Comments on: The Law of Unintended Consequences: In the Wake of “Ransom Notes” http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:40:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: NYU Child Study Center to Hold Town Hall Meeting, Post “Ransom Notes” http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-551446 NYU Child Study Center to Hold Town Hall Meeting, Post “Ransom Notes” Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:23:00 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-551446 [...] launched a public awareness advertisement campaign called “Ransom Notes,” in which. The campaign was pulled a few weeks later, in no small part due to the work of disability rights advocacy groups, parents, [...] [...] launched a public awareness advertisement campaign called “Ransom Notes,” in which. The campaign was pulled a few weeks later, in no small part due to the work of disability rights advocacy groups, parents, [...]

]]> By: A.S. http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-543539 A.S. Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:18:06 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-543539 Too little too late? It took Harold Koplewicz too long to realize that hurting people you want to “help” is not acceptable collateral damage. We should write these officials to thank them for pulling the ads and request that they keep an eye on Dr. Koplewicz to make sure he doesn’t try anything this dirty again to drum up business in the name of public awareness: Kenneth Langone, Board Chairman New York University Medical Center ken@invemed.com Martin Lipton, Board of Trustee Chairman New York University mlipton@wlrk.com John Sexton, President New York University john.sexton@nyu.edu Too little too late?
It took Harold Koplewicz too long to realize that hurting people you want to “help” is not acceptable collateral damage. We should write these officials to thank them for pulling the ads and request that they keep an eye on Dr. Koplewicz to make sure he doesn’t try anything this dirty again to drum up business in the name of public awareness:

Kenneth Langone, Board Chairman
New York University Medical Center
ken@invemed.com

Martin Lipton, Board of Trustee Chairman
New York University
mlipton@wlrk.com

John Sexton, President
New York University
john.sexton@nyu.edu

]]> By: Fly Away http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-542913 Fly Away Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:49:24 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-542913 [...] href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/11858266@N07/1349495196/”> I noted the law of unintended consequences in reference to the aftermath of the Ransom Notes ad campaign: Our trip from New Jersey via [...] [...] href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/11858266@N07/1349495196/”> I noted the law of unintended consequences in reference to the aftermath of the Ransom Notes ad campaign: Our trip from New Jersey via [...]

]]> By: Ari N. http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-542897 Ari N. Sat, 22 Dec 2007 06:24:05 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-542897 Anon_two, I appreciate the point; I'd have been much happier had the self-advocate role in our victory been better covered. Actually, I recently presented a paper in Atlanta saying exactly what you just did. Kristina was also on that panel, so she probably remembers it. Here's an excerpt: "Dr. Bruno Bettelheim is famous (and infamous) in autism circles as the originator of the “refrigerator mother” theory of autism causation, stating that autism results from mothers who were cold towards their children...In his book The Empty Fortress, Bettelheim opens by stating that, “Much of modern psychology seeks to know about others; too much of it, in my opinion, without an equal commitment to knowing the self. But I believe that knowing the other—which is different from knowing about the other—can only be a function of knowing oneself." This quote is highly indicative of Bettelheim’s approach towards autism research. The reason that he came to believe that mothers were at fault related to the perception that the autistic children he treated behaved in a fashion empty of any human self. Beginning from this questionable starting point, he sought to project his own experiences as a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camp of Buchenwald. In the eyes of his autistic patients Bettelheim, “recognized a terror that he himself could never forget—the terror of someone placed in an environment that seeks to destroy him without his knowing why or whether he will ever escape” (Sutton). Using his own experiences as the foundation for his ideas about autism, he theorized that autistic children were responding to a lack of emotional contact from their mothers by rejecting their sense of selves. Unsurprisingly, given his methods, he was dead wrong. Thus began a long and damaging history, both of defining autistic individuals primarily by how they compare to neurotypical individuals and of utilizing highly inappropriate and offensive metaphors to suggest that people on the autism spectrum lack a sense of self, or even an authentic self. The overarching message of most portrayals of the autism spectrum and the people on it reflect a tragedy that robs humanity, leaving behind something –someone – that must, implicitly, be sub-human." http://case.edu/affil/sce/Texts_2007/Ne'eman.html Anon_two,

I appreciate the point; I’d have been much happier had the self-advocate role in our victory been better covered. Actually, I recently presented a paper in Atlanta saying exactly what you just did. Kristina was also on that panel, so she probably remembers it. Here’s an excerpt:

“Dr. Bruno Bettelheim is famous (and infamous) in autism circles as the originator of the “refrigerator mother” theory of autism causation, stating that autism results from mothers who were cold towards their children…In his book The Empty Fortress, Bettelheim opens by stating that, “Much of modern psychology seeks to know about others; too much of it, in my opinion, without an equal commitment to knowing the self. But I believe that knowing the other—which is different from knowing about the other—can only be a function of knowing oneself.” This quote is highly indicative of Bettelheim’s approach towards autism research. The reason that he came to believe that mothers were at fault related to the perception that the autistic children he treated behaved in a fashion empty of any human self. Beginning from this questionable starting point, he sought to project his own experiences as a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camp of Buchenwald. In the eyes of his autistic patients Bettelheim, “recognized a terror that he himself could never forget—the terror of someone placed in an environment that seeks to destroy him without his knowing why or whether he will ever escape” (Sutton). Using his own experiences as the foundation for his ideas about autism, he theorized that autistic children were responding to a lack of emotional contact from their mothers by rejecting their sense of selves. Unsurprisingly, given his methods, he was dead wrong. Thus began a long and damaging history, both of defining autistic individuals primarily by how they compare to neurotypical individuals and of utilizing highly inappropriate and offensive metaphors to suggest that people on the autism spectrum lack a sense of self, or even an authentic self. The overarching message of most portrayals of the autism spectrum and the people on it reflect a tragedy that robs humanity, leaving behind something –someone – that must, implicitly, be sub-human.”

