mr. Watkins and promoting the development of a just society that treats all people with respect and dignity, including people with disabilities.
Organizations:

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Margaret A. Nygren, Executive Director & CEO

Association of University Centers on Disabilities, John Tschida, Executive Director

Association of People Supporting Employment First, Julie Christensen, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Interim Executive Director

Autism Society of America, Christopher Banks, President & CEO

Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Julia Bascom, Executive Director

Easterseals, Angela F. Williams, President & CEO

National Disability Rights Network, Curt Decker, Executive Director

Spina Bifida Association, Sara Struwe, President & CEO

TASH, Mike Brogioli, Executive Director

The Arc, Peter Berns, CEO

United Cerebral Palsy, Armando A. Contreras, President & CEO

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Mocking Antivaxxers

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread  And among those diseases could be COVID-19.

Dani Di Placido at Forbes:
A recent appearance on Conan by comedian Bill Burr utilized a slightly different approach, as Burr wielded a combination of humor and twisted logic to speak to vaccine skeptics.

Burr noted that if our evil overlords actually wanted to cause a mass extinction, than perhaps it wouldn’t be in their best interests to target the “sheeple,” i.e., the obedient, brainwashed masses who agreed to take the vaccine.

Burr compared anti-vaxxers to Fonzie, from Happy Days, being too cool to listen to “the man.” And if those rebellious, leather-jacket-clad vaccine skeptics are the only ones left alive, then perhaps those evil overlords might just have engineered a serious problem, by removing those helpfully submissive “sheeple.”

Burr, of course, is mocking vaccine skeptics, but by utilizing a perverse kind of logic that corresponds to their worst fears, perhaps Burr might prompt some to laugh at the idea, and maybe even themselves.


 

Friday, May 21, 2021

Medicaid Expansion and the Workforce for ASD

The Politics of Autism includes an extensive discussion of insurance and  Medicaid services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ryan K. McBain and colleagues have a brief report at the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders titled "Medicaid Expansion and Growth in the Workforce for Autism Spectrum Disorder."  The abstract:

Over 700,000 children throughout the U.S. have received insurance coverage through welcome mat effects of Medicaid expansion, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Utilizing health workforce data from the Health Resources and Services Administration, we examined workforce growth (2008–2017) among three types of health providers for children with ASD as a result of Medicaid expansion: child psychiatrists, board-certified behavioral analysts (BCBAs) and pediatricians. We found that state Medicaid expansion was associated with a 9% increase in BCBAs per 100,000 children one year after enactment, a 5% increase in child psychiatrists, and was not associated with growth in pediatricians. Results indicate the importance of new policies that directly address a shortage of providers for children with ASD.

From the article:

ACA Medicaid expansion has extended insurance benefits to millions of Americans. While direct beneficiaries of Medicaid expansion are typically lower-income adults, there is also evidence that over 700,000 children throughout the U.S. have received health insurance coverage through “welcome mat” effects of Medicaid expansion (Hudson & Moriya, 2017). This has been the result of information campaigns about Medicaid eligibility, and many states having adopted a “no wrong door” policy of determining eligibility across programs.

 Hudson, J. L., & Moriya, A. S. (2017). Medicaid expansion for adults had measurable ‘welcome mat’ effects on their children. Health Affairs, 36(9), 1643–1651. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0347


 

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Legal Defenses and Malarkey

There is no evidence linking autism to planned violence, but in recent years, mass shootings by young men have led commentators in the mainstream media and on the Internet to suggest such a connectionAfter the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, for instance, news reports said that the shooter was on the spectrum. The speculation made little sense to anyone who understood autism. Whereas autistic people have language delays and deficits, the killer had learned English as a second language — and learned it well enough to major in the subject in college. Later on, it turned out that he had an entirely different problem, a social anxiety disorder. Adam Lanza, who committed the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, may have had an Asperger’s diagnosis, but his father emphasized that his behavior stemmed from the psychiatric illnesses that he also had. Nevertheless, the media speculated about Lanza’s place on the spectrum, which worried autism parents. One mother of an autistic child wrote: “This is the first time I'm truly afraid for him. Afraid of what may happen to my son with autism at the hands of a stranger; a stranger who has chosen to buy into the media-fueled misinformation that individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are dangerous and capable of horrendous acts of terror and violence.”

