ABC News' Dan Childs on Michael Savage and Autism

Dan Childs of ABC News has run a piece about Michael Savage and his diatribe against people with autism. Savage called those of us with autistic children "frauds" and suggested that we covet the autism label so that we can bilk the government for special services and money. You can read the ABC piece HERE. I'm kind of proud of the last line in the piece (thanks, Dan!) where I'm quoted giving the monster charity Autism Speaks a bit of advice. (They took Mr. Savage to task with a silk glove on their website, which angered many of their supporters, who expected Autism Speaks to have a stronger voice.)

Who declared open season on people with autism? Last week it was a dingbat radio host from Cincinnati (that bastion of liberalism) agreeing that our kids shouldn't be in restaurants as they are prone to tantrums. This week it's nationally known Michael Savage.

Autism ain't for wimps. Whether you're a pre-verbal toddler or a high functioning forty year old, autism has challenges most folks can not fathom. How about a little compassion? The autism parents I know work tirelessly to teach their children how to navigate the world appropriately. We don't have just to instill right from wrong in our kids, we have to break down the steps of almost everything they do, from morning until night. We teach in our sleep, for crying out loud.

My Lord, are there really so many people angry at our unruly, poorly raised, undisciplined children? The comment trail on the ABC article was disheartening.

Here's a gem from a reader who is likely busy touching up his "Dubya" sticker on the back of his Mercury Grand Marquis.

here, here for savage. if you don't like what he is saying, change the frigin' station!!!! he has his right to voice his opinion. and he is right to a certain degree. his percentages may be way off, but he is right. when parents lost the right to disciplining a child, they ran-a-muck. then parents concentrated on the careers. the kids were lost to do what they wanted. instead of a "time out" these kids need a good crack on the behind and told to sit down and read the book and explain it to me when you are done. instead, doctors would rather label them adhd or autistic and make it easier on the parents to deal with. just give them a pill and everything will be all right. bull crap!! discipline is the key word

Ah yes, more discipline is always the answer. Right now, I look like a heroin addict. My arms are covered in tiny dotted scabs. Why? I don't ride "the white horse" (although autism has driven more than a few of us to a not-quite-5 o'clock glass of Chardonnay) my youngest daughter has taken to pinching when she's stressed. I could take her out to the shed and tan her fanny until it was raw. She would still pinch me, until I figure out how to re-direct her behavior to a more acceptable and less painful tap on my shoulder. We're working on it. She pinches because she does not speak, not because she's a brat.

Here's an erudite comment from a person I suspect has a banjo and a tin of Skoal in the back of his F150:

Most of you people are morons. If you don't like what you hear, then change the radio station, or switch the television channel. NO one is forcing you to listen. It is such a shame that we live in a society where one statement that offends people is enough to cost a man his job... FREE SOCIETY anyone? FREEDOM OF SPEECH? Ever heard of it? Oh wait... sorry, I forgot we're turning into a society that is trying to govern everyone's actions.. Grow some thicker skin people and move on. You have WAY too much time on your hands if you let someone's opinion ruin your day.

So that's all I need to do? Grow some thicker skin so that Michael Savage's telling millions of Wyler's swilling (I liked Goofy Grape best, you?) followers that my kids are frauds won't have an impact on public perception of them? I'm trying! Just look at these scabs! Grow skin, grow! And I'm a moron with too much time on my hands? Three kids with autism, a writing career and two sparkling clean toilets in my house. I think I'm quite busy enough. But not too busy to fight tooth and nail against loudmouths who do not walk in my shoes, or the shoes of thousands of families trying to help a loved one with autism through the day.

Sure, Savage has the right to say what he wants on his program. Just don't expect me to sit on the sidelines and let him run over my kids (and yours.) I'm just not that disciplined...

Thanks again, Dan Childs for a good article. I hope you HuffPo readers will take a moment to read it yourself. And add your own comments. Thanks.

(PS) If you drive an F150 and/or chew Skoal but would never speak so angrily about people with autism, please accept my apology for painting a picture of some of Savage's listeners that doesn't represent all of you. I'm going to duck and run for cover now before someone in a Grand Marquis runs me over.

Comments

[editrix66]

Thank you, Kim. My daughter has autism, and I sometimes wish I could just understand how she experiences her world, so I could help her more. She is high-functioning and does speak but not fluently. I wish Michael Savage could see my daughter working in school, trying to learn to talk, trying to calm down when she is experiencing sensory overload, trying to understand her world when she doesn't have the verbal skills or social skills to do so but eager to experience everything she can. I am just tired of stupid people. And I am not going to justify mydaughter's worthiness to an idiot.

[Kim Stagliano - Huffpost Blogger]

Good for you. And her. I think our girls have an especially tough go, as the world expects them to be fluent, social and act like ladies.

Your screen name intrigues me. I'm picturing an editor wearing black leather and cracking the whip over missed commas and semicolons as a writer cowers in the corner with a ballgag in his mouth. But then, I just turned a novel to my agent, so I've got editing on my mind.

My best to your daughter for a world that appreciates her.

Kim

[copoll]

Personally, I LOVE the "free speech" argument, which seems to be that Michael Savage has the right to free speech (and a microphone) and we don't. Yes, he can say what he wants. And we can say, as loudly as possible, that we will not patronize any of his advertisers nor listen to any of the radio stations that carry his "show" until such time as he is flung out into the streets to spew his moronic opinions at unsuspecting passersby through a rolled-up newspaper (preferably the New York Post).

Hang in there, parents: My son with Asperger's Syndrome, who got all those costly social services Savage rants about (oh, please), will be an incoming freshman at Drexel University this September. There's hope.

[Kubatwork]

There will always be uniformed and uneducated people like Savage. I wrote an article which appeared in my local newspaper back in May aimed a local blowhard who said vaccinations and autism are not related. Recently I wrote again to my local paper to set straight a family physician who claims all is well with vaccinations without naming one study or facts to back up his opinion. My point is each of us should continue to look after our corners of the world and strive for the truth. I'm thankful to Kim, David Kirby, Age of Autism, Generation Rescue, and all who contribute to these fine folks and organizations. They are our national voice. I don't believe in coincidences. We were all chosen for a reason. Strive to be the local voice in your community and don't be afraid of what people think.

[Kim Stagliano - Huffpost Blogger]

Question, HuffPo readers. Most of you probably read all of the posts here about autism, including David Kirby's posts. As you know, there are a handful of commenters who monopolize the comments section with questions and contradictions about vaccines, Thimerosal, cause, epidemic, etc. Some are the same person, using different screen names. They seem to have a real interest in autism. And yet, when a story like Savage is posted, they are utterly silent. Where's their outrage? Their defense for our kids? After all, they seem to spend an awful lot of time blogging about autism. When there are real autistic children and people involved, in a subject that brings our community together, rather than roiling us, they are mute. Speaks volumes, doesn't it? Please discuss amongst yourselves. Quiz tomorrow. ;)

KIM

[Kim Stagliano - Huffpost Blogger]

SuperTalk Mississippi has just cancelled Mr. Savages show. From their site: http://www.supertalkms.com/index.php

Effective immediately, Michael Savage and his Savage Nation Radio Show has been canceled on all Super Talk Mississippi stations. Michael Savage's comments about Autistic children were beyond inexcusable and are unacceptable. Super Talk Mississippi and the Gallo Radio Show have assisted numerous Autism organizations on the air in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Autism is a serious condition affecting children and adults in Mississippi. We appreciate our many listeners who notified us of Savage's comments, especially those listeners who have autistic children.

Steve Davenport, CEO
Telesouth Communications, Inc.

Don't you love Southern charm? KS

State News

[rmoffi]

I suspect Mike Savage read a recent column by Thomas Sowell, who writes an annual column claiming that children who are extremely intelligent are often "late talkers", and these children are being done a terrible disservice when they are misdiagnosed as autistics. In Sowell's isolated world, parents should just leave these children alone to let them "develop" at their own measured pace.

Perhaps Mr Sowell had a point when his own son was "late talking" and later proved to be of extremely high intelligence. However, If memory serves me right, Mr. Sowell's book was written about ten or fifteen years ago, when autism was truly a "rare" diagnosis and mis-diagnosis traumatized many parents unnecessarily. Unfortunately, too many parents took Mr. Sowell's advice and he has done tremendous harm to those children because "crucial years" were forever lost. Mr. Sowell owes an apology to any parent who read his book, took his advice, only later to learn the child was indeed autistic.

In any event, many of these children suffer "oxidative stress" which can "cause" these children great physical pain. My grandson was diagnosed autistic at 2, later diagnosed at five years of age with colitis, gasteronitis, and chronic inflamed upper and lower digestive tracts. Obviously, screaming at him to "stop yelling" would have been useless because of the pain he was suffering.

[libby5]

Go, Kim, go!!

People say, "You have WAY too much time on your hands if you let someone's opinion ruin your day" but this one burns badly. The fact is that Savage's audience is large and probably not willing to challenge his opinions, and he is wholy ignorant about autism. His comments are hurtful, spiteful attacks on a group of people who didn't opt for this diagnosis and certainly wouldn't choose to go through their lives this way.

My beautiful boy screams and cries and bites and tantrums because can't function well in the world. His sensory system is so overloaded he can barely manage a large store. He has motor planning problems that impact his ability to act for himself, even when he really wants to. This is why he reacts badly - not because we, his parents, don't know what we are doing. I challenge Savage to spend a day with a group of autistic children, do some research, read something (anything!) about autism before he spends another second on the subject.

I do plan to write advertisers. I've never, ever been so incensed. His comments are unconscionable and irresponsible.

[Chrisallalone]

I try to believe that Savage doesn't represent most people. And yet . . . .

Yesterday my daughter, who has Asperger's Syndrome, came home very upset on the bus from her camp for kids with autism. She had lost a sock and was anxious and upset, and didn't want to get on the bus without it. Her bus driver complained about how long she had made them wait. She repeatedly pointed out, as though to make me feel better, that "she's been so GOOD until now." Her counselors said the bus driver was threatening to leave, and made my daughter feel guilty for the whole situation.

Because my daughter is bright and verbal, even people who know she has a disability view problems like this as deliberate misbehavior. And here's where I come back to Michael Savage. I had the heartsick realization this morning that what he said, extreme and vulgar as it was, is perhaps not that different than what these people think. So many people are happy to get in my daughter's face about what she's doing wrong. It never does any thing but harm, of course, but they believe they have the right, because they think she's being "bad." And yet, she tries so hard.

So while most people have the basic decency not to say such things out loud, inside themselves I fear many would kind of agree with Savage. They're dead wrong. They should be told.

[naschkatze]

My daughter is 37 and very high functioning autistic. She works, pays taxes, and lives on her own. When she was your daughter's age, we fought successfully to have her "mainstreamed" because she too is highly verbal and of normal intelligence. She's just a bit odd and has her tics. Anyway, it was a struggle, Chrisallalone, so I just want to encourage you. You will feel battered by the whole thing when you're my age, but it's worth it. It's the thing I'm most proud of in my life if I had anything to do with who she is today.

[Chrisallalone]

Thank you, naschkatze, for the reply. Your words were a great shot in the arm for me. Congratulations to you and your daughter for all your shared accomplishments -- you both sound terrific.

[Berwick]

I wish Savage could have been there to share my experience when, as a graduate student working a night shift on the childrens'ward in a Midwest University Psychriatic Hospital, I use to sometime spend half the night sitting on the floor in a padded quiet room hugging this little boy so that he wouldn't keep butting his head against the wall. That was 50 years ago. There were two autistic boys about the same age sharing a room on the ward. Most of the time they would just sit on the side of their beds rocking and repeating TV commercials and chattering incoherently. During the daytime they were very pleasant, always giggling about something. It was only during the night that the one boy would sometimes turn on himself. This was no temper tantrum. No parent was there. It would be sad that anyone could be motivated to make such ignorant hurtful comments in private let alone on the public airwaves. But it tells us alot about Savage and nothing about autism. Savage is now that little body butting his head against the wall and I for one am not going to make any effort to stop him. Sooner or later he will just destroy himself.

[sarah130]

Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention. So sickening to see that the generally shabby and degrading treatment of young children in this society is now being extended no holds barred to autistc children. My hubby really tries to disuade me from reading the 'comments' section because the hate focused towards kids in this society leaves me exhausted.

[nogggin]

Stupidity and repulsive behavior has become ubiquitous on the radio and the television. What explains it? I used to think that it"s what most Americans want to listen to, so they"re just pandering to their market"but I don"t believe anymore that most Americans are this awful.

I honestly think that Rush isn"t the only main stream media show "personality" to have an addiction to prescription drugs. I think it"s probably a good percentage of them who"ve got that monkey on their back. It"s the only thing I can think of that would explain the awfulness of what I hear these days.

Robin Nemeth
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~r_nemeth/3M.htm

[lhsis1]

Thanks for writing about this, Kim! I've been steaming over Michael Savage's ignorant comments for days, and I'm glad the autism community is doing something to get his advertisers to pull out! Autism Speaks - Please! Pity this...so and so...(I won't write the words I'm using in my head!)? I don't think so. I agree, he needs an education.

Oh, and my son isn't in the 1% of kids with "real autism" diagnoses. No, he's one of the 1 in 150 kids with a real autism diagnosis. I didn't make it up for those glorious perks (read that with heavy sarcasm!) we get with an autism diagnosis, nor did any of the friends I know whose kids are diagnosed.

[bluevalentine]

Savage obviously has no true autism connection. Which is actually surprising. If he were to say otherwise then he would not "see" the person he may claim to know. I'd like to say that his ignorant mind-set is a surprise, but sadly not.
Gee, how nice it would be to add a little punishment and see our child(ren) return to us. I'll being writing his sponsors for months.
He does have the right to say what he wants. We also have the right to never let him forget it. This guy has an important position in ths world. He reaches the monds of his viewers. All the hard work by parents is so easily set back by the senseless, inaccurate rantings of a big mouthed, ininformed man who has a listening audience. My child deserved better.

[Olerist]

Weiner, another apologist tool trying to divert the issue away from the real problem

Boycott RockStar Energy Drink

[snesich]

First of all, Michael (Weiner) Savage is a disturbed person. He's filled with hatred and spews mendacity and viciousness on a daily basis. About virtually everything.

But I'm particularly disgusted with this "argument" on the part of his defenders that says anyone can say anything they want---no matter how dumb, how inaccurate, how false, how hateful---and if you object, or challenge it, you're "suppressing free speech." It's nonsense.

No one said "Let's censor Savage." No one said that there should be a law making it illegal to spew hatred and lies. No one said Savage should "Shut Up". (That's O'Reilly, actually, when he disagrees with someone.)

Almost everyone in this country agrees that everyone---no matter how heinous their words---has a constitutional right to say whatever they want. And everyone also has constitutional right to say whatever they want in response.

Weiner-Savage and his toadies can say whatever they want. And we can too. Get used to it. If you spew hatred and lies, expect us to respond. Last I checked, we have that legal right.