http://case.edu/affil/sce/Texts_2007/Ne‘eman.html

]]> By: KimJ http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-549159 KimJ Sat, 22 Dec 2007 06:08:29 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-549159 My complaint to the Center was on behalf of my son. Like many here, I was worried about how the ads portrayed him, not me. I'm already doomed, my reputation as normal sullied years ago. There was an implication of guilt in the ads, though. The implied message being, "if you ignore this warning ("ransom note"), you will be guilty of your child's suffering". I don't doubt the Center got a plethora of complaints about this. Personally, though, I found this part of the message a secondary problem. My complaint to the Center was on behalf of my son. Like many here, I was worried about how the ads portrayed him, not me. I’m already doomed, my reputation as normal sullied years ago.
There was an implication of guilt in the ads, though. The implied message being, “if you ignore this warning (”ransom note”), you will be guilty of your child’s suffering”. I don’t doubt the Center got a plethora of complaints about this. Personally, though, I found this part of the message a secondary problem.

]]> By: anon_two http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-542813 anon_two Sat, 22 Dec 2007 02:07:37 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-542813 Correct, Warner totally and completely missed who the star advocates were. It's like a curse from Bettelheim: No matter what, whether they're refrigerators or martyrs, it all has to be about the parents. Correct, Warner totally and completely missed who the star advocates were.

It’s like a curse from Bettelheim: No matter what, whether they’re refrigerators or martyrs, it all has to be about the parents.

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-542792 Kristina Chew, PhD Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:42:01 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-542792 I was hoping that she might have noted <i>who</i> the main advocates were----self-advocates like Ari Ne'eman, Not Dead Yet, and other disability organizations. I was hoping that she might have noted who the main advocates were—-self-advocates like Ari Ne’eman, Not Dead Yet, and other disability organizations.

]]> By: Cliff http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-542795 Cliff Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:37:20 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-542795 I read Warner's post, and was surprised how much, indeed, she missed the point. It wasn't as if the complaints were even about the parents, they were about the individuals with the relevant conditions. And, clearly, there's no intention to listen to those individuals. Amongst the things she missed was how the ads actually promoted stigma and that the primary motivation wasn't simple guilt. I just hope that some good discussion can come from this. Cliff I read Warner’s post, and was surprised how much, indeed, she missed the point. It wasn’t as if the complaints were even about the parents, they were about the individuals with the relevant conditions. And, clearly, there’s no intention to listen to those individuals. Amongst the things she missed was how the ads actually promoted stigma and that the primary motivation wasn’t simple guilt. I just hope that some good discussion can come from this.

Cliff

]]> By: Club 166 http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-542778 Club 166 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 01:15:52 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-542778 And it looks like Judith Warner missed the point. Making <i><b>parents</b></i> feel guilty was not what was essentially wrong with the campaign. Maligning and stigmatizing those with the conditions described was what caused the uproar. I, like most parents, would let people call me whatever they wanted, if it meant that my son would be treated with the respect he deserves, and be fully included in society. Joe And it looks like Judith Warner missed the point.

Making parents feel guilty was not what was essentially wrong with the campaign. Maligning and stigmatizing those with the conditions described was what caused the uproar. I, like most parents, would let people call me whatever they wanted, if it meant that my son would be treated with the respect he deserves, and be fully included in society.

Joe

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/comment-page-1/#comment-549137 Kristina Chew, PhD Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:01:15 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences-in-the-wake-of-ransom-notes/#comment-549137 The <a href="http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/marketing-disorder/?hp">New York Times</a>' Judith Warner posts on "Ransom Notes"; she interviews Dr. Koplewicz and notes the implied blame in the ads: <blockquote>Making parents feel guilty, at fault, or in some way responsible for their children’s diseases or disorders was, unquestioningly, the last thing that the Child Study Center sought to do. But when you have a population of people already brimming over with self-blame and guilt, when you have a group of parents whose every nerve ending is exposed, it’s all too easy to spark a crisis. The world of children’s mental health issues is a minefield right now, and it doesn’t take much to trigger full-blown conflagrations.</blockquote> The New York Times‘ Judith Warner posts on “Ransom Notes”; she interviews Dr. Koplewicz and notes the implied blame in the ads:

Making parents feel guilty, at fault, or in some way responsible for their children’s diseases or disorders was, unquestioningly, the last thing that the Child Study Center sought to do. But when you have a population of people already brimming over with self-blame and guilt, when you have a group of parents whose every nerve ending is exposed, it’s all too easy to spark a crisis. The world of children’s mental health issues is a minefield right now, and it doesn’t take much to trigger full-blown conflagrations.

]]>