Francie's Interview with Channel Q's "Let's Go There"

{Image Description: a collage of children playing made using stock photos with the words “celebrate neurodiversity” floated over top in a fun fuchsia colored font.}

I was asked to interview with Channel Q's "Let's Go There" with Shira and Ryan on Monday evening to discuss the dangerous practice of parents trying to cure or reverse autism in their children. The public has been calling on the FDA to more strictly enforce laws to protect consumers (and their children) from false claims made by those who claim to sell alternative medicine. These laws have been in place for well over a decade but products like Miracle Mineral Solution continue to skirt the laws to the serious detriment of anyone who consumes them.

In preparation for the interview I got in touch with Emma Dalmayne of Autistic Inclusive Meets (based in the UK) and Melissa Eaton who have been working alongside other autistic people to call attention to the abuse of autistic children. Emma pointed out that organizations set up to protect the American people (FDA) and American children in specific (CPS) are failing to protect autistic kids from their own parents. The autistic community, which is made up mostly of autistic adults and some allies (that include parents of autistic kids), has been leading the charge to protect autistic children worldwide.

You can see several links on Robert Gehrman's Facebook page, Autistic Avenger, including a form for public commentary for a meeting with the FDA on July 15th, 2019.  A link to the post and a direct link to the form will be posted at the end of this post.

I felt very unsure going into the interview because I am not an expert on federal policies and sometimes find it too emotionally taxing to read about the abuse of autistic children. I do, however, know exactly what it is like to feel unwanted based on my own differences from other members of my family. I was raised to believe that I was vaccine injured and taken to see several alternative medicine providers and healers from a very early age. I didn’t know that I was autistic until I was in my mid-thirties and already running my own business, with two small children in tow. 

The name of the show, “Let’s Go There,” seems particularly apt as I also talked about aspects of my own identity and lived experiences that I had never discussed in public before. I hope you will enjoy listening and join in the call to action to support the autistic community in protecting autistic kids! ​

The Interview with Francie on Channel Q

Autistic Avenger post with Resources

Form for Public Commentary to the FDA