CBC Misrepresents Autism Disorders, Yet Again

The CBC - Not Aware Of Severe Autism Realities
Misrepresents Autism Spectrum Disorders

If there is an opportunity to present the Neurodiversity, autism is beautiful, perspective on autism disorders the CBC can be counted on to use its publicly funded broadcasting might to help this ideologically driven group confuse public understanding of the seriousness of autism disorders. The CBC is at it again this week helping misinform the public about the seriousness of autistic disorder and the challenges faced by those who aren't capable of granting interviews to diletantte CBC journalists, those who actually live in institutional care and are not "capable of doing things, with a little support here and there". The lazy and incompetent (I am trying to be kind in my choice of adjectives) CBC journalists once again misrepresent the realities and opinions of some persons with Aspergers and high functioning autism as representative of the autism spectrum of disorders.

Fresh on the heels of World Autism Awareness Day, CBC has not one, but two features designed to reinforce the Neurodiversity perspective while ignoring the realities faced by those with more severe autism challenges. As I was driving home from working in Campbellton, New Brunswick this week I was listening to CBC Radio 2 and head that Quirks and Quarks would be featuring the amazing life of an autistic savant this weekend. Quirks and Quarks has previously featured Neurodiversity icons Michelle Dawson and her student Dr. Laurent Mottron. I knew that the Nova Scotia Autistic Self Advocacy Council would be holding an event this weekend including an appearance by the CBC's favorite "autistic" Michelle Dawson so I expected the CBC to be in attendance to promote the Neurodiversity mischaracterization of autism spectrum disorders. The CBC did not surprise.

The CBC in Canadian adults with autism host Halifax conference once again presented the views of the high function adults with Autism and Aspergers without mentioning that those at the severe end of the autism spectrum face lives of hardship and dependency. By all means such conferences are good when they provide useful information about services to help persons with autism. And when they give persons with Aspergers and high functioning autism an opportunity to express their realities. But when they misinform the public, when they exclude the realities of the severely autistic who are unable to be part of the audience at such conferences they are committing acts of discrimination against the more severely autistic members of the autism spectrum of disorders. They are driving from the public consciousness awareness of the challenges facing the more severely autistic, they are in fact suppressing knowledge of the existence of the more severely autistic.

The CBC simply does not present these harsher autism realities. The CBC will not visit the hospitals and psychiatric institutions or the more secure level group homes where the more severely autistic live. The CBC will continue to present, not once, but multiple times, feel good fluff like Positively Autistic as being representative of the full spectrum of autism realities.

When it comes to autism spectrum disorders the CBC is both incompetent and dishonest. As the next decade approaches look for the CBC, in 2010 and beyond, to provide more Positively Autistic style coverage of the autism spectrum disorders. And do not hold your breath waiting for them to provide features on the serious challenges faced by persons with severe Autistic Disorder and their families.

That is a reality of World Autism Media Coverage.

autism