The lawyer for a Capitol insurrectionist is blaming autism.

Eric Michael Garcia at NBC:

As someone who is autistic — and having spent the last few years researching and writing a book about autism — I can say that these rationales are unequivocally (to quote the president) a bunch of malarkey.

While it is true that autism makes social interactions difficult — in particular, it often makes it difficult to read other people’s nonverbal cues, on which so much of our social understandings are predicated — having some difficulties with social interactions is not in and of itself an incubator or predictor of violence toward others. There are plenty of autistic people who have never gotten involved in a violent insurrection against our democracy; there are lots of autistic people who have never committed a mass murder; and there are many autistic people who have trouble dating who have never raped anyone.

As autistic writer Zack Budryk (a former colleague) has written, plenty of autistic people have a strong sense of right and wrong, which governs the way we live our lives; being autistic doesn’t mean you don’t know the difference.

Saying that autism is why Chansley — or any of a myriad of other bad actors — committed terrible actions on Jan. 6 essentially argues that autism alone makes them (and any of us) prone to acts of aggression and therefore we are unprepared or unfit for democracy.

But what these lawyers hope will be a means of liberating their clients adds to the stigma that essentially imprisons other autistic people who do not conduct themselves in a manner requiring legal representation before a criminal court.
...

Autism is never the sole reason people commit bad acts — or good ones — and one autistic person’s actions aren’t characteristic of the entire gamut of autistic people. We are just people — sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes a combination of both. One would think neurotypical people, who claim to have superior powers of perception in personal interactions, would be able to see that more clearly than we do.


Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Insurrectionist Will Cite ASD as Defense

There is no evidence linking autism to planned violence, but in recent years, mass shootings by young men have led commentators in the mainstream media and on the Internet to suggest such a connectionAfter the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, for instance, news reports said that the shooter was on the spectrum. The speculation made little sense to anyone who understood autism. Whereas autistic people have language delays and deficits, the killer had learned English as a second language — and learned it well enough to major in the subject in college. Later on, it turned out that he had an entirely different problem, a social anxiety disorder. Adam Lanza, who committed the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, may have had an Asperger’s diagnosis, but his father emphasized that his behavior stemmed from the psychiatric illnesses that he also had. Nevertheless, the media speculated about Lanza’s place on the spectrum, which worried autism parents. One mother of an autistic child wrote: “This is the first time I'm truly afraid for him. Afraid of what may happen to my son with autism at the hands of a stranger; a stranger who has chosen to buy into the media-fueled misinformation that individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are dangerous and capable of horrendous acts of terror and violence.”

Matt Shuham, at Talking Ponts Memo, interviews attorney Albert Watkins, who defending Capitol insurrectionist Jacob Chansley.

Watkins, the “Q Shaman” Jacob Chansley’s attorney, said his client had Asperger’s syndrome and indicated that Chansley’s mental state — and the impact of Trump’s “propaganda” efforts — would play a role in his case.

“A lot of these defendants — and I’m going to use this colloquial term, perhaps disrespectfully — but they’re all fucking short-bus people,” Watkins told TPM. “These are people with brain damage, they’re fucking retarded, they’re on the goddamn spectrum.”

