Compassion Deficit Disorder is the title of an August 7th article by writer Judith Warner in the New York Times. Starting with Michael Savage’s over-the-top claims that autism is incorrectly diagnosed in 99% of cases and that it’s just a way to seek “undue sympathy, victim status, and services” for autistic children, Warner writes in the next paragraph about comments by Rick Davis, Senator John McCain’s campaign manager, last week about Barack Obama as
….[playing] “the race card” by noting that Republicans appeared to be trying to suggest to voters that the Democratic candidate “doesn’t look like all those other presidents …read more

Now we’ve got the New York Times weighing in on radio host Michael Savage’s savage language about “bratty” autistic kids. As About.com notes, Savage is “successfully sucking time, money and energy” from the autism community (and sucking in ratings, I would think). All I can say again is, ’nuff said!
And, we have found the actual parasite.

It seems no wonder that right wing talker Michael Savage’s last name is, well, “Savage” after reading what he said about autism on his radio show. I’ll list the words he uses to refer to autism:
moron, putz, idiot, fool, dummy, a girl, losers, beaten men
More of Savage’s savagery is quoted on Left Brain/Right Brain.
If Savage’s intent was to shock, using such words about autistic children is a no-brainer way to do it and perhaps ratings will spike as rightfully indignant autistic self-advocates and parents of autistic children respond. What troubles me in particular is Savage’s contention that autistic children …read more

13-year-old Thomas Gonzales plays trumpet, trombone, baritone and flugelhorn and has accepted an offer to be a professional member of Mariachi Nuevo Ensueño in Azusa, California, the June 15th Whittier Daily News:
Michelle Lazar, founder of Coast Music Therapy, a San Diego-based agency for children with special needs, said that while the topic has yet to be widely studied, there does seem to be a positive correlation between autism and musical talent.
“Part of the reason individuals with autism tend to excel is because of the structure that music provides,” she said. “It’s very comfortable to them.”
It’s definitely a correlation for Charlie, …read more