Re: Neurodiversity

[Guest guest]

,As you have stated (I think), it is not necessary to agree with every position of every person in a group to belong to it. There is discussion daily about what changes need to be made to what in relation to the above. Ari apologized to Tony about comparing FAAAS to KKK. If you are involved, it can make a difference. On the other hand, Tony stated that FAAAS is not at all political, and that is certainly wrong: perhaps he did not know? Here are a couple of links to where they have been involved in politics, quoting from a letter sent by a friend who is not extremist at all:"... two attempts by FAAAS to get such

legislation introduced: House bill #2715, year 2005, filed by Shirley Gomes (then a state rep from Cape Cod), and House bill #2208, year 2007, filed by (a subsequent state rep from Cape Cod).

http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/184/ht02/ht02715.htmhttp://www.mass.gov/legis/184history/h02715.htm

http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/185/ht02/ht02208.htmhttp://www.mass.gov/legis/185history/h02208.htm..." Can you think of a way for the word to get out that Attwood does not support the kind of discrimination that FAAAS has been preaching, in keeping S. Linehan's article on its webpage and in offering and pushing seminars where they claim they will train legal people to do just what it says? I am not saying that Attwood can do anymore than he has done, or that targeting him will help with this- but I am saying that what they are doing is deception. They offer a conference, promote Attwood as keynote speaker, and then

promote this other stuff as a main point of their conference- and NS folk who don't think too hard draw a conclusion that is incorrect. I think Ari's point was to try to create a public enough and loud enough way to say that this is an incorrect conclusion, since being logical was not working- I was not in on its design.To: aspires-relationships Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 1:05:39 AMSubject: Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity

Hi . I was promoting neurodiversity long before it became a name through my other support groups. Look at our home page @ http://www.aspires- relationships. com/ There are many articles that promote Neurodiversity.

What I don't support are groups that promote hate as oppose to a different perspective. ASPIRES motto has always been: We might not always agree; but TOGETHER we will make a difference.

The Neurodiversity community has done wonderful things for our community but their vengeance and comparing FAAAS to the KKK, I feel is over the top and what they have tried to do to Tony Attwood is beyond words and I can not lend my support in this venue. Other areas of their fight I totally support.

Just me.

[Guest guest]

To: aspires-relationships Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 9:11:28 PMSubject: Neurodiversity

Hi : Thanks for the link to the proposed legislation by FAAAS. This is my take and yes I have seen it when it was introduced and thought it was poorly written. I doubt FAAAS wrote this, but I could be wrong as there are folks that actually write the proposed legislation. Here is what I think they are saying: • Serve as a resource to disseminate information It sounds like FAAAS wanted to be considered a resource and help with distributing some of the information in their state. They are helping to introduce this bill and want to take some responsibility and be part of this.Me here:At the same time that FAAAS proposed this legislation, they were proposing as some of the information they wanted to teach about AS, a course described to teach the principles in S. Linehan's article. ita Lovett, who wrote a book where she states that AS should not have custody of NT children in divorce cases, is a very active member of FAAAS, and was listed as the teacher of at least one of these courses. I see a conflict of interest here. • Develop training programs for professionals We need training programs for professionals; I personally don't have an issue with this. My question would be who will develop the program. Who will provide the training? And will there be certification involved and where is the funding coming from? Who will supervise and insure accountability?Me here:To repeat from line above, I see a conflict of interest. At the time of this legislation, their courses showed up on the first few pages of Google, when you entered the words, High conflict divorce. Here in New England, they are known for this. • Identify progress by creating registries and surveillance programs Registries’ are already in place for some families that participate in certain research projects. We track children through the Dept. of Ed who have an ASD label and are in SPED. California tracks through the DD. Even than the numbers are not accurate because they don't include home/private/ residential unless paid by the school district and any other placements? I have NO idea what they mean by surveillance programs??? Hmm? It might mean that in order to track progress or the effeteness of the program if they are seeking Federal funds that they would be required to come up with some sort of a program to track progress, monitor and show the program is working???? Just guessing??? Surveillance might mean they video part of the program?? There are guidelines that they would be held accountable for if receiving Federal funds.Me here:I can see why this looks harmless at first, but it is quite serious. First, it is necessary to understand a bit about politics and policies and procedures in Massachusetts. There is a major difference between how it functions there from what holds elsewhere in the country. When you give information to one state agency, any other state agency is entitled to the information. In addition, information of certain types is automatically shared. For example, if you have any action where child abuse was reported as suspected, even if there is no problem on follow-up, those records are available to family courts. Medical records are protected, but only until a court asks to see them: they are really not very privileged at all. Therefore, if FAAAS were to be

given this authority, the next step would be to create central records of anyone formally dx-ed AS, and have those records automatically turned over to family courts, so that an ASpie could not espcape discrimination by just denying it and failing to turn over records, even if dx-ed three years after divorce, or even if he never told his wife (or she never told her husband). Can they do that? I think they could- the argument would go something like, the Court will not share it with anyone else, so it is still "private'. Maybe, an AS could win- but the damage would be done. Say, FAAAS could not quite do this. They could teach every Family Court officer to ask anyone about AS in any negotiation where there was any interesting dispute going on, and then, either party could ask for the information about the other- and then, it could be done. (At least, it could be done often enough- i am sure someone could lie and get