“But they’re our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, our coworkers — they’re part of our country. These aren’t bad people, they don’t have prior criminal history. Fuck, they were subjected to four-plus years of goddamn propaganda the likes of which the world has not seen since fucking Hitler.”
So now his lawyer is using what I'm going to call the Bumbling Aspie Defense (BAD): Stigmatize autistic people so your client can get away with a serious crime. I'm not suggesting autistic individuals are bumblers, to be clear. (I am myself autistic, and have interviewed subjects as diverse as Temple Grandin and Elmo the Muppet on this issue.) But in the eyes of certain people, perhaps, autism is perceived as an excuse for bumbling through life without being held accountable for your actions.
...
It's difficult to discuss those remarks calmly, especially since it sounds as if Watkins is being offensive and inflammatory on purpose. He is of course correct that Donald Trump has used Adolf Hitler's infamous Big Lie tactic and other fascist methods to create a cult of personality around himself, particularly after losing the 2020 election. But Watkins is offensively and dangerously wrong when he argues that autism had anything to do with Chansley's actions. Implying otherwise furthers the harmful stigma that people with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities are more likely to be criminals, when in fact they are more likely to be victims of crimes. (Watkins' use of slurs like "retarded" and terms like "short-bus people" definitely does not help.) Even worse, it reinforces the notion that people who are neurodiverse are somehow "less than" when compared to people who are neurotypical — that we are not merely different but also "damaged."

You know what did play a part in the insurrection?  The anti-vaccine movement. 

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

QAnon, Antivaxxers, and the GOP: The Case of Colorado


 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread  And among those diseases could be COVID-19.

UnfortunatelyRepublican politicians are increasingly joining up with the anti-vaxxers.  Recent examples include a member of the House COVID subcommittee and a crackpot who is seeking the party's US Senate nomination in Ohio.

Erik Maulbetsch at The Colorado Times-Recorder:
Speaking to a crowd of anti-vaccine activists and QAnon followers at Saturday’s Worldwide Rally for Freedom, Colorado state Rep. Tonya Van Beber (R-Eaton) told the conspiracy theorists, “I’m begging you! I’m imploring you! You must continue to broadcast the facts!”

Organized by Colorado Rising Up, a state chapter of the global “Worldwide Demonstration Movement,” the event, which focused largely on anti-vaccine and anti-mask messages and attracted about 250 anti-vaccine activists, conspiracy theorists, Trump supporters, and militia members to the Colorado Capitol.

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 Van Beber lambasted Democrats for voting down her bill that would have banned employers- including hospitals and other health care providers- from requiring employees be vaccinated. She framed it as preventing discrimination and, quoting Orwell, predicted that its failure proves state is now on a path towards tyranny.

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QAnon conspiracies have proved disturbingly popular among Colorado Republicans. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is the most prominent official to have publicly promoted the group’s messages, but not the only one. Former statehouse candidate Vanessa DeMott promoted one of the most extreme conspiracies- that an online furniture company was actually selling children as sex slaves, during her campaign. DeMott lost her race bit still made it to the Capitol, where she now works as Rep. Van Beber’s legislative aide.

Monday, May 17, 2021

NC Governor Signs ABA Bill

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.  In many states -- particularly those with large rural populations -- one problem is a shortage of behavior therapists.

AP reports:
Supporters of children and dults with autism said legislation signed into law on Monday by Gov. Roy Cooper creating a licensing process for treatment specialists should expand services and rein in their costs.

The bipartisan measure that Cooper signed at an outdoor Executive Mansion ceremony says behavior analysts can now operate independently, rather than under the supervision of psychologists, as has been required. North Carolina was the only state until now mandating such control, bill supporters say, leading to higher costs and less access to therapy for those autism spectrum disorder.

“It’s more about access to care and the fact that depending on your zip code, you can be without,” said Rep. Zack Hawkins, a Durham County Democrat who helped shepherd the Senate bill through the House with Majority Leader John Bell, a Republican. Hawkins has two sons with autism disorders.

The new law, which creates a state Behavior Analysis Board to issue licenses, charge fees and conduct investigations of licensees, “is going to impact so many lives in our state,” GOP Sen. Jim Perry of Lenoir County, a chief bill sponsor, said during the ceremony.

Children, their parents and licensure proponents huddled around Cooper as he signed the measure.