uodsp: Correction on Autism Speaks Email

[Elise Garmon]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to make a revision to my original email. I have been planning on starting an Autism Speaks club at the University of Oregon due to my passion for helping individuals with disabilities. I have decided to instead create an Autism Awareness club at UO that is non-affiliated with the Autism Speaks organization. I feel as though this would be the most appropriate outlet to spread autism awareness at UO. Please read my explanation on this below: 

I understand concerns about the ways in which  Autism Speaks has been criticized. I have done my research, and have found that there were unacceptable abuses in past. I have also found that many of the negative claims are now outdated. As of 2017, 63% of all funding goes to family services, grants, awareness, and advocacy, with only 2% going to Management and Collateral. Under the leadership of a new CEO in 2016, Autism Speaks has removed the word “cure” from their Mission Statement, and instead now focuses on enhancing lives and accelerating a spectrum of solutions for the future. By sponsoring research into causes and better treatments, along with pursuing strategies to make significant progress, they are amongst the leaders in autism advocacy. 

 I am familiar with many on the spectrum by being intimately involved in raising and advocating for my autistic brother. Autism Speaks was a huge resource for my family upon my brother’s initial diagnosis by helping us gain access to appropriate intervention and services. The organization was also invaluable throughout our constant legal battles with our local school
district who did not want to include my brother in regular education. Now that my brother is almost done with high school, we have utilized the Autism Speaks “Transitional Toolkit” as we navigate a transition plan for his journey into adulthood. 

A Sr. Coordinator for Autism Speaks reached out to me because of my leadership in the U of O Pre PT/OT club, and as a result of my passion for autism advocacy as well as the need to spread awareness on campus, I was interested in starting a club in order to do so. Unfortunately, in this early exploratory phase of beginning a club, many deficiencies of the Autism Speaks organization has been brought to my attention. My goal in starting an Autism Speaks club was to be inclusive and never exclusive, as well as to accelerate progress an support for autistic individuals. It is the exact opposite of my intention to alienate and offend any individual on the spectrum. Because of that, as well as the negativity that is still associated with the organization, at this point I feel it necessary to abandon establishing an Autism Speaks club at the U of O. I do, however, see a great need for increasing understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorders in a college setting, so instead I will be exploring the possibility of perhaps an Autism Awareness club instead. This club will continue to be supportive of the autism community, as well as other disabilities. However, it will not be affiliated with Autism Speaks. I welcome anyone who is interested in this to email me at egarmon at uoregon.edu. 

Best Regards,

Elise Garmon