Guest guest Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 Dear Mr. Cowley: I cannot describe the gut-wrenching frustration that I felt when I finally sat down and read the Newsweek article on line tonight. I don't believe that I have ever read a more offensive statement to parents of regressive autistic spectrum children as the following line of unadulterated nonsense that follows: " If Baron-Cohen is right, autism is not just a disease in need of a cure. It's a mental style that people can learn to accommodate. Sometimes it's even a gift. " A gift? While I do feel that my 9 year-old autistic twins, Ben and Joe are gifts from God; their autism was assuredly not. The gut issues, immune irregularities, seizures, self-injurious behaviors and inability to communicate, or even speak a single word in 9 years of life in Ben's case, is surely not a " mental style " that my sons chose. It is indeed a disease very much in need of a cure. Years ago, Bruno Bettleheim blamed mothers for autism; it certainly appears that Baron-Cohen now blames the children, and Newsweek is promoting this unfounded view. That is a shame. Peacefully, Jeff Sell Autism Society of America - 1st Vice Chair Chairman - ASA Government Relations Committee www.autism-society.org JZSell@... www.JZSLAW.com 832-731-3145 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 Dear Mr. Cowley: I cannot describe the gut-wrenching frustration that I felt when I finally sat down and read the Newsweek article on line tonight. I don't believe that I have ever read a more offensive statement to parents of regressive autistic spectrum children as the following line of unadulterated nonsense that follows: " If Baron-Cohen is right, autism is not just a disease in need of a cure. It's a mental style that people can learn to accommodate. Sometimes it's even a gift. " A gift? While I do feel that my 9 year-old autistic twins, Ben and Joe are gifts from God; their autism was assuredly not. The gut issues, immune irregularities, seizures, self-injurious behaviors and inability to communicate, or even speak a single word in 9 years of life in Ben's case, is surely not a " mental style " that my sons chose. It is indeed a disease very much in need of a cure. Years ago, Bruno Bettleheim blamed mothers for autism; it certainly appears that Baron-Cohen now blames the children, and Newsweek is promoting this unfounded view. That is a shame. Peacefully, Jeff Sell Autism Society of America - 1st Vice Chair Chairman - ASA Government Relations Committee www.autism-society.org JZSell@... www.JZSLAW.com 832-731-3145 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 Dear Mr. Cowley: I cannot describe the gut-wrenching frustration that I felt when I finally sat down and read the Newsweek article on line tonight. I don't believe that I have ever read a more offensive statement to parents of regressive autistic spectrum children as the following line of unadulterated nonsense that follows: " If Baron-Cohen is right, autism is not just a disease in need of a cure. It's a mental style that people can learn to accommodate. Sometimes it's even a gift. " A gift? While I do feel that my 9 year-old autistic twins, Ben and Joe are gifts from God; their autism was assuredly not. The gut issues, immune irregularities, seizures, self-injurious behaviors and inability to communicate, or even speak a single word in 9 years of life in Ben's case, is surely not a " mental style " that my sons chose. It is indeed a disease very much in need of a cure. Years ago, Bruno Bettleheim blamed mothers for autism; it certainly appears that Baron-Cohen now blames the children, and Newsweek is promoting this unfounded view. That is a shame. Peacefully, Jeff Sell Autism Society of America - 1st Vice Chair Chairman - ASA Government Relations Committee www.autism-society.org JZSell@... www.JZSLAW.com 832-731-3145 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2003 Report Share Posted September 2, 2003 Dear Mr. Cowley: I cannot describe the gut-wrenching frustration that I felt when I finally sat down and read the Newsweek article on line tonight. I don't believe that I have ever read a more offensive statement to parents of regressive autistic spectrum children as the following line of unadulterated nonsense that follows: " If Baron-Cohen is right, autism is not just a disease in need of a cure. It's a mental style that people can learn to accommodate. Sometimes it's even a gift. " A gift? While I do feel that my 9 year-old autistic twins, Ben and Joe are gifts from God; their autism was assuredly not. The gut issues, immune irregularities, seizures, self-injurious behaviors and inability to communicate, or even speak a single word in 9 years of life in Ben's case, is surely not a " mental style " that my sons chose. It is indeed a disease very much in need of a cure. Years ago, Bruno Bettleheim blamed mothers for autism; it certainly appears that Baron-Cohen now blames the children, and Newsweek is promoting this unfounded view. That is a shame. Peacefully, Jeff Sell Autism Society of America - 1st Vice Chair Chairman - ASA Government Relations Committee www.autism-society.org JZSell@... www.JZSLAW.com 832-731-3145 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Way to go. You took the words right out of my mouth. Liz --- JZSLAW <JZSell@...> wrote: --------------------------------- Dear Mr. Cowley: I cannot describe the gut-wrenching frustration that I felt when I finally sat down and read the Newsweek article on line tonight. I don't believe that I have ever read a more offensive statement to parents of regressive autistic spectrum children as the following line of unadulterated nonsense that follows: " If Baron-Cohen is right, autism is not just a disease in need of a cure. It's a mental style that people can learn to accommodate. Sometimes it's even a gift. " A gift? While I do feel that my 9 year-old autistic twins, Ben and Joe are gifts from God; their autism was assuredly not. The gut issues, immune irregularities, seizures, self-injurious behaviors and inability to communicate, or even speak a single word in 9 years of life in Ben's case, is surely not a " mental style " that my sons chose. It is indeed a disease very much in need of a cure. Years ago, Bruno Bettleheim blamed mothers for autism; it certainly appears that Baron-Cohen now blames the children, and Newsweek is promoting this unfounded view. That is a shame. Peacefully, Jeff Sell Autism Society of America - 1st Vice Chair Chairman - ASA Government Relations Committee www.autism-society.org JZSell@... www.JZSLAW.com 832-731-3145 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 Way to go. You took the words right out of my mouth. Liz --- JZSLAW <JZSell@...> wrote: --------------------------------- Dear Mr. Cowley: I cannot describe the gut-wrenching frustration that I felt when I finally sat down and read the Newsweek article on line tonight. I don't believe that I have ever read a more offensive statement to parents of regressive autistic spectrum children as the following line of unadulterated nonsense that follows: " If Baron-Cohen is right, autism is not just a disease in need of a cure. It's a mental style that people can learn to accommodate. Sometimes it's even a gift. " A gift? While I do feel that my 9 year-old autistic twins, Ben and Joe are gifts from God; their autism was assuredly not. The gut issues, immune irregularities, seizures, self-injurious behaviors and inability to communicate, or even speak a single word in 9 years of life in Ben's case, is surely not a " mental style " that my sons chose. It is indeed a disease very much in need of a cure. Years ago, Bruno Bettleheim blamed mothers for autism; it certainly appears that Baron-Cohen now blames the children, and Newsweek is promoting this unfounded view. That is a shame. Peacefully, Jeff Sell Autism Society of America - 1st Vice Chair Chairman - ASA Government Relations Committee www.autism-society.org JZSell@... www.JZSLAW.com 832-731-3145 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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