Autism Speaks and the Debate

From Autism Speaks:

Autism Speaks is preparing for Tuesday's Presidential debate at Hofstra University by organizing advocates to appear at Good Morning America, the Today show and a pre-debate event, and encouraging advocates outside the New York area to make the "1 in 88 Can't Wait" message seen and heard.

Advocates will be outside the Good Morning America and Today show broadcasts holding "1 in 88 Can't Wait" signs. If you do not live in the New York area, here is what you can do to help: 

1.) Take a picture of you, your family or your child holding a poster that says something like, "My 1 in 88 can't wait!", "I'm 1 in 88 with autism & can't wait!", "Put autism in the debates", "We love our 1 in 88 and can't wait for you to put autism in the debates."

Decorate the poster, be creative, have fun. Share your picture with us on your Facebook Page to show your friends what you are doing!

2) Tweet the picture to ABC's Good Morning America for its Monday broadcast and NBC's Today show Tuesday. We will have community members holding signs outside of GMA on Monday (Oct. 15) & outside Today on Tuesday (Oct. 16). CBS This Morning doesn't have an outdoor venue, but we can still send them pictures! Participate from home by sending both the candidates & news shows your pictures.

First, here are suggested Tweets:

"Hey @BarackObama @MittRomney @GMA Our 1 in 88 can't wait. Put #autism in the #debates! #AutismVotes2012"
"Hey @BarackObama @MittRomney @todayshow Our 1 in 88 can't wait. Put #autism in the #debates! #AutismVotes2012"
"Hey @BarackObama @MittRomney @cbsthismorning Our 1 in 88 can't wait. Put #autism in the #debates! #AutismVotes2012"

Then, attach your Twitpic and tweet!

NOTE: If you don't have a Twitter account, create one easily at www.twitter.com

3) Post on the candidates' Facebook pages. Continue to visit the Obama Campaign Facebook page here and the Romney Campaign Facebook page here throughout the weekend. You cannot post directly to their pages, so please post this wherever you can on their Facebook page, even under a seemingly unrelated topic. The goal is for each campaign to see thousands of posts from the autism community:

(President Obama/Governor Romney) - Our 1 in 88 can't wait for leadership and a plan surrounding all the issues the autism community faces today. Please discuss autism in the debate at Hofstra Univeristy & let us know what you will do to help people living with autism today.

Between 3 pm and 11 pm on Tuesday, the day of the debate, Hofstra will operate a Public Area at its Hempstead, Long Island campus where advocates can make their voices heard. Autism Speaks is registered and will be there to speak and build an audience.

Getting Autism in the Debates

Autism came up briefly in the first presidential debate.  There is a movement afoot for a more extensive discussion, as Autism Speaks reported on Thursday:

Autism Speaks joined a social media campaign today with the nation's leading autism advocacy organizations to raise autism as an issue in the Presidential debates and as an issue that cannot be ignored in this year's elections at the national, state and local levels.

Emails were sent to all 150,000 advocates registered with the Autism Votes campaign, and messages were posted on Facebook and Twitter asking the autism community to urge the Obama and Romney campaigns "to discuss a plan for leadership on increased funding for dedicated autism research and appropriate health insurance coverage for all Americans with autism."

Examples:

On Friday, an Autism Speaks video featured a person with ASD:

In a new election video, self-advocate Amy Gravino asks this year’s candidates, “This fall, please don’t break my heart.” And she calls upon the autism community to be a part of the conversation as the nation debates our future. Watch the video below and read Amy's previous blog post on why 1 in 88 Can't Wait.

Autism and Disability in the Debate

From the transcript of the first debate between President Obama and Governor Romney:

OBAMA:

As I indicated before, when you talk about shifting Medicaid to states, we're talking about potentially a 30 -- a 30 percent cut in Medicaid over time.

Now, you know, that may not seem like a big deal when it just is, you know, numbers on a sheet of paper, but if we're talking about a family who's got an autistic kid and is depending on that Medicaid, that's a big problem.

