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Mark Rober come out with his autistic son. Announced autism charity.

Cow Mengde

Cow Mengde

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,718
Powerful and sad video. Sad because he was worried about what would happen if the internet knew his son was autistic.

He's teaming up with a bunch of real celebrities and online personalities for a charity on April 30th I believe.

 
Nocturnowl

Nocturnowl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,114
I don't have much to say other than thanks for sharing, always happy to see support for autism.

And that's a pretty stacked celeb lineup!
 
CerealEnthusiast

CerealEnthusiast

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
617
I have no idea why but I cried when I watched this video earlier. There's nothing sad in it per se, but it made me cry.
 
Dalek

Dalek

Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,962
That's awesome. I bet his son loves all the cool things his dad comes up with.
 
Joshua

Joshua

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,727
I thought he was already forthright he had a child with autism (like I feel like I knew this for some time)? But that's definitely the first time I've seen him have his son in front of the camera (and maybe only 2nd or 3rd time for his wife).

Can't wait for the April 30th livestream. I will definitely donate.
 
PennyStonks

PennyStonks

Banned
May 17, 2018
4,401
Wonderful video. I'm about as high functioning as Autism gets; 15 years ago I probably would have been considered "Cured by adulthood" because I am able to support myself.

This video does a good job with an example of sensory overload. Going to the supermarket was probably the equivalent of going to a rave for an average person.

I will never be a fan of "Super-Power". There has yet to be any power in my experiences at least.
 
CerealEnthusiast

CerealEnthusiast

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
617
Cow Mengde said:
Probably sad from knowing how cruel the world can be to a child for being different. Mark was clearly hesitant in revealing this. In the comments, he says this was filmed 2 years ago.
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Probably. Or maybe I cried because it made me happy to see those kids happy. Reminds me I also cry every single time I watch the Xbox Adaptative Controller Superbowl ad. When I see kids with disabilities enjoying life it hits me every single time.
 
RussTC3

RussTC3

Banned
Nov 28, 2018
1,878
I've always enjoyed his videos, and this is a great cause. Went ahead and donated to help the cause. Thanks, OP, for bringing this to attention. I hadn't seen it yet.
 
Kyuuji

Kyuuji

The Favonius Fox
Member
Nov 8, 2017
32,217
Really touching and emotional video. Always been a fan of Mark, will be sure to catch the stream and make a donation.
 

Matarick

Member
Nov 11, 2017
92
Please boycott this since the funds are raised for NEXT for Autism since they finance the abusive programs that harm young neurodivergent minds and bodies and collaborates with Autism Speaks, which has a history of labeling people of the Spectrum as 'damaged' or 'broken'. The organization is listed in this Website and as a survivor of Applied Behavioral Analysis, I morally oppose any future use of ABA. I have read the description of the video.
 
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PennyStonks

PennyStonks

Banned
May 17, 2018
4,401
Matarick said:
Please boycott this since the funds are raised for NEXT for Autism since they finance the abusive programs that harm young neurodivergent minds and bodies and collaborates with Autism Speaks, which has a history of labeling people of the Spectrum as 'damaged' or 'broken'. The organization is listed in this Website and as a survivor of Applied Behavioral Analysis, I morally oppose any future use of ABA. I have read the description of the video.
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Parents want their children to be able to support themselves.

Personally, ABA was the least abusive "Therapy" I went through. Sure, it was awful, but I was never strapped to a chair or slapped around because I didn't bathe correctly.
 
Norris1020

Norris1020

Prophet of Regret
Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,461
Just want to say I love this video, as the father of a 6 year old boy with autism and so much of what he said of his interaction with this son sure hits home for me.
 

Deleted member 1849

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,986
PennyStonks said:
Parents want their children to be able to support themselves.

Personally, ABA was the least abusive "Therapy" I went through. Sure, it was awful, but I was never strapped to a chair or slapped around because I didn't bathe correctly.
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Here is a crazy idea: How about we not use descriptions of borderline torture as our benchmark for if a therapy is functional or not. Like, I'm pretty sure in most countries that's not even a thing. I'm on the spectrum and was never exposed to any abuse like that. Only the typical therapy/social coaching.

Behavioural therapies are controversial because of the stress it causes the individual and alongside that, an increased rate of autistic meltdowns. A lot of this comes from the basic attitude of autism being "something wrong with you that needs to be treated" where being "treated" only means "acting more normal" without any regards for the health or happiness of the individual.
 
