Autism Speaks Sounds the Fear

An unusually warm winter evening. Mid-January, no snow on the ground and the sky overcast, with the light nearly gone and nigh setting in. One the damp street, cars carried their owners homeward in a dense pack, heading down the hill toward the river. As I neared the plaza for the event (the screening of a new documentary), a small cluster of individuals with signs were gathering on the sidewalk at the entrance. Since I was running a bit late, I did not stop to talk, though I had wanted to. They were members of an advocacy organization there to protest the organization that made the film.

On Wednesday, January 15, Autism Speaks, in conjunction with Massachusetts General Hospital's Lurie Center for Autism, held a screening of their new documentary, Sounding the Alarm. The group out front were autism self-advocates who were protesting the film because they feel that Autism Speaks siphons off funds from local communities through fundraising, then gives very little back, as well as their use of negative imagery and words. According to the Facebook event page, the film is described as resorting "to rhetoric of fear, pity, tragedy, crisis, and burden to talk about autistic people".

At any rate, I made my way into the conference center where the screening was held, found a seat, and settled in to see just what all was in the film.