Radio Host Michael Savage Under Fire for Remarks on Autistic Children
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Talk show host, Michael Savage, is being harshly criticized by some for comments he made concerning autistic children. According to newsday.com: "...he called autism 'a fraud, a racket. ... I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. ... What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. ... Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.'"
In response to criticism, Savage issued a statement which said, in part: "My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as 'autistic'...Many children are being victimized by being diagnosed with an 'illness' which may not exist, in all cases..."
Savage's statement continued: "Increasingly, our children are being used as profit centers by a greedy, corrupt medical/pharmaceutical establishment. As the brother of a severely disabled person who suffered and died in a New York 'snake-pit' of a 'mental hospital,' I know first-hand what true disability is."
Comments
Regarding the complaints I am hearing the last couple days about Michael Savage and his comments on autism.
Please DO NOT listen to the kooks that want him off the air.
Please DO NOT take him off the air.
He is the best voice of reason we have on the radio who is not afraid to speak the truth about not only autism, but everything else.
Why is it some people become incensed when they hear the truth? Please do not remove the truth from your station just because complaints come in. If they want to disagree, then fine. Let them get on the radio and voice their opinion, why they disagree, etc.
Michael Savage does not call for people who disagree with him to be barred from talking. These complainers are ridiculous, and mostly it is because they cannot stand the truth when it puts them in the spotlight.
We need someone exactly like Michael Savage, who, even on the rare occasions he may be wrong, makes everyone think about all the problems.
The courageous always step forward, and stand alone —
uniquely vulnerable, amidst the vastly open spaces.
All-the-while, the truly insecure fall prey to their own hidden hatreds.
One tiny spark from within their densely huddled masses,
and mere kindling, they become…thus, feeding the very flames of false bravado.
Then, at the slightest prodding, not unlike that commonly applied to any given herd of sheep…
each are overcome by the oldest, most mindless of all beastly instincts –
the mob-mentality.
Save us the crappy poetry, Joulou. This has nothing to do with mob mentality or suppression of free speech. This is about parents who do not appreciate their disabled children — who are dealing with enough as it is — being mindlessly slandered by some yob on the radio.
My son is autistic. He doesn’t yell or scream or do any of the things that Savage babbles about. He does have a developmental disability that means at 6 years old, he is mostly unable to speak, does not have a firm ability to understand social relationships and engages in a variety of repetitive behaviors.
If you agree with Savage that telling my son and others like him to “be a man” would somehow change all that, you are every bit as deluded as your Cracker Jack brand of wisdom would seem to indicate.
I’m afraid the only “vastly open spaces” here are between your ears.
Savage needs to lose his job. He shouldn’t make such grossly inaccurate and misleading statements. I know all about America and free speech but there’s also a thing called slander and gross misrepresentation. Mr. Savage needs to spend some time in a Pediatric Neurologist’s office, sitting in on some sessions with newly diagnosed children. Then he should try sitting in and autistic pre-k classroom. Maybe he could even read a book or two and get some FACTS about the autism epidemic. It’s quite real. And ANYONE on this thread making comments without being properly informed should go do some reading and experiencing before making any further comment because YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!!!
I work with Autistic Students in a Developmental Pre-K. And I was not very happy with What Mr. Savage had to say, however I feel that what is ding done in return is a witch hunt. they are marching to his door with pitch forks demanding his head.
The numbers that are given for Diagnosis often include all ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) and not just those of Autism. And because of the Early diagnosis many of those Diagnosed Autistic are later rediagnosed with a diffrent ASD disorder. I do not disagree with first diagnosing with Autism, then looking at the Child later in its development to determine if it is truly Autism or another ASD disorder. So in a way Mr Savage is right, not that they are brats that have not been told to stop the act, but Autism is over diagnosed at an early age.
A diagnosis of Autism should not mean that a child is allowed to run and scream and have thier way. NO in stead they should be given a very rigid very structured frame work to function inside of. In the Class room we do not allow the Children to have Behaviors unchecked. They have to be taught to be responsible for thier actions. No they are not happy, but to become a functioning adult they cannot be allowed to continue the violent or agressive behaviors. Instead they must be held accountable for thier actions and face a concequence. We do not allow the children to run screaming, they are placed in a time out until they have stopped the behavior, and then are told that when they act that way they will be in time out. The Behaviors soon stop.
I think what is at the Heart of Mr. Savages comments is. People have allowed a diagnosis of Autism to be a licenses to let thier children behave in any manner they want unchecked, which is the worst possible treatment for the Desease. If they were to follow the Recomendations of most any therapist they would learn that Rigid structure, routine and very rigid behavioral expectations are what is needed to help the child develop in the most effective way.
So Yes, in a large percentage of children diagnosed they do need to be told they are not to act that way, and when they do they need to be repremanded. When they turn 18 and are an adult society will not allow them to act the way they do. So they need to cut the act out now, and be taught that theier Behavior is thier responsibility.