This morning, the leadership of ARI's Autistic Global Initiative project issued the following statement:
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the community of Newtown, Connecticut today in the wake of yesterday's tragedy. Some public comments have drawn potentially inaccurate and stigmatizing conclusions about a link between the diagnosis and a propensity for violence and lack of empathy.
The autism community has long labored toward building understanding, awareness, and trust within communities throughout the United States and the world. As adults with autism living productive, peaceful lives, we urge the media and professionals who participate in speculative interviews about the motives of the accused shooter to refrain from misleading comments about autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. The eyes of the world are on this wrenching tragedy - with 1 in 88 now diagnosed, misinformation could easily trigger increased prejudice and m
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the community of Newtown, Connecticut today in the wake of yesterday's tragedy. Some public comments have drawn potentially inaccurate and stigmatizing conclusions about a link between the diagnosis and a propensity for violence and lack of empathy.
The autism community has long labored toward building understanding, awareness, and trust within communities throughout the United States and the world. As adults with autism living productive, peaceful lives, we urge the media and professionals who participate in speculative interviews about the motives of the accused shooter to refrain from misleading comments about autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. The eyes of the world are on this wrenching tragedy - with 1 in 88 now diagnosed, misinformation could easily trigger increased prejudice and m
isunderstanding. Let us all come together and mourn for the families and exercise the utmost care in discussions of how and why it occurred."
Valerie Paradiz, Ph.D.
Director, Autistic Global Initiative
on behalf of the AGI Executive Leadership & the Autism Research Institute
Media Contact: Denise Fulton
Valerie Paradiz, Ph.D.
Director, Autistic Global Initiative
on behalf of the AGI Executive Leadership & the Autism Research Institute
Media Contact: Denise Fulton
Scott Badesch to CNN
I am the President of the Autism Society of America. Your reporter just told the nation that two people mentioned that today's shooter lived with autism. First, that is heresay and not yet documented. Second, there is absolutely no link between autism and planned violence. Third, may who are diagnosed with autism have a dual diagnosis such as depression or other possible developmental or mental health related diagnosis. To imply or sugggest, as your reporter did, that autism might be a cause of this is not only wrong but extremely wrong in that it suggests a false conclusion and implication that is harmful to every person who has an autism diagnosis.
Scott Badesch, President, Autism Society of America
I am the President of the Autism Society of America. Your reporter just told the nation that two people mentioned that today's shooter lived with autism. First, that is heresay and not yet documented. Second, there is absolutely no link between autism and planned violence. Third, may who are diagnosed with autism have a dual diagnosis such as depression or other possible developmental or mental health related diagnosis. To imply or sugggest, as your reporter did, that autism might be a cause of this is not only wrong but extremely wrong in that it suggests a false conclusion and implication that is harmful to every person who has an autism diagnosis.
Scott Badesch, President, Autism Society of America
No comments:
Post a Comment