Super Suzy

Well you do get all sorts just turning up and I don't see why vulnerable autistics shouldn't get the same level of protection they'd get at a day centre or college. If "letterwriter" was to have told the truth he would've written "Beware, because if you say the wrong thing on one of these forums, you could get systematically ripped to shreads in a gang attack, have you're posts deleted, modified or hidden from view, so you wouldn't even be able to prove what happened; the "all sorts" could include predators, abusers and proper bone-fide looney toons..." And if any of you think differently than you're kidding yourselves. Vulnerable autistic kids, adults and vulnerable parents deserve every bit as much protection they should get anywhere. I'm furious to think this point could even be debated.

You should have a look at the visual acuity study that's just come out of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University - says autistics have the visual acuity of birds of prey. Would've though that'll be right up the magazine's street. SS.

Offensive and off topic content deleted by moderator.

we should all be here talking about what a wonderful advert Action For Children had made. we would be if one of the execs had talked to the NAS (God bless 'em) or joined here and hung out a little. don't they know? don't pick fights with mummies with little monsters. we're trouble.

I think Simon, after his recent excursion into the limelight, is being remarkably frank. I'm surprised, and delighted that he's given permission for this letter to be used. No, I've no doubt he means what he seems to mean. After all he was writing to the woman that runs the campaign. Do you think he's foolish enough to do so after what just happened with the pre natal screening thing?

Oh why Oh why didn't Action For Children do the same thing? Now, the old man himself Simon Baron-Cohen has said the ads are wrong: http://thefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com/2009/0...hen-speaks.html

The only problem I've had with the NAS Think Differently/I Exist adverts has been the lack of context given. It's no good saying support and understanding can make all the difference without suggesting an example. The NAS used quite graphic images as well. They got away with it because they are totally pro autistic people. Action For Children are just using autism, in the same way as they used MS. Just incidental to their fundraising. The message is: give us money.

I only do bottoms up when He's been a very good boy.

why do boys always get so snarly when you make it clear you won't oblige? me and me chiati off to sisters tonight. left my password with Him so he can come and snarl back at you. He's a professor, don't you know? At a very posh University. And I love him xXx.

Well the NAS had some very graphic images that were used in their recent advertising campaign and none of the scruffy radicals complained about that. As for a conflict of interest declaration, my husband has a professional interest in the campaign through his work supervising students with Aspergers at the University. It was his prompting that led me here (he's far too in-the-closet to post publicly.)

I take the point of the poster above who said some special needs 'pupils' could be as old as 19. Imagine a 19 year old in a classroom, having a really bad day... So far the protest group have got on board, a Trustee of the NAS, a Council member of the NAS, Tony Attwood, Dr Mitzi Waltz, a handful of PhD's, a couple of JKP's authors and a few FRS and a few media types... I think this is a bit more than the ranting of a few radicals.

at last! someone that knows what they're talking about! It would've helped the situation if the boy's school wasn't named. I can understand having to call the police when things get serious. But just the knowledge of this incident is just such bad PR - "Girl with severe learning disabilities, arrested, handcuffed and thrown into a police cell" - even if she was an actual little monster - it still looks terrible to the outside world. It comes back to what I've said before - most people aren't as well informed as the rest of us and they just take the headlines and don't think/consider further. The boy's anonymity should have been protected absolutely. I'm suprised someone hasn't made a complaint about child protection. Just not good for anyone.

My eldest saw the banned video and said "it's the Boom!" - whatever that means. Asking questions about a charity's child protection policies isn't nasty - it's the right thing to do. Asking why a school supposedly for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children, so skilled in handling children that it was necessary to call the police and have a girl with special needs arrested, isn't nasty, mean-spirited or unhelpful. I though calling the police was the last resort for desperate parents - not child care specialists. Another video featuring the same images hasn't beet affected - why? Because action the charity isn't bothered about the use of copyright images - they are worried about a video that in my eldest's words "tells you what you need to know". Our children aren't toys for ad agencies and charities to play with for their own ends.