...

Now, if you take such an unbalanced approach, then that means you are going to be gutting our investments in schools and education. It means that Governor Romney talked about Medicaid and how we could send it back to the states, but effectively this means a 30 percent cut in the primary program we help for seniors who are in nursing homes, for kids who are with disabilities.

ROMNEY:  

We're a nation that believes that we're all children of the same god and we care for those that have difficulties, those that are elderly and have problems and challenges, those that are disabled. We care for them. And we -- we look for discovery and innovation, all these things desired out of the American heart to provide the pursuit of happiness for our citizens.

... 

 My own view, by the way, is I've added to that. I happen to believe, I want the kids that are getting federal dollars from IDEA or Title I -- these are disabled kids or -- or -- or poor kids or -- or lower-income kids, rather, I want them to be able to go to the school of their choice.

So all federal funds, instead of going to the -- to the state or to the school district, I'd have go, if you will, follow the child and let the parent and the child decide where to send their -- their -- their student.

Autism Speaks and the Presidential Race

The 2008 campaign was the first in which presidential and vice presidential candidates spoke at any length about autism. (Hillary Clinton, in particular, had a record on disability policy dating back to her early work with the Children's Defense Fund.)  The issue has come up again in the 2012 campaign. A message from Autism Speaks:

On November 6, 2012, voters across the United States will go to the polls to elect our next President and a new Congress. Autism Speaks is asking all candidates seeking to serve our country after this election to advance a federal autism policy that will commit to these following principles:

• a national plan to address the autism crisis with urgency
• principled leadership to guide the federal response to autism
• accountability for results from the federal research investment

A summary of our 2012 policy principles is here.As a tax-exempt organization, Autism Speaks does not endorse any candidates for federal office. As an informational service to the autism community, we will, from time to time, post video or other content showing how autism-related issues are being discussed in the 2012 campaign.

Stay Informed! Register for Autism Votes Here.

Register Online to Vote Here. Do It Today!

Bizarre Speculation That Romney Has ASD

On Stephanie Miller's syndicated radio program, former MSNBC host David Shuster engaged in the bizarre speculation that Mitt Romney has ASD:

Every time you hear Mitt Romney speak these days I keep thinking about I have an uncle who specializes in the field of Asperger's, and people with autism, and has been making the point to me for several years that there’s some very brilliant creative people who have Asperger's and he’s suggested perhaps that Mitt Romney has some sort of form of Asperger's because he’s so socially inept in terms of being able to connect with people.

What he thinks is funny is really sort of not so funny. I sort of wonder if there is some sort of tic that he has or something that’s related to that.

This comment is just the latest example of a disturbing trend:  trivializing ASD by using it as a synonym for social ineptitude.  Natalie Palumbo, a teenager whose brother has ASD, writes at The Age of Autism:

I have noticed a trend among younger entertainers to use the term “autistic” as the new R-word. As it has become socially unfashionable to use the term “retarded” as a negative descriptive, the term “autistic” seems to be taking its place. I have heard internet personalities refer to someone as “autistic” when they want to insult their intelligence or mock their behavior. I live in a world where it is close to impossible to get proper help for my brother, and now his condition is being trivialized to being nothing more than a term used to insult. I fear the word autism will become as meaningless as current slang. With the epidemic growing, this is especially troubling to think no one will take it seriously. I face a lifetime of being a caregiver for my brother and therefore social attitudes and trends affect my life.

Shuster's gaffe is not as bad as Joe Scarborough's, but both of them need to think before they mention autism on the air.

Nine-Year-Old with Autism Grills Presidential Candidates

Sam Wessels, a nine-year-old Iowan with autism, has been asking presidential candidates about their positions on autism.  A previous post showed his encounter with Ron Paul.  Others are below.


Mitt Romney:

 

Rick Santorum:




Newt Gingrich:



Michele Bachmann: