Posted on 07/20/2008 6:50:43 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A Savage Betrayal Of Humanity Radio Host Michael Savage Says Autistic Kids Aren't Sick..."Just Brats"
One Parent Begs To Differ
by Steve and Ryan Young
I’ve written for years about the problems I’ve had with talk radio, and did so, for the most part with tongue tucked firmly in cheek. I’ve even had my own show in L.A. so In some way, I’ve been a part of the problem I write about. I do get ticked off, but rarely does anything said on talk radio ever cause me to lose my sense of humor. Until this past Wednesday.
On his syndicated talk radio show, The Savage Nation, Michael Savage (real name: Michael Weiner), the third most listened to talk show host behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, and a bomb thrower like no other, called the disorder known as Autism, “a fraud” and “a racket.”
He went further.
"I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out. That’s what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they’re silent? They don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.” (Full audio at:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200807170005?f=h_top)
There’s so much I wanted to say, not only to pound some actual knowledge into whatever Savage uses for a brain, but also to defend those families who have been besieged by the heartbreak and hardship of living with someone, especially their children, with Autism.
I wondered how Savage might feel it were his child who was constantly being met with disapproving stares from strangers who recommend that “if your child can’t behave maybe you shouldn’t take him out in public.” And how he might feel if the knew that it is going to happen every single day.
But as I began to write a note to Savage, I realized that it would be more appropriate to have someone who knows full well the devastation felt of not only hearing the diagnosis of your child as autistic, but having to live through the day to day sadness, frustration and pain you feel when it hits you that your child may never have what most would consider a typical life. For that I turned to my son Ryan…
From Ryan…
Mr. Savage,
My eight year old daughter Rebecca has a diagnosis of Autism.
Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior. That diagnosis in itself may help define a set of Rebecca’s symptoms, but it far from defines who she is any more than insensitive or mean-spirited totally describes you.
Rebecca can be sweet, funny, happy, sad, angry, silly, frustrating, irritating, gentle, kind or any number of other adjectives you’d use to describe a typical eight year old, though brat is not one that her doctors have used to describe her. That usually only comes from those ignorant of her condition.
When Rebecca is having a meltdown or dealing with any other upsetting moment in a public place, we are almost always met with judgmental glares from onlookers who are thinking, boy, if that was my child… or who might even say, “If you can’t control that child, keep her home!” G-d forbid these people ask if there anything they can do to help you. It’s something every parent of an autistic child has had to deal with most every day.
If you don’t understand Autism, its very easy to say or think such things. I probably did too before my wife and I had Rebecca, but I never went on a radio show, where millions of people believe I am some sort of authority, to label innocent children as a moron or idiot. That you supposedly hold master’s degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology makes your actions even more shameful.
Imagine, Mr Savage, if you lacked the ability to express your feelings, thoughts or needs. Imagine if this were your child. Would you want your child smeared for something they had no control over? Many children with autism lack the capacity to verbalize their feelings instead act them out. This is not how they act like a putz. This is how they communicate.
Being her father, I see Rebecca’s many challenges, stressors and unexpected events that challenge her ability to get through each and every day. As parents, her stressful and frustrating moments become OUR stressful and frustrating moments. What loving parent doesn’t cheer when their child succeeds or aches when their child is hurt, frustrated or upset?
Because the world challenges Rebecca so incessantly it would be easy to want to keep her home, insulated from the world, protecting her against the whirlwind of circumstances that at once can delight her one moment or upset and anger her the next. But ours is a life built on “that which does not kill you, can only make you stronger.” With each challenge Rebecca meets head on, she can learn and grow, hopefully adapting to the world, one step at a time. With each fall that she rises from she learns to walk a little stronger; gains confidence, and actually learns to become the best Rebecca she can be.
What no parent of a special needs child wants is to be pre-judged or isolated and kept in the shadows so that people like you don’t have to look at a child with a disability. We want and need support of those around us and hope upon hope that our child be treated with compassion and understanding.
This week, you Mr. Savage, have made that a little harder.
Sincerely,
Rebecca’s Proud Dad, Ryan Young
For more information on Autism, go to: Autism Speaks at www.autismspeaks.org
Ryan Young is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York. His dad is author of “Great Failures of the Extremely Successful…Mistakes, Adversity, Failure and Other Steppingstones to Success.”
Here’s the MSNBC article that Savage was referring to.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6947652/?fb_page_id=8524198486>1=6190
I guess you missed it that day. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out.
As a regular listener you should recognize Savage’s tendency to over speak.
I’m a big Savage fan and I do think he is partially right. I did hear him say that. I know myself, when I was young, I was slow in many things and I had many tests done. This was in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. There are times I wonder if I have Asperger’s, it would explain a lot of things with me. Still I think he is partially right where there could be disruption in schools and stuff but I do think with some work, like my mom did with me along with the school, you can minimize or eliminate the problem and push the kid in the right direction. So he is partially right and partially wrong on this one. He is dead wrong on the ones who are severely autistic where they cannot function in society without help. I can see where he is coming from though, there are many claims out there for welfare and the like that are false or at least a bit shady to the point to where one can still work and contribute to society but instead uses this as a crutch to live on the dole.
There’s a reason why I stopped listening to this raspy voiced blowhard. Now I know I’ll never listen to him again.
Agreed, one of my friend’s sons has never been diagnosed, but he can’t remember faces or meeting anybody other than his immediate family . He repeats himself often in a conversation , and does not not like direct eye contact. I believe he would be called a Functional Autistic . He recognizes me because I can engage him on car talk. He is obsessive about a few things and a poor student, and lacks many social skills that every else in his family has in spades.
However, in the past 5 years he has built a few websites and is making 60k a year in a home based business for “tuner” parts for his great obsession, Honda civics made between 1993 and 2001! He machines the parts in his garage, assembles them, has UPS pick them up at his door and bills his customers.
I think Savage should be given the liberal pass of “what I ment to say was”......A D D.
Although he does have a point in his references, not to diminish the truely afflicted autistic. The more people diagnosed with afflictions, the more dependents on government, including government administered healthcare.
The more excuses to pay disability claims.
Unfortunately, the severely afflicted are thrown in with the “manufactured excuses. And with the HIPA act on medical privacy, many instances are hard to challenge as legitimate.
It is relatively easy to get certain doctors to issue a declaration of disability.
My brother in-law’s son recieves NO government aid for his medical treatment for autism. Even a trip to the dentist is nothing routine. Private insurance pays nothing for all the experimental medications and treatments the boy has recieved.
The gluten free flours and products cost a fortune.
I don’t make excuses for Savage. He is a frequent foot in mouth personality. But don’t overlook his complete message just because a small portion of it offends some people.
2. I agree with him 100%. EVERY childhood behavior problem is now being lumped under the great “AUTISM” umbrella.
This is actually hurting those children who truly suffer from the acute/severe symptoms. Even what was called “mental retardation” in the 60’s is now part of the Autism family. On the other side of the spectrum is the “A.D.D” religion, which too many parents have been using as a crutch as an excuse for not disciplining their children, or accepting their child as different from the norm.
One of our nephews, who we dearly love, was born with a severe brain defect which rendered him completely frozen with the mind of 2 year old. He is termed “Autistic” by the neuro specialists who treat him. On the other end of the spectrum, a slightly socially awkward 16 year old son of a friend, who does not fit the “norm” is called “autistic” by his parents.
Past terms to describe “mental retardation” thru “eccentric” is now being lumped into the “Autism” family, mainly under the movement of political correctness.
Somewhere in between are the same % of kids who truly suffer from a unique set of symptoms that is not an issue of mental retardation or a bad case of nerdiness.
"Autism" now encompasses everything from normal kids who are a little obsessive/compulsive about one thing or other to people who can only sit in a corner and rock back and forth with drool coming down their mouths.
I believe it is the former group that Michael Weiner is referring to.
It is interesting that some Savage fans here say they heard him say this, while others say this is a hoax and that someone faked his voice.
First of all, this person writing does not want to acknowlege that Michael Savage actually holds a Ph.D. I guess that really would blow a fuse in their minds.
I don’t think Michael Savage would say this about someone with a real condition. The problem is that they keep changing the definition to include more and more people so it seems like a crisis. Brats and shy kids are thrown in with the truly autisitc. I was told that children with a large difference in Mathematical and Verbal skills have been labelled autistic by certain definitions. So there you throw in all the computer geeks and engineers who often don’t develop social and verbal skills as early as a matter of choice.
It is similar with ADHD. You throw in a bunch of out of control brats with a few that actually may have a real dysfunction.
Between this and global warming and zero population growth and peak oil, real science has been compromised by industries of doom.
They want to get people smart enough to believe what they say but not smart enough to think critically about these matters.
Michael Savage is depressing to listen to for more than short periods, as much of it is doom and gloom also.
I think some parents look to the diagnosis as a kind of out for their poor parenting skills. A few weeks ago, there was the case of the kid who was voted out of class by his fellow classmates because of his disruptive behavior. The kid’s mother claimed junior was “in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome”. Huh?
I have Asperger’s and there are physical differences that make life harder. It goes beyond being geeky. My worst symptoms are-
-Extreme discomfort/pain if I’m touched or have to touch someone- This creates huge problems if I want/need to touch/be touched.
-Obsessions similar to OCD- They are constantly changing and I can stay up all night working on one. If I can’t fulfill an obsession, it can turn to depression. However, obsessions can be good as I had a health-food one that made me lose 80lbs.
-Random physical differences that make me stand out- I can start doing random movements/ticks and not realize it until someone else notices. Eye contact is almost painful and forced. Certain materials and clothing are untouchable for me. Also studdering, insomnia and random periods of depression.
There are also good symptoms. People say I’m a great engineer and I can do lots of work in my head. I’ve also won a prize for every project that turned into an “obsession” for me.
IF he said it, it should be the end of him.
Good grief, what an idiot.
From the Thomas Sowell excerpt;
“Real autism may not get as much money as it needs if much of that money is dissipated on children who are not in fact autistic. But money is money to those who are running research projects - and a gullible media helps them get that money”
Pretty much sums up how overzealous researchers can initiate a following.just like the global warming bunch.
Follow the research money and see where the conclusion leads.
I have Asperger’s but wasn’t diagnosed as a kid. My parents and I didn’t realize it until college. The doctor said it is better to diagnose and work on the problems as a child. My condition was pretty much unchangeable at that point and my parents feel bad for not saying something earlier.
See my last post 52
I have not heard Savage say this either. He has said some things about ADD, ADHD. But, if some social worker’s diagnosis is anything, it is 99% ill-advised and fascistic.
Maybe his percentage is off, but otherwise I think he has a point
My autistic nephew is 8 and he has found he can communicate via a computer. His parents have given him his own computer. he mostly watches movies but has a way of showing things he likes and relates to with the computer. He will never function in society. But he will have a place somewhere, just like the kid you mentioned in your post.
If you find the window he is looking out, the opportunity opens for many things.
Maybe he will outgrow it. I have a relative in a similar situation - he was constantly carrying a video game player with him. I was worried that was all he would ever be interested in. But now he is older, doing well in school, and even reading adult-level books about computer programming and he knows a lot about configuring PCs.
I think video games reinforce addictive behavior and maybe this is a worse problem with people who have a high tolerance for repetitive activity. You score some points in a game, you are "rewarded" with playing on a higher level in the game, and so on. Some people get drawn into this and become addicted. I wonder if children who in previous times would build model airplanes, build electronic kits, work with chemistry sets, etc. instead nowadays get caught up in the adictive behavior of video games. Not to demonize games, but I d think too much of that is harmful.
Ohh yeah, I know a lot about the autism racket. Fortunately for me, I was DXed before the whole DX became en vogue for every quirky, weird kid(1996). I do believe there is a lot of government money to be made out of an “Autism” diagnosis, but at the same time, the DX truly exists just based on my experience alone with the DX. I’ve had to take care of an Autistic kid, most of my friends who are on the spectrum struggle interacting and I myself have to depend on my fiancee when I want to do business, because she knows how to read people’s non verbals. Savage is clearly wrong on his assessment.
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