Savage on autism: "A fraud ... In 99% of cases, it's a brat ..."

How did this pathetic excuse for a man wind up with a nationally syndicated radio show?!?

I suppose his blatant ignorance and psychological regression here is a bit entertaining though...

Actually I think it's Michael Savage who didn't have a father around to tell him, 'Don't act like a moron ... Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot'.

People with mental conditions like autism are easy targets ... sad.

I have to agree in one way with Michael. You don't want to be abusive but you should confront these idiosyncratic behaviors each and every time and balance with consolement and love. Analyze when and where the child behaves like this.
I have a son 8.5 years old. At 3.5 years old he was "diagnosed" with Autism. Though I could see the oddities in his behaviors, I often doubted. Though I aknowledged the difficulties in learning and interacting, I still doubted. He always tried to remember what Mom told him to not do. Like making chirping noises insesantly or bang the head on the wall or shake the hands. I met teachers along the way that would tell me to let him do these things. I disagreed. I would stop him each and every time. And I was honest. I wasn't hurtful. I would say, "You cannot keep doing that, people are going to think you are crazy. Do you want people to think that? Because you are not. Are you feeling nervous right now. OK what would make you feel better? Do you want to paint, or go to the park or use the trampouline? I also would take my son to restaurants every night to get him accustomed to proper behavior in public. I would force him to sit properly in a booth. It was incredibly painful going through it. The schools put him in Spec Ed in Pre K and K before I learned his rights. It was then that I insisted he be in regular class and he started with a full time aide. I would instruct the aide to treat him as your regular child. If he would freak out on another kid for not getting his way, that he was to be sent to the Principal's office if necessary. Eventually I weaned him off the need for having an aide beside him. I told the teachers to have faith in my plan. That my son will learn, but though it may be the hard way, I want him to experience and not be kept from it. So, at first it was like each and everyday, a report of what was wrong at school that day. It was incredibly hard. Even though I knew sometimes, he was a bit slow in grasping what he did wrong I would hold him responsible for his actions and priveledges were taken away. I always told him straight forth and didn't coddle him like he was incapable of ever getting it. Eventually, after the hardest phase passed, he began to check his reaction before giving it and his impulse control strengthened. I constantly have reminded him to "listen up, keep your ears open you may miss something very important". And I have explained to him that "if you repeat yourself over and over and over, people will say you have this thing called Autism and then they think you can't understand stuff the same way as other people and that is not true is it?". He began to completely acknowledge what I was trying to help him with. Eventually, he really started leveling out. I felt it was a good time to have him reassessed. Guess what? The Psychologist at the Regional Center for people with Autism said, "I don't think he quite meets the criteria for having Autism". Do you think I cried my face off?
The reason is this...
If I died tomorrow, who would work in the way we have together for 5 years? Noone, not quite in the same way. If the record says Autism, he will be doubted often.
I do not fear if it is actual, but if it is given so early on in life that it hinders the persons opportunities and the chances they receive, it is not fair to them. People need not jump on the Autism bandwagon if their 4 year old lines up Hot Wheel cars for example. Or if they are speaking late or not interested in playing with other kids too much. What they need to do is say, "Oh, look! Can I make your cars go around in a circle?!" and if the kid has a ballistic fit, the parent then needs to say, "Hey, stop that, I was just trying to play with you. Do you want to have friends? Then you can’t freak out at them if they have an idea." In no way is it fair to not give a person enough credit to put them up to a challenge or be honest with them. Thank You for reading!

LOL someone has never met a kid with Autism before.

I guess we now know why Michael Savage is such a tool. Daddy issues?

To the first poster I agree... and more so how did this wind up on Current tv?

Savage is a fraud.

I agree with cdltnia. While this guy is obviously out of touch with reality, he does bring a growing problem into light that needs addressed. There are many kids out there being misdiagnosed with autism when they only have minor behavioral problems. I went through the same kind of issues with my oldest daughter. I was told over & over that she must have autism. I was open to the possibility but it just didn't seem right to me. For three school terms I said, "I believe she has a speech problem." It took three rounds of autism testing at two different schools for them to finally admit that she had a developmental speech delay.
The problem is two-fold. One: The indicators for autism are just far too broad. Flapping of the hands for instance is a "dead giveaway" of autism, but any child who likes birds flaps their hands quite often. Especially if the family has a pet bird. Two: The psychological industry is full of people who jump to autism before any comprehensive testing has taken place. Instead of taking a look at the full range of problems that it could be, we and other families we have met were all told that our child had autism before the testing even began. One counselor actually wanted us to medicate our daughter before the testing even started. Now imagine if we had done that before learning our child had a speech delay.
I hope this man can either get his facts straight or just shut up, he just takes a bad situation & makes it worse. The idea that 99 percent of children diagnosed with autism just need a good scolding is shock value nonsense. I do feel though that the latest statistic, 1 in 100 children have autism, is also a sad result of poorly misdiagnosed children.

