Guest guest Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Some of it is paraphrased, some of it is verbatim, which makes all of it a rip-off - plagiarism. Clay Jane wrote: > The excerpt below is from Autism Connect email newsletter, Dec. 22, > 2004 Looks to me as if he has just paraphrased Amy Harmon's article > without giving her any credit. > > ----excerpt: > > 1. A fascinating - if increasingly heated - debate has been > taking place about whether autism is a disability or whether it can > be seen as a difference which can play a useful role in society. As > we report on our news pages, one New York school is encouraging its > pupils proudly to recite the positive traits which autism can confer, > such as the ability to develop uncanny expertise in an area of > interest. This year's class of students with Asperger's syndrome > includes specialists on super-volcanoes and medieval weaponry. This > new school programme, Aspie - an acronym standing for Autistic > Strength, Purpose and Independence in Education - is rooted in a view > of autism as an alternative form of brain wiring, with its own > benefits and drawbacks, rather than a devastating disorder in need of > curing. > > Naturally enough, this view is strongly opposed by many parents, > struggling to cope with the day-to-day task of coping with > unpredictable, more severely autistic children, whose condition can > take a toll on the entire family. For these embattled carers, a cure > would be very welcome. All sides in the debate accept that improving > symptoms is a very important objective. The issue is how: some > activists with autism claim that it would be far better to learn to > use their autistic strengths to cope with their impairments rather > than pretending that either can be removed. Some autistic tics, like > repetitive rocking and violent outbursts, they say, could be > modulated more easily if an effort were made to understand their > underlying message, rather than trying to train them away. Other > traits, like difficulty with eye contact, with grasping humour or > with breaking from routines, might not require such huge corrective > efforts on their part if people were simply more tolerant. > > Some of these activists with autism have even established what they > like to see as an ad hoc human rights movement. They sell Autistic > Liberation Front buttons and circulate petitions on websites to > " defend the dignity of autistic citizens. " They insist that autism is > an integral part of their identities, much more like a skin than a > shell, and not one they care to shed. The effort to cure autism, they > say, is not like curing cancer, but like the efforts of a previous > age to cure left-handedness. Others are concerned that, in addition > to troublesome interventions, the ultimate cure will be a genetic > test to prevent autistic children from being born. That would be a > loss, they say, not just for social tolerance but because people with > autism, with their obsessive attention to detail and eccentric > perspective, can provide valuable insight and innovation. (I know, > from talking to Temple Grandin, how invaluable she feels autism has > been to her own work in animal husbandry and how convinced she is > that many of the world's great inventions would never have seen the > light of day without the contributions of gifted individuals with > autism.) > > At this year's " Autreat, " an annual spring gathering of autistics, > delegates compared themselves to gay rights activists, or the deaf > who prefer sign language over surgery that might allow them to hear. > Some discussed plans to be more openly autistic in public, rather > than take the usual elaborate measures to fit in. Others vowed to > create more autistic-friendly events and spaces. They have derided > some parents as " curebies " and portrayed as slaves to conformity, so > anxious for their children to appear normal that they cannot respect > their way of communicating. > In response, parents argue that their antagonists are showing a > typical autistic lack of empathy by suggesting that they should not > try to help their children. It is only those whose diagnosis > describes them as " high-functioning " or having Asperger's syndrome, > they say, who are opposed to a cure. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 Someone wrote me offlist, and suggested that Amy Harmon should be notified that someone has essentially ripped off her hard work, but I don't have her address, nor do I know who runs the Autism Connect newsletter. Could someone please send Amy a copy of this " article " ? Clay I wrote: > Some of it is paraphrased, some of it is verbatim, which > makes all of it a rip-off - plagiarism. > Jane wrote: > > The excerpt below is from Autism Connect email newsletter, > > Dec. 22, 2004 Looks to me as if he has just paraphrased Amy > > Harmon's article without giving her any credit. > > ----excerpt: > > 1. A fascinating - if increasingly heated - debate has been > > taking place about whether autism is a disability or whether it can > > be seen as a difference which can play a useful role in society. As > > we report on our news pages, one New York school is encouraging its > > pupils proudly to recite the positive traits which autism can > confer, > > such as the ability to develop uncanny expertise in an area of > > interest. This year's class of students with Asperger's syndrome > > includes specialists on super-volcanoes and medieval weaponry. This > > new school programme, Aspie - an acronym standing for Autistic > > Strength, Purpose and Independence in Education - is rooted in a > view > > of autism as an alternative form of brain wiring, with its own > > benefits and drawbacks, rather than a devastating disorder in need > of > > curing. > > > > Naturally enough, this view is strongly opposed by many parents, > > struggling to cope with the day-to-day task of coping with > > unpredictable, more severely autistic children, whose condition can > > take a toll on the entire family. For these embattled carers, a > cure > > would be very welcome. All sides in the debate accept that > improving > > symptoms is a very important objective. The issue is how: some > > activists with autism claim that it would be far better to learn to > > use their autistic strengths to cope with their impairments rather > > than pretending that either can be removed. Some autistic tics, > like > > repetitive rocking and violent outbursts, they say, could be > > modulated more easily if an effort were made to understand their > > underlying message, rather than trying to train them away. Other > > traits, like difficulty with eye contact, with grasping humour or > > with breaking from routines, might not require such huge corrective > > efforts on their part if people were simply more tolerant. > > > > Some of these activists with autism have even established what they > > like to see as an ad hoc human rights movement. They sell Autistic > > Liberation Front buttons and circulate petitions on websites to > > " defend the dignity of autistic citizens. " They insist that autism > is > > an integral part of their identities, much more like a skin than a > > shell, and not one they care to shed. The effort to cure autism, > they > > say, is not like curing cancer, but like the efforts of a previous > > age to cure left-handedness. Others are concerned that, in addition > > to troublesome interventions, the ultimate cure will be a genetic > > test to prevent autistic children from being born. That would be a > > loss, they say, not just for social tolerance but because people > with > > autism, with their obsessive attention to detail and eccentric > > perspective, can provide valuable insight and innovation. (I know, > > from talking to Temple Grandin, how invaluable she feels autism has > > been to her own work in animal husbandry and how convinced she is > > that many of the world's great inventions would never have seen the > > light of day without the contributions of gifted individuals with > > autism.) > > > > At this year's " Autreat, " an annual spring gathering of autistics, > > delegates compared themselves to gay rights activists, or the deaf > > who prefer sign language over surgery that might allow them to > hear. > > Some discussed plans to be more openly autistic in public, rather > > than take the usual elaborate measures to fit in. Others vowed to > > create more autistic-friendly events and spaces. They have derided > > some parents as " curebies " and portrayed as slaves to conformity, > so > > anxious for their children to appear normal that they cannot > respect > > their way of communicating. > > In response, parents argue that their antagonists are showing a > > typical autistic lack of empathy by suggesting that they should not > > try to help their children. It is only those whose diagnosis > > describes them as " high-functioning " or having Asperger's syndrome, > > they say, who are opposed to a cure. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Jane, Do you have an addy or URL for Autism Connect? I just heard back from Amy, and she would like to contact them. Clay I wrote: > Someone wrote me offlist, and suggested that Amy Harmon should > be notified that someone has essentially ripped off her hard > work, but I don't have her address, nor do I know who runs > the Autism Connect newsletter. Could someone please send Amy > a copy of this " article " ? > Clay > I wrote: > > Some of it is paraphrased, some of it is verbatim, which > > makes all of it a rip-off - plagiarism. > > Jane wrote: > > > The excerpt below is from Autism Connect email newsletter, > > > Dec. 22, 2004 Looks to me as if he has just paraphrased Amy > > > Harmon's article without giving her any credit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Clay wrote: >Do you have an addy or URL for Autism Connect? >I just heard back from Amy, and she would like >to contact them. I get the newsletter at work (where I won't be until Tuesday). I believe the newsletter comes from this group: http://www.autismconnect.org/ Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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