Kernel

Kernel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,889
That's an awesome video. My son is autistic so I can definitely relate. He's also a savant and can do that date calculation in his head too.
I don't think autism should be seen as something wrong with the person but as a parent there's obviously a lot of challenges you have to deal with.
 
Thordinson

Thordinson

Member
Aug 1, 2018
18,080
Nappael said:
Here is a crazy idea: How about we not use descriptions of borderline torture as our benchmark for if a therapy is functional or not. Like, I'm pretty sure in most countries that's not even a thing. I'm on the spectrum and was never exposed to any abuse like that. Only the typical therapy/social coaching.

Behavioural therapies are controversial because of the stress it causes the individual and alongside that, an increased rate of autistic meltdowns. A lot of this comes from the basic attitude of autism being "something wrong with you that needs to be treated" where being "treated" only means "acting more normal" without any regards for the health or happiness of the individual.
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That's my problem with ABA as well. It simply wants neurodivergent people to act like neurotypical people instead of helping neurodivergent people to live healthy and happy lives as they are.

I know a few people in the deaf community who feel similar about cochlear implants.
 
TaySan

TaySan

SayTan
Member
Dec 10, 2018
31,452
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Matarick said:
Please boycott this since the funds are raised for NEXT for Autism since they finance the abusive programs that harm young neurodivergent minds and bodies and collaborates with Autism Speaks, which has a history of labeling people of the Spectrum as 'damaged' or 'broken'. The organization is listed in this Website and as a survivor of Applied Behavioral Analysis, I morally oppose any future use of ABA. I have read the description of the video.
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If that's the case then I can't get behind this. Fuck Autism Speaks. What a shame I found the video touching as someone that's autistic. :(
 
OP
OP
Cow Mengde

Cow Mengde

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,718
Matarick said:
Please boycott this since the funds are raised for NEXT for Autism since they finance the abusive programs that harm young neurodivergent minds and bodies and collaborates with Autism Speaks, which has a history of labeling people of the Spectrum as 'damaged' or 'broken'. The organization is listed in this Website and as a survivor of Applied Behavioral Analysis, I morally oppose any future use of ABA. I have read the description of the video.
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Instead of boycotting, how about reaching out to Mark and get him to change the charity instead? He's trying to do good.
 
Spinluck

Spinluck

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
28,475
Chicago
Yes let's boycott this over an angry ERA post.

How convincing.

Please back up your claims.

Edit: read the attached article, seems convincing enough, Googled Autism Speaks and saw the shit reviews. Oh well, no fault to the people in the video, they are just trying to do good.
 
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lvl 99 Pixel

lvl 99 Pixel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,699
oh ffs this is another Autism Speaks charity? The intent seemed so genuine its so sad to see this particular charity getting attention
 

Deleted member 1849

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,986
Spinluck said:
Yes let's boycott this over an angry ERA post.

How convincing.

Please back up your claims.

Edit: read the attached article, seems convincing enough, Googled Autism Speaks and saw the shit reviews. Oh well, no fault to the people in the video, they are just trying to do good.
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"Back up your claims", you say, before reading the attached article which backed up his claims.
 
Kernel

Kernel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,889
Thordinson said:
That's my problem with ABA as well. It simply wants neurodivergent people to act like neurotypical people instead of helping neurodivergent people to live healthy and happy lives as they are.

I know a few people in the deaf community who feel similar about cochlear implants.
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No idea what kind of ABA you're referring to but my son went through ABA and all it did is teach him to talk andother essential skills.

No one tried to "cure" his autism or make him "appear normal ", that was never the goal.
 
Thordinson

Thordinson

Member
Aug 1, 2018
18,080
Kernel said:
No idea what kind of ABA you're referring to but my son went through ABA and all it did is teach him to talk andother essential skills.

No one tried to "cure" his autism or make him "appear normal ", that was never the goal.
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Applied Behavior Analysis. Many people on the spectrum speak out about it.

Many therapies can be helpful for autistic people, like physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and AAC. We think these therapies should be easier for autistic people to get. But there are some therapies that focus on making autistic people seem "normal" or appear "less autistic". The most common type of this therapy is Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). ABA uses rewards and punishments to train autistic people to act non-autistic. ABA and other therapies with the same