I used to work in a bookstore when his stupid 'Savage Nation' came out, and I used to try and talk people out of buying it...

What an effing bastard...

You can't denounce someone and expect people to not be curious. It's better to just tell to read it and enjoy it instead of making them want to read it whether or not they enjoy it.

I think what he said was dumb....unless it was taken out of context. Meaning he was being sarcastic as he was saying it.

right. they're still normal, even though their brains are wired differently and all the testing proves their autism.

I have a lot of autistic people in my family. My immediate family dodged the genes, but that is an even better thing, because someone has to help them.

Look, savage, you are a SAVAGE and don't deserve to live, much less be on the radio, until you have sat in a wheel chair, not being able to move, but being able to hear everything around you. Or suffering from downs syndrome.

Better yet, I hope your children have to suffer from it, you monster.

Clearly this person has never met someone who has autism

Yeah! Disregard all those studies and researches done for years and just debunk with it by saying it's fraud!
Epic FAIL!

well some of the things he says may be idiotic but he is only excersising his right to free speech. he probably also said that for publicity. We are doing exactly what he wants by talking about him right now. It was an ignorant thing to say, but any publicity is good publicity.

How do we know he isn't correct? Is anyone here an expert on the subject?
I have been listening to his program for years. In many areas he is correct. One thing he is not is ignorant. I have one of the T shirts he markets with his statement "liberalism is a mental disorder" on the back. It gets good reviews when I wear it. Personally I think he should run for president. He has more sense then what we will probably wind up with in November.

This seems indicitive of a conservative talk show idealogy. There is no such thing as victims, only rating boosters. This man realy deserved nothing. No comments. No added media attention. No ratings at all. We need to learn to punish his wallet for his ignorance. His mouth is his livlihood and if it only spews garbage he should be a pauper.

Autism is a very real yet misunderstood disorder that affects an individual in varying ways, mentally and physically. Some cases are more serious than others; there is a wide spectrum of symptoms and, just like any "normal" person, each autistic individual is unique and deals with their problems in their own way.
Please, PLEASE America, stop drawing large generalizations; this goes to both Michael Savage and to any parent who thinks they can "conquer" autism. Because in recent years we have made what *qualifies* as Autism quite large, yes, there are some individuals who can function quite normally in society and can be told to, as Savage indecently states, "Stop acting like a putz;" however, just as telling this to a "normal" child, this may be quite detrimental to the autistic individual in question. Similarly, there are those who can never function by themselves and anyone trying to say otherwise is oblivious to their condition and probably a "putz" themselves.
In conclusion, STOP making generalizations about his condition, it is a annoying, rude, and proves that you are even more daft that we gave you credit for in the first place. Similarly, please stop shoveling us enlightening stories about a single case--again, this issue is *far* to broad to be supported/refuted by a single nice story.

Notice he gives himself that 1% margin for error so if you introduce him to an autistic person he would just say they are the 1%. Ignorance like this is hard to break, I just wish he didn't have the ability to spread his stupidity. Ignorance breeds ignorance.

We can only hope that in his next life he has a whole family of autistic children!!!

The Michael Savage entertainment persona is pretty clever. He picks a weak target which he blames for the problems of the world. He's telling you to blame the guy next to you or below you instead of the guy above you, because it's easier. That's why he's so appealing. Hate the parents because they're idiots, not the medical industry because they want to make money by prescribing medication.

We've all been at a cafe or restaurant where there is a kid that's screaming his head off, while his parents just ignore him. It's easy to get mad and think, what the hell are those parents doing, they need to shut that kid up. That's the emotion that drives Savage's career. That's why he is nationally syndicated.

It's difficult to think logically about the issue and consider that the child may actually have a problem, or the medical industry is going about the problem the wrong way. Those idea's require critical thinking, which they don't teach until college, unfortunately.

Hate sells.

PaintingM:

It is incredibly important to take into consideration many opinions on Autism, considering the spectrum is so broad.
I will never say that my son doesn't have a special learning condition but at this point in his life I am not going to pin a label on him or let people who spend 1 hour or 4 hours a month with him.
One enlightening story like mine and Jon's can open up the possibilties for kids out there who are underestimated.
I always noticed in my son, Autism or not, that he would get very erratic and sometimes act ballistically when he was very young in let's say places with bright lights and lots of colors and items to look at. Should we keep them out of public places even if more severe. Absolutely not. The more someone is exposed to something, the less afeected they are by it.
This is why I made it so very clear, I thought, to gently explain and support along the way.
Many children called Autistic fall within the spectrum that Jon was falling within. And some of those mothers won't let their children go out on a baseball field or in a rec center art class because they find it too difficult or embarrassing. The purpose of my sharing our story was not to receive ridicule from young ladies as yourself. It was to share an example that continues to evolve. My son and all the kids called Autistic severe or mild have feelings, opinions and personalities. You must give people the chance to learn even it takes thousands of times trying to say yes, or no, or smile in approval. Not decide for them who they are and what they cannot or will be able to do in their lives.
For you to underestimate our experience and efforts that continue, I might add, is showing a serious lack of compassion and respect for those who try and encourage. And that my dear is something you should stop doing. It's someone essentially saying, "Do not share your positive stories with anyone. We don't care what your opinion is." I put aside everything in my life everyday for years and slowly I am bringing back some things. Things you cannot imagine- to focus on the things my son has needed and early on was desperate for. And because I set myself aside as a parent should do for the sake of their child's well being, he was not painted intot he Special Education corner. Pardon me for being proud of his efforts and mine and wanting to state my very private and intense experiences.
My son didn't talk til he was 5. He would tip toe hop and bob his head and shake his hands constantly and he could not bond with his peers on the play ground. Could you imagine my heartbreak when other "average" kids would be mean to him or ignore or make faces towards him? So I helped him by explaining the way we introduce ourselves so he wouldn't be nervous and lost. I would give him 2 bottles of bubbles- one for him and one to share.
Your attitude towards what I am sharing is very shallow. This is an emotional journey, painstaken at times with my child. My most beautiful boy in the world. If you only knew or could really relate.
This isn't an easy road. It doesn't disappear. I never said that. It is a constant work in progress. But I have instilled faith in him that he can retain. That he can play basketball and learn how to interact "normally" with his peers. So that the world will not be cruel to him. Because sadly that is this life and I love him more than to place limits on him- EVER.

In regards to Michael Savage. I don't know this guy and he sounds like an old guy with an old guy attitude.

But I will say this, when my husband finally became more authoritative verbally and started giving more guidance verbally, my son became much more responsive and self aware.

can say i agree on his execution here, but...



i do believe "professionals" and doctors are too quick to throw around words like "autism" "ADD" and "ADHD" when diagnosing wily children these days.

It's unfortunate that the American airwaves has to deal with a guy like this. Far worse, is to be a father of a son in the Autism spectrum and have to even contemplate the idiocy that he is spewing into a national debate that is finally gaining some progressive momentum. The only real way to garner a foothold on whether or not autism is a myth would be to go to an autism clinic where caring professionals are trying to help parents cope and assist kids in healing. The bottom line is that this Savage guy is so off kilter that he should get on the 'legal dope' Limbaugh is on and re-think his gross mis-calculation of something that is purely non-fiction. Further, he would also do all of us a favor by burying his head in the sand and contemplating the 'big bang' theory, which hopefully will be the triumphant end of his hateful career in publc discourse.

I am sorry to say Old Man get up to date with things you know more about. If I had enough money right now I would sue you for every thing you have. Until you walk in a autisc child shoes you do not know what there life is like, and what there family life is. A all a parent can is sit back and do the best that we can. Your topics should not be on the diagnois of our child but on that of our government what the have do to these child I have daugther that has been thru every test that she can go thru and it still comes back to the vaccines. But our lovely government say they can not go to school with out them, plus want talk about decpline a child yes more child needs to get there buts pop. But our lovely government said we can not pop our children buts. Want talk things why don't you talk about children with disability that can not quality for help because everything goes on a parents income. Basic that limit is very high. if a familiy of four income is over $2700 a month well guess what they don't get help. A family of four & two parents working full time make more than that and house, car payment in all the phone, insurance, daycare, medical, power, water, gas, etc. goes over that just in a regular family but you add child with a disabiliy that need help 24/7 and medical needs. family can not help of loose everything they have. Another talk if you want talk about the government not doing any thing to help families that have lost home to predatroy lend I one also government has help me get the money I lose back can help all these other people in foresclosure now. Our government is sad and they need to start look at who they are really hurt which is us little people that make less than $50000. and elderly, children with disability, they really need to start figure out what they can do. Old man telling right now better wish you are not in front of me right now. I also have a daugther with autism, it is not easy, I would take you for everything you have and make you keep her for two months to see how if feels to do this night and day run have her and than look at my son which is normal and see what I can not give him because the government will not give me they back owed help and money she needs. Yes I should sue you and the government for what you said and for what the government has done to her. If you can prove she not one like to see that have. Cause I just said I have a normal son also.

i couldn't even finish listening he makes me sick and i wish is was possible for the autistic community to file a class action case against him for slander, what a total tool, I could go on and on about why it pisses me off but i think we all know...so i won't waste the letters on him.

much love to the families and friends that are trying to heal their loved ones everyday.