away with it.) Bottom line-- AS should not be a 'get out of responsiblity free" card for anyone, either NS or AS, and FAAAS would have made it very one-sided. • Monitor and research adults afflicted with Asperger’s Syndrome I am guessing monitoring would be for adults or families that chose the program to chart progress? More research is always a good.Me here: See above. Why do all AS adults need monitoring? That is an invasion of privacy! But, that is what they really wanted. • Assist families and caregivers I like this as it is a holistic approach. I think whoever wrote this did a very poor job of spelling out what they wanted to do. Me here:I like the statement of this part of it. But, what is the "assistance"? AANE does this now, and indeed, does all that FAAAS had proposed (pretty much), because FAAAS failed in their legislation, and after the fact, AANE introduced this part and very recently won. From private donations, AANE already does a lot of this: for example, they have workshops and support groups and family grants and other things. . • Seek resources from the federal government for related disabilities. They are promising if we pass this legislation, they will continue to seek any available funds to help offset the cost and to maintain the supports they are requesting in this bill.

It sounds like they were asking that more information about AS be made available to families in their states. They are asking that programs be created/developed and professionals trained and more support be offered to families. They are also seeking Federal funds to do this which will require them to come up with some way to monitor all of this and set up some system of accountability that this money went where it was suppose to go and the program is effective. What is YOUR take?Me here: I see the need. AANE is meeting it, and has been able to get some funding, very recently. I see them as very fair, and very helpful. Check out www.aane.org They have a wide range of programs, as well. While there is need for information, that has to be- truly- to help AS adults, if it says it is- rather than to help keep us limited in what we can achieve, or to mark us for being suspected of anything at all. I know Attwood agrees with me, because he wrote me and stated he did, and I believe him. There are AS who make excellent parents and partners- and they should not have to face any discrimination over being AS.I think Tony may be unaware of what is really happening, since he has not lived in Massachusetts, and has not

studied this. You do not live here either, but one look at Linehan's article is certainly convincing, and the fact that FAAAS has it right on the website tells a lot. I HATE bills as you sometimes have to read between the lines, but if U take it statement by statement it makes more sense. Oregon introduced legislation 10 years ago by a FEAT parent. The bill was poorly written and centered on ABA. Folks who testified like me supported the bill but did not believe ABA is the only methodology that should be offered parents. Anyone can offer testimony for or against any bill during the public hearings.. If I lived in MASS, I would have emailed or anyone sponsoring the bill with any questions. There is a reason many legislators never read bills as no one can figure out what they are trying to say (I will give you that teaching families to care for their children, or help at IEP meetings, could be a really good thing. I think that this is different from what happened in Oregoon (I have seen a bill like that one- it may have been Oregon's- how long ago was that?) and I would agree with you on that. ABA is not the only way, and there are a number of bills that play that up, and playing it up detracts from the whole bill. In this case, with FAAAS, it is more about bad than about good. I see this as putting the Cookie Monster in charge of allocating funding for School Food Service.

As far as Sheila and FAAAS? That is between them. Sheila asked me to remove her articles and I was happy to honor her request. Some of her articles were published elsewhere and remain. Me here:It can be between her and them, but the fact that they are still on the website-- not hidden in an email posted to someone -- means that they are all-too-visible. In addition, FAAAS is still trying to offer these kinds of courses. I think it is easy for you to take the position that it is private: you are NS, do not live in New England, and your ex did not fight you for custody in the first place. If I get married again, i may be directly affected, and have to face discrimination. I don't feel like saying, there, there, it's between them and some third party, when they are trying to get legal changes implemented by getting federal funding for their courses that teach discrimination- that may be against me. I am

out. I am not in any sense planning to deny it. As a college teacher, if I were to teach that kind of thing against -- say-- people who are members of any protective classification at all (fill in your favorite here), and the college were to allow it, then the school would lose federal funding for their school in most categories under existing civil rights legislation. FAAAS personnel actually guest lectured at a local college on this topic, and the discriminatory material was right in the course description itself. Why shouldn't we be accorded the same rights as anyone else? Tony and FAAAS? That is between them as well. Like Tony has said, they have not done a conference in several years and they have support from many with AS. Their focus is families and not individuals with AS like AL-anon does not focus on members of AA.Me here: They have tried to do a conference, last year. That it was not held was due to 's unfortunate illness, which you told us about, and I certainly hope she is better. Still, the point is that they did try, and even with that, they offer "workshops" on this kind of thing often enough. Al-Anon does not support legislation that says that a person who used to be a drunkard but has been on the wagon for years should face any kind of discrimination in terms of his family or in the workplace [though he is an alcoholic, because al-anon would say it that way]. i would say that though AS is life-long, that we should not face this, either, if our actions are not deserving of it- and if they are,, then let the actions be the judge. As for Tony, I believe him when he says he agrees with my postion on this. I personally like it that

he is talking to the people at FAAAS, or talking to anyone. I do not like it that they are using his name-- when he does not agree with this- to push their agenda. I would love a solution to this. Tony stated that he is only an unpaid advisor to FAAAS, and that if it becomes clear that they will never take his advice, or that they are political in a really negative way, then he would consider leaving that position. (I think I understood him correctly.) I feel badly for him, because I think he really cares about us. I feel badly for Ari as well. When I write about FAAAS, it is hard. I want people to believe me, and I am here, and have no reason to lie. I do not mean to disregard your feelings, in stating the facts, here.