it's time to call a truce in the Autism "civil wars"

Traditional "mommy wars" like breastfeeding or formula feeding, baby wearing or strollers and carriers, bed sharing or cribs and CIO, getting an epidural and hospital births vs home births,  and so on don't quite hold a light to that of the Autism "mommy" wars...well not necessarily "mommy" wars. It's Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Siblings, individuals themselves with Autism, therapists, doctors, researchers, teachers, advocates everyone. It's the Autism Community Civil Wars!

To those who aren't in the trenches of Autism daily, living this life may have a hard time understanding how controversies can exist over what Autism is and how it should be treated. What causes it, Vaccines, genetics, pollution, gut issues, etc. If Autism needs a cure or if the thought of that is offensive, whether or not organizations like Autism Speaks are the devil, High Functioning Autistic individuals protesting parents and organizations etc
Well believe it or not they do exist, and they create an enormous division where there should be unity.

Autism is a spectrum disorder...it affects individuals mildly to severely. Why is it so hard to comprehend this and more important respect this? My daughter is non verbal, severe to moderately affected. I respect the feelings and thoughts of mildly affected or high functioning individuals and their parents. But don't fight against researchers trying to understand the disorder, it's causes, and possible treatments and cures. If your a totally independent individual with Autism living your life, I admire you. I am happy for you, I respect you and your family. You don't feel you need curing of anything and well, you don't. You are beautiful. That's your decision your thoughts your feelings. But the family with the 8 year old in pull ups, having seizures, unable to speak or communicate, unresponsive to therapy, hitting themselves until blood gushes from their face? Or the 65year old parent of the non verbal 35 year old severely autistic son? The families living on the lower end of the spectrum? Or the families who have lost their children due to wandering tendencies? They all have every right to want answers for their child or want to see their child be freed from the chains and locks Autism places on THEIR child or loved one.

It's sad that a divide like this exists in a community that grows larger and larger every day!!! A community that should be filled with grounded humble people. It's counterproductive to solving the problems that autistic parents, adults and children face daily. The vaccine, research, treatment, autism speaks, and all the other debates just need to be put to rest. Again, it's causing a divide and it's counterproductive!
Instead of spending your time fighting over this what about the real issues that always get left in the dark? Individuals with Autism being denied treatments and therapies that could help them improve enormously, denied services, insurance, SSI, etc Understaffed and undertrained schools, communities with NOTHING, no resources nothing! Kids being forgotten everyday and their parents never being heard! All anyone wants to talk about is positive feel good stories that make Autism look like a blessing to families it's bestowed upon when families of severely affected individuals are left in the dark and overshadowed by puzzle pieces and "Johnny" plays Mozart with out one lesson and is making friends. "Emily" didn't talk till she was 3 now she's overcome her Autism.. Or the articles and time spent covering your fighting!? Now the feel good stories don't get me wrong these stories are amazing and should be told but it's all you ever see and for those who don't live this life get a misconception. What about the 7 year old still silent? What about the mom up at 4am with her non verbal teenage son beating himself that he has to have his hands tied? What about the parents searching for help and solutions for years and never finding them or are just handed medication after medication or told to give up? What about the families fighting schools, local governments, and not getting anything to help their loved ones? Keep wasting time on vaccine debates, Should you or shouldn't you support Autism Speaks debates and ignore other advances in research, and fa while more children and families suffer. 1 in 68 people...1 in 68...each journey is different but each are connected and we should be supporting one another NOT fighting one another. Could you imagine unified Autism community? The possibilities then...endless. Support both sides of the spectrum, not just the one you are. Divided like it is now just hurts those who suffer most from it.

 So I will leave you with the words of the wise and inspiring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."