David Kirby, Autism, and New Jersey
Ever since the CDC announced that New Jersey has the highest prevalence rate in the US for autism, I have been waiting for someone to say, have a baby in that state and your chances for having a child with autism are so much higher. As a mother, a mother of an autistic child, a woman, and a resident of New Jersey with more than a few friends who are expecting or who have recently had children here, I think such a statement a lot more than insensitive. Such a statement is alarmist; such a statement also makes autism sound like some sort of a plague and if you have your baby in New Jersey you are even more likely to have an autistic one.
But someone has made the statement: Evidence of Harm author David Kirby, in an article entitled Imus, Autism, and America in which he mourns the ouster of Don Imus from his radio show on CBS and MSNBC. According to Kirby, Imus, due to his speaking about a mercury-autism link, is the “one true friend….in the mainstream media” of “thousands of parents of autistic children.” Noting that Imus’ racist remarks about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team were “reprehensible,” Kirby says:
Those three nasty words heard round the world may well end a career that began before the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team was even born. Soon, these remarkable women may get married and give birth to kids of their own. If they live in New Jersey and give birth to a son, they can count on a one-in-60 chance that he will develop autism, according to the CDC.
Right up there with death and taxes is something to “count on,” namely “…. a one-in-60 chance” of having an autistic son, if you “live in New Jersey.”
Fortunately, since parents, school districts, the State Assembly, various state agencies, and just about every one in this state is more and more aware of autism, it seems that having an autistic child in New Jersey may not necessarily be the worst of fates. It is not something that you can necessarily count on; being the parent of an autistic child is not always easy. But having an autistic child does not mean that your life, and your child’s life, will not be good: It can be very good indeed.
And you might even be able count on that.
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POSTED IN: Books, New Jersey, Rhetoric, Vaccines
13 opinions for David Kirby, Autism, and New Jersey
mcewen
Apr 14, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Well I think we already know about his dot to dot skills.
Best wishes
Phil
Apr 14, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Kirby has dot to dot skills? He didn’t realise that Imus apparently had a history of racist comments (nothing as obvious as this recent nonsense).
And as much as Imus apparently was a supporter of Autism issues - to be blunt, with an attitude that this racist slur reveals I’m almost willing to bet that he didn’t do it out of any genuine feelings of helping out. I’ll bet he did it just to get headlines - positive ones, but headlines nonetheless.
Best if he’s forgotten I think.
Joseph Mele
Apr 14, 2007 at 9:11 pm
How can some one support Autism issues without supporting Autistic issues?
If the parents movement wasn’t so focused just on them and their pain a lot of wasted energies and the rift between mainstream autism and self advocacy wouldn’t be there.
Joeymom
Apr 14, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Of course, the reason there are so many autistic kids in NJ is because people move there to get services. We’ve even seriosuly considered it ourselves. Delaware is apparently another good destination. It’s not about being born there.
livsparents
Apr 14, 2007 at 10:44 pm
“Of course, I am totally biased. I support research into a possible mercury-autism link. And Don Imus had me on his show three times to discuss it. The first time I appeared, in April, 2005, my book on the subject went from a 5-digit ranking on Amazon to a one-digit ranking, in the time it took me to drive home from MSNBC to Brooklyn.”
Oh, it’s so nice for Mr Kirby to voice his TRUE lamentation.
What is 1 in 60 in NJ will soon work out to 1 in 60 in the nation.
We as a group will be able to replace the voice of Don Imus…
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 14, 2007 at 10:51 pm
I have to wonder if the services elsewhere were the same as in NJ, what would the prevalence rate be—-more like in NJ’s?
kirbystynx
Apr 14, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Imus has a long history of racist/sexist bullying remarks. It wasn’t his “three little words” that toppled his career, it was also the thousands of other slurs, and yes they were just as bad. For what ever reason, this one just hit an especially raw nerve.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200703070009
There’s more. He’s made plenty of snide comments about gays, but here’s Mr. Gay Rights David (in a closet now) Kirby sticking up for Imus.
Kirby was told when his book came out that he was abusive to atuistic adults and their rights, and he has made it quite clear that he intends to abuse autistic adults, his goal of bashing the CDC is foremost in his mind. Devil take the hindmost.
What do you bet the SAFE MINDS gang pays him by the word for everthing he gets on to Huffington Post?
landonsmom
Apr 14, 2007 at 11:19 pm
I live in Indiana, and are rates are 1 in 74…..and I don’t think anyone is moving here with their autistic kids to get services, our services, resources, and supports are virtually non-existent, but I do think parents move to New Jersey to get the education for their autistic children that rivals most states….we have considered moving ourselves.
I don’t know how Mr. Kirby knows that Don Imus speaks for thousands of parents of autistic children or that he is the one true friend autistics have….has he taken an official poll?
I can tell you this, he doesn’t speak for me and he is not my friend! Nothing he has supposedly done for autistic children has helped my son and I wouldn’t want people to think that someone who makes remarks like he did so carelessly speaks for me or for my son.
I would much rather have an ‘unknown’ speak for the autistic world, parents and children alike, who represents the community with an objective view with no slant one way or the other.
Deborah
Apr 14, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Being the mother of a 9 year old with autism and living in Pennsylvania we were seriously considering a move to a warmer client right before our son was diagnosed. Upon his diagnosis we were told to stay in PA for this state is one of the better states (preceeded by NY and NJ) for services. In reality all though services here are great, and getting better with the passage of autism services outside of the MH/MR offices and soon to be passed legislation that would FORCE private insurance comapanies to pick up their fair share of costs, it is pretty sad to think how bad services are in other states.
We are one of the lucky parents. Services started for my son within 5 months diagnosis, mainly as a result I wrote to then Govenor Tom Ridge after waiting for 3 months with nothing happening. I also believe that our “luck” is a direct result of my attitude of “not settling for second best” where he was concerned. To some extent we make our own “luck”. Most people who encounter me know I will fight whatever war I must in order for our son to have what he needs. Take no prisoners attitude has paid off 1000 fold for us.
stop faux trophy wives husbands
Apr 15, 2007 at 1:02 am
Thanks kirbystynx for that link. Um, wow, from that you can see that it was just building and building for corporate to can him. It’s very unsettling how much Imus & Company thought they could get away with. Are they skinheads or something? I’m serious, I don’t know, but that’s what they sound like.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Apr 15, 2007 at 1:24 am
This NY Times essay analyzes why Imus’ comment was not so funny.
Kev
Apr 15, 2007 at 1:55 am
“Those three nasty words heard round the world”
Rest assured Mr Kirby, 99.9% of the world neither know about nor care about Don Imus being sacked. 99.9% of the international autism community don’t know who Don Imus is.
Joseph Mele
Apr 15, 2007 at 9:00 am
Thanks from Kev the NT who is the autistic conscience and understands who speaks correctly and who doesn’t.
The man who never had to endure a day of abuse and judgement.
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