Before mentioning anything negative, I’d like to start with this positive bit of information:
Aspie adults (often referred to as being on the autism spectrum) looking for a group to meet with in the Hudson Valley, do have one to attend that’s between New York City and Albany. It is now a member of GRASP.
Here’s some sad news about big groups (added a few months after posting the above statement):
Don’t even think that the Autism Society of America does what it can to support people on the autism spectrum. If it was true that they did, I wouldn’t have had this experience with their Hudson Valley Chapter:
While I was at the 2009 annual Walk for Autism in April, I went up to a booth, of the local sub-chapter (of a high society organization ‘for’ Autism), to inquire why they had stopped responding to my e-mails sent over a year ago when I asked about them about including a link to the website for the adult Aspie group I attended.¹ They originally told me it was a wonderful idea. I had told them the link would benefit many adults on the spectrum if it was included on their website. Since that link never appeared and I had the chance to talk with them in person, I suggested it again. Again, I was told it was a good idea and that I should put information about this group into their suggestion box. When I came back with the brochure to give them, I was told they would bring it up at their next board meeting. I knew they’d never include that link even before I asked them the first time around. The only reason I pursued this was to confirm data in my own mind about the social behavior of humans.
Later, I was overheard talking about this incident. I didn’t think I did anything unusual. Apparently I had. The ’socially incorrect’ thing I did was to confront them by pointing out that my e-mails were ignored; plus, I had the nerve to persist in spite of what should have been an obvious hint that what’s going on is a political affair I’m not welcome to attend. I was supposed to be intimidated by them, but since I wasn’t self-conscious, they were the ones who felt offended by my ‘rude’ behavior. I think that’s hilarious!
The Autism Society of America isn’t the only hornet’s nest of greed. Here’s something not so hilarious, but rather nauseating:
Make Autism Speaks $1,000 more wealthy² and become a member of their exclusive VIP Club. Yipee!… $150 will get you a T-shirt! I bet the wearers of such T-shirts are too ignorant and/or careless to realize they’re wearing a sticker on their back that says, “I’m a sucker. Kick me.”
¹What would happen if everyone who really cares about Aspies were to contact this society to ask them why they (as of 1.18.12) still have not put any information about this adult Asperger support group on their website? It was established by a licensed professional psychologist specializing in Aspergers. At the beginning of 2011, Dr. Irene Brody passed away. While she led this group, it was known as Aspies of the Round Table. It did not belong to GRASP then.
²That was during their 2009 Walk Now for Autism Speaks event they’ve disabled from view sometime between when this post was published and 3.15.10.
Read the Comments of a post published on September 10, 2009 asking, Is Autism Speaks Mis-Spending Its Money? Your Opinion Requested. Combine what those commenters say with what autismvotes.org’s news for September 30, 2011 about Obama signing an act that authorizes Autism Speaks to help themselves to $693 million for the next three years so their head honchos can live even more lavishly at the expense of taxpayers.
We already knew Autism Speaks is about eugenics. But did you also realize Autism Speaks is so greedy that, according to its 2010 annual report, its management salaries add up to more than half the proceeds of its fundraising walks? Nonprofit charity is what it isn’t.