Someone should ask them what they think: www.babycreative.com Email addresses removed by moderator. Publishing individuals email addresses without their permission in against forum rules. They've probably never had to deal with angry mummies before. (Or autistic people) Professor Paul Cooper, who is a Chartered Psychologist and one of the UK's leading experts on children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, said that the cartoon depicted 'Conduct Disorder, not autism. The author and autism reseacher Barabar Jacobs said: I complete my PhD in June, and will then write my next book, in which I shall tell what I've learnt about these autistic children, their parents, and their teachers, from my research. I shall have no hesitation in condemning the practices for autistic children within residential schools run by AFC, on the evidence of this advertisement, and shall use it in all my public and academic presentations as an example of bad practice.

!!! did I just write what I just read?!!

Tony Attwood disagrees. He's just issued a statement saying the boy "Dan" 'appears brainwashed'

What a waste of money and what a lost opportunity!

I think someone needs to lance the boil quickly. It's just going to turn into tabloid muck-raking that'll benefit no-one. Now the people offended by the first ad have their own facebook group. Why didn't they just come here for a few hours see what people thought before going ahead?. I mean they have consumer focus groups to discuss new labels for baked beans. I once had to have most of my hair cut off and the rest turned mousy brown, cause a bunch of housewives wouldn't accept a blonde with long hair pretending to iron.

Judging by their latest video, their not worried about offending sensibilities: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=...oid=47154931157 There are obviously a lot of very angry people around.

There's a new anti advertisement YouTube video here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ6U3XWoCRY&...c.blogspot.com/ I think it makes some good points - and I'm beginning to feel very sorry for Dan, getting caught up in this

Please take no notice of the post above, I'm still not making sense :-(

I'll have another shot now he's doing bedtime tonight (he's not v good at it !) The ad isn't really about autism - it's about the rebranding of the National Childrens' Home into Action For Children, and fundraising. Autism is nothing more than a tool for them to make their point. And this is what really upset me. When I've my three (or four? )kids on the go I don't have time to sit down and think about what an ad means or what it's trying to do - it's just a collection of images, maybe a bit of music and a few half remembered words. If I didn't know anything about autism - I'd probably just come away with the idea that autism was JUST a problem to be ripped up and stamped into the ground. I'm only speaking for myself here - I realise that I'm very, very lucky, I've never had to beg for services from reluctant schools and to struggle to get help. We are surrounded by University types and quite frankly the ones that aren't autistic are just plain loopy. I'm not kidding or exaggerating when I say about a third of my husband's colleagues have children that are on the spectrum. Oh, I'm totally failing to make my point again. What I'm saying is, if you've the money for private schools, tutors and domestic help, and an understanding of high functioning autism and the right environment - Asperger's Syndrome isn't a scary monster that needs ripping up and tramping into the ground. I still haven't made my point; I've got to go now and finish bedtime (It's ten to ten and they're running rings around him )

BD, Sorry I'm making a complete hash of presenting my arguments. I've spent the last 10 years honing my rhetorical skills on the washing machine and children. I'm very good at organising bed time though. A superb orator that can counter any arguments as to why bedtime must be postponed...

I don't think Dan's school is very skilled at dealing with challenging behaviour: Family's outrage at child's arrest Jan 10 2008 by Sian Watts, Rhymney Valley Express A CHILD suffering with special needs was arrested, handcuffed and put in a cell only weeks after she had been forced to walk alone from Cardiff Bay to Penarth, her mother claims. Nakita Williams, who was only 12 at the time of the incident, was arrested at her specialist school after allegedly being involved in an altercation with a member of staff. Nakita, who has severe learning and behavioural difficulties, attends Headlands School in Penarth because of her problems. Only the previous month, it has been claimed, she had been forced off the school bus in Cardiff Bay and told to make the two-mile journey back to school alone. The 13-year-old, of Oak Tree Drive, Cefn Hengoed, claimed a teaching assistant had ordered her off the bus after she had taken her seatbelt off during a school trip. The Express reported Nakita?s family?s outrage at the time of the event, but they are now even more upset at how the situation has progressed. Talking about the arrest, Mandy Williams, Nakita?s mother, said: ?They handcuffed her, and put her in a cell. ?That broke my heart.? http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wa...91466-20331758/

The ad's not going down too well on YOu Tube. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_K5lSSTG-90