Katie Wright Does Not Speak for Autism Speaks
I did not make that up; Ms. Wright’s parents and the founders of Autism Speaks, Bob and Suzanne Wright, have issued a statement in which they make this quite clear.
Katie Wright is not a spokesperson for Autism Speaks. Our daughter’s personal views differ from ours and do not represent or reflect the ongoing mission of Autism Speaks. Her appearance with David Kirby was done without the knowledge or consent of Autism Speaks.
The appearance of Katie Wright with David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm, is this recent interview.
The Wrights have also previously stated that it is because of their grandson Christian—Katie Wright’s son—that they began Autism Speaks. They also note in their statement that
Autism Speaks is committed to finding the causes of and a cure for autism. We are proud of our scientifically based research programs, including those established by NAAR and CAN, and will continue to pursue them. The members of our scientific advisory teams have impeccable credentials and we fully support them. There is no question that genetics plays the leading role in autism and that environmental triggers are key issues for many children. These areas, as well as biomedical treatments, need huge research support.
That is, the Wrights seem to feel it necessary to underscore the science behind the research that they support; one wonders if some eyebrows have been raised in regard to Katie Wright’s statements regarding vaccines as causing her son’s autism and her references to using biomedical treatments?
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POSTED IN: Autism Organizations, Science, Vaccines
17 opinions for Katie Wright Does Not Speak for Autism Speaks
Richard
Jun 2, 2007 at 12:27 pm
That’s a strong statement from the Wrights! They need to support NAAR at the very least because this is the part of Autism Speaks that has support from the still small number of scientists who do research on autism. Katie Wright clearly said in her interview that her parents have been able to complete their own agenda of environmental research because of conservative NAAR scientists and parents whose kids have already grown up and that it’s time for them to go. So the Wrights probably had no choice but to speak for themselves.
I don’t know what the terms of the merger with NAAR were but I suspect the terms help to preserve the autonomy of the NAAR scientific advisory board from the advocacy and fund-raising side.
Leila
Jun 2, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I hope this family can make amends even though they are at odds in their views about autism. What bothers me is the EoHers/Generation Rescuers unhidden pleasure in publicly pulling Katie away from her parents.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 2, 2007 at 12:45 pm
This sentence was recently added to the statement (after I put up my post): “She is our daughter and we love her very much.” The first paragraph now reads:
The end of the statement reads thus:
Family First
Jun 2, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Wow. Handley et al, Katie’s handlers, must be so proud right now.
Julie
Jun 2, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I am sure that they were in a position were they had to make a statement. Katie has been out speaking her opinion that has no scientific backing. She is given a lot of press because of her family and wether or not her parents agree it is responsible of them to seperate autism speaks from their daughter and her views. I have not found autism speaks to be very helpful, but as one of the largest fund raising organizations for research they should not have an opinion that is anything but to help all that have autism have the best lives that they can and to fund research to help that come to fruition.
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Jun 2, 2007 at 3:10 pm
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laurentius-rex
Jun 2, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Yes well, there is disagreement amongst our opposition too, why should that be unusual.
Those who say I am weakening the hub by introducing a note of disagreement can see that the tendency to disagree and make public statements about it is universal.
As far as autism speaks goes, I made it perfectly clear in front of the UK Minister for Health that the spokesperson for autism speaks, also present, was not speaking for many adult autistics who profoundly disagree with that organisation in all its variants and guises. I do believe the Minister went away with the knowlege that there are different strands of opinion in the autism world, which is a start as she was not listening to much else.
Amanda
Jun 2, 2007 at 5:29 pm
“Weakening the hub” that way seems bizarre.
The hub, whatever it is, is weak if it can’t take disagreement from within, and will be weak in that regard whether or not the disagreement is voiced.
Dwight Clark
Jun 2, 2007 at 6:00 pm
If these people are not even speaking for their own daughter, who are they to claim they are speaking for anyone? The thing that really gets me is that they went back and altered the statment! Did someone think it was a little too harsh? I’m curious if there are any pharmaceutical companies on the list of donors for Autism Speaks…
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Jun 4, 2007 at 12:13 pm
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Caroline
Jun 5, 2007 at 10:39 am
Autism Speaks needs to employ a PR firm that understands the strong opinions and emotional aspects surrounding autism and other disorders. It sounds like the PR firm does not have a clue and lacks the ability to handle charged situations with the sensitivity such scenerios require.
Everyone associated with autism speaks needs training - a script even - on how to present themselves.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 5, 2007 at 10:52 am
Well said! I noted that, after the weekend, the Wrights’ statement was no longer on the front page of the Autism Speaks website.
Jayne
Jun 7, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Autism Speaks has done a good job of publicizing the epidemic. Full page ads and commercials on the current statistics are certainly useful. The way they are gobbling up other organizations such as NAAR does have me concerned. My husband has raised thousands for NAAR each year, for which the organization has been grateful, this year they didn’t bat an eyelash when he handed in his donations. We are not interested in supporting an organization that does not fund pure scientific research; the autism specials on The View and the news are all fine, but medical research is the only way to go towards finding a cure. One big amorphous autism organization where research doesn’t take a leading role does have me concerned…I could care less about the Wrights’ daughter mouthing off about vaccines, there are conflicting views about autism all over the map and why not in the same family?
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[…] his wife Suzanne “repudiated their daughter on the charity’s Web site” on Saturday, June 2nd. The June 18th New York Times reports Ms. Wright called the statement a “character […]
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