For those who are looking for content related to members of the Autistic community with the most intensive support needs (whether that describes you or someone you care for), steer clear of this podcast. Autism Confidential is a project of the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA), a vile organization full of parents of Autistic children with intensive support needs who believe (among other abhorrent things) the following. 1) It’s a moral imperative to wipe the autistic neurotype (and, thus, Autistic people) out of the human gene pool (they explicitly stated this in a 2021 Medium post). Anyone who calls this belief what it is - eugenics - is no more than an “anti-preventionist” hater. 2) All Autistic individuals are either not disabled enough or too disabled to have a valid opinion on issues that impact themselves and their communities. Parents and caregivers of Autistic people with intensive support needs (and charlatans, like applied behavior analysis practitioners) are the only people who deserve a seat at the table with those with the power to allocate funding and set research priorities related to the Autistic community. 3) Speaking Autistic individuals with minimal support needs and no co-occurring intellectual disabilities are not really Autistic and are stealing their children’s labels and resources. Only Autistic people who are non-speaking, have intensive support needs and/or are intellectually disabled deserve a clinical autism diagnosis and any kind of support, resources or accommodations. 4) Although they flatly reject other conspiracy theories regarding the autistic neurotype (like the thoroughly debunked vaccine connection), they unapologetically traffic in conspiracy theories regarding unproven environmental causes (especially their president, Jill Escher). 5) The autistic neurotype should never be treated as a natural variation of the human experience. Autistic people should be treated as diseased burdens instead. 6) Instead of researching and paying for legitimate and ethical ways to support Autistic people, we should just pour all funding into pseudoscientific and abusive compliance training masquerading as support (e.g., applied behavior analysis). 7) Instead of researching and paying for ways to keep Autistic people with intensive support needs (including those who engage in aggressive or self-injurious behavior) in their own homes (or their family homes), we should force them into segregated housing or institutions. 8) Non-speaking or minimally speaking Autistics with intensive support needs are incapable of any complex form of communication or self-advocacy. They shouldn’t be granted access to alternative means of communication or be allowed access to independent or shared decision-making. I could go on, but I would be here all day. If any of the points above fill you with disgust, please avoid this podcast and anything else with the NCSA’s fingerprints on it. If you agree with even a single point listed above, congratulations on finding like-minded bigots to commiserate with.

Thank you for this discussion on a universally difficult and complex topic. I have a 20-year old adult son living with my wife and I in California. He has severe Autism and IDD. This podcast offers key insight and perspective for us to more effectively plan for his and our future.