[Editor’s Note: This awesomely strong and timely Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s response to the GOP debate remarks on autism and vaccines is reprinted with permission.] ASAN Statement on GOP Primary Debate Comments on Autism and Vaccination September 16, 2015 Despite a wealth of scientific evidence debunking any link between autism and vaccinations, tonight’s Republican primary […]
On October 7th, Kelli Stapleton will be sentenced for First Degree Child Abuse in a Michigan courtroom. The following is a summary of the facts written by attorney Sam Crane regarding Kelli Stapleton’s attempt to kill her autistic daughter and the aftermath in the media and public discourse. It provides the background and context for […]
ASAN Condemns Media Coverage of the Attempted Murder of Issy Stapleton October 14, 2013 The Autistic Self Advocacy Network issued a statement on Monday, October 14th, expressing dismay at the media coverage of the attempted murder of Issy Stapleton, age 14. Both local and national media coverage of Issy’s attempted murder have emphasized her mother’s […]
This op-ed was published in the Sunday, April 7 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It’s written by Selene dePackh, who is an artist and writer. She’s also autistic. dePakh’s op-ed describes the reality that many of us are all too aware of, but sharing it with a broad audience. For whatever reason, the online comments […]
For about a week now, activists and advocates have been engaging in the fight to safeguard the health and safety of Amanda Baggs, one woman dealing with medical ignorance, apparent bigotry, and regular messages that her life isn’t one worth saving. Even now, a positive outcome isn’t assured. (I direct blog readers to just peruse […]
It’s been a few days since an update on Amanda Baggs and her struggle to get past medical discrimination and get appropriate medical treatment has been shared here. The good news is that the news of her scheduled surgery was true and her feeding tube is now in place. Now the bad news: In “So […]
Amanda Bagg’s name and work should be familiar to a lot of people in the disability community. A lot of people might remember reading her blog essay “If I am killed” on our old site, where it was reproduced with permission – and will be put up again in the near future. Many more will […]
Is there something in the air? Earlier this year, a friend and former colleague introduced me to someone on Facebook – an amazing guy who has what looks like a bottomless well of energy and passion, judging from the status messages I see and the info on his info page. Sometime after I posted this […]
There were a number of developments over the past week or two that will need to be highlighted here. I am still catching up. In a case of déjà vu (we’ve had similar cases in the U.S.), a man with quadriplegia has won the “right” to starve himself in Australia. I was looking for the […]
Kristen LaBrie, mother of nine-year-old Jeremy Fraser, has been charged with attempted murder in connection with the child’s death in March. Kristina Chew at Change.org has the story: Yesterday LaBrie pleaded “not guilty” to a charge of attempted murder; she had earlier been charged with child endangerment. The July 6th Associated Press vis WBUR reports […]
