Comments on: Katie Wright Does Not Speak for Autism Speaks

By: blog-thing : Autism Speaks - will it ever speak for us?

blog-thing : Autism Speaks - will it ever speak for us? — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:23:03 +0000

[...] research and tissue banks. These priorities are reflected in Autism Speaks budget allocations and, as epitomized by Katie Wright, have guaranteed the deep hostility of the biomedical/anti vaccine [...]

By: Brains and Genes, Vaccine Court, Mercury, Myths, Fights (or Feuds), A Good Book: What I Did in June

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:43:26 +0000

[...] his wife Suzanne “repudiated their daughter on the charity’s Web site” on Saturday, June 2nd. The post itself contains an exchange that illustrates another dichotomy in autism discussions, [...]

By: On being an involved autism mother

On being an involved autism mother — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:35:38 +0000

[...] Robert Kennedy Jr. has stepped in to speak out for autism mothers, I can speak for myself (has not Katie Wright has been speaking for herself?) just as we are teaching Charlie to do more and more everyday. ASD, [...]

By: A Sad Story on Father’s Day: The Wright Family Feud

A Sad Story on Father’s Day: The Wright Family Feud — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:39:21 +0000

[...] his wife Suzanne “repudiated their daughter on the charity’s Web site” on Saturday, June 2nd. The June 18th New York Times reports Ms. Wright called the statement a “character [...]

By: Jayne

Jayne — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 01:47:03 +0000

Autism Speaks has done a good job of publicizing the epidemic. Full page ads and commercials on the current statistics are certainly useful. The way they are gobbling up other organizations such as NAAR does have me concerned. My husband has raised thousands for NAAR each year, for which the organization has been grateful, this year they didn’t bat an eyelash when he handed in his donations. We are not interested in supporting an organization that does not fund pure scientific research; the autism specials on The View and the news are all fine, but medical research is the only way to go towards finding a cure. One big amorphous autism organization where research doesn’t take a leading role does have me concerned…I could care less about the Wrights’ daughter mouthing off about vaccines, there are conflicting views about autism all over the map and why not in the same family?

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:52:29 +0000

Well said! I noted that, after the weekend, the Wrights’ statement was no longer on the front page of the Autism Speaks website.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:39:17 +0000

Autism Speaks needs to employ a PR firm that understands the strong opinions and emotional aspects surrounding autism and other disorders. It sounds like the PR firm does not have a clue and lacks the ability to handle charged situations with the sensitivity such scenerios require.

Everyone associated with autism speaks needs training – a script even – on how to present themselves.

By: Big Pharma, Autism Advocacy, and Savage Indignation from Jonathan Swift

Big Pharma, Autism Advocacy, and Savage Indignation from Jonathan Swift — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:13:39 +0000

[...] autism circles. Not “who speaks for autism” or even Bob and Suzanne Wright’s public disavowal of their own daughter, Katie Wright, as a “spokesperson for Autism Speaks. Getting the attention today is Big [...]

By: Dwight Clark

Dwight Clark — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:00:49 +0000

If these people are not even speaking for their own daughter, who are they to claim they are speaking for anyone? The thing that really gets me is that they went back and altered the statment! Did someone think it was a little too harsh? I’m curious if there are any pharmaceutical companies on the list of donors for Autism Speaks…

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 21:29:50 +0000

“Weakening the hub” that way seems bizarre.

The hub, whatever it is, is weak if it can’t take disagreement from within, and will be weak in that regard whether or not the disagreement is voiced.