Re: NY Daily News Coverage of Response to Ransom Notes Campaign

[Guest guest]

Am I reading this right? Is this stupid campaign going to continue for FOUR

MORE MONTHS?

Also, from Dr. Harold Koplewicz in the same article:

> " It's harsh and edgy and shocking but I don't think it's nearly as

> shocking as the diseases themselves, and the lack of treatment, " he said.

> " It's time for psychotic disorders to be equal to physical disorders. "

Um... no. There's nothing edgy or shocking about me, sorry. Also, I

seriously hope he was misquoted, because autistics are certainly not

psychotic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis>. In fact, nothing in that

quote makes any sense to me, and trying to figure out what it means is

making my head explode.

> [image: NyDailyNews.com] <http://www.nydailynews.com/index.html>

> [image:

> Health]

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> Friday, December 14, 2007

> Psych groups' fury over 'ransom' ads

>

> BY CHRISTINA BOYLE

> DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

>

> Friday, December 14th 2007, 4:00 AM

>

> <

>

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/galleries/mental_health_ads_push_buttons/mental_\

health_ads_push_buttons.html

> >[image:

> One of the 'ransom note'-style ads targeting Asperger's syndrome. Click

> for

> more photos.]<

>

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/galleries/mental_health_ads_push_buttons/mental_\

health_ads_push_buttons.html

> >

> Warga/News

>

> One of the 'ransom note'-style ads targeting Asperger's syndrome. Click

> for

> more photos.

>

> The words are scrawled in thick black ink and spell out a parent's worst

> nightmare: " WE HAVE YOUR SON. "

>

> Others are typed or cut from the pages of a magazine but all contain the

> same harrowing message: " This is only the beginning . . . Ignore this and

> your kid will pay. "

>

> These " ransom notes " are being plastered all over town as part of a new ad

> campaign about the dangers of psychiatric disorders like autism,

> attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Asperger's syndrome. They are

> causing outrage among many of the groups they are designed to represent -

> prompting parents and disability advocates to demand they be taken down.

>

> " I was offended. It's not a helpful way to think about a disorder, " said

> a Chew, who has a 10-year-old son with autism. " It makes you feel

> like there's some sort of criminal element to the disorder. "

>

> " The child has not been 'taken,' they just need a little extra help, " said

> , 26, who has a cousin with autism. " It's basically showing

> [parents] they have no control over their child. It's inappropriate. "

>

> The ad campaign is being rolled out over the next four months by the NYU

> Child Study Center, which says the posters are designed to highlight the

> plight of children who suffer from undiagnosed or untreated psychiatric

> problems.

>

> " I understand some people's feelings are hurt. For that, I apologize. It

> was

> never our intention to offend or insult anyone, " said Dr.Harold Koplewicz,

> founder and director of the Child Study Center, who says he has also

> received e-mails praising the campaign.

>

> " It's harsh and edgy and shocking but I don't think it's nearly as

> shocking

> as the diseases themselves, and the lack of treatment, " he said. " It's

> time

> for psychotic disorders to be equal to physical disorders. "

>

> More than 200 ads will appear on construction sites and kiosks across the

> city. Eleven billboards will display the shocking messages and a handful

> of

> newspapers, magazines and Web sites will print the ads, designed for free

> by

> the BBDO agency.

>

> Disability advocates including Not Dead Yet and the Autism Acceptance

> Project have united in protest.

>

> " There needs to be recognition that not all attention is good attention, "

> said Ari Ne'eman, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network who

> suffers from Asperger's syndrome.

>

> " The message that this campaign is sending, specifically that children

> with

> disabilities are shells, that somehow we have had our true selves stolen

> away or kidnapped ... is one that has a lot of terrible consequences. "

>

> cboyle@... <cboyle%40nydailynews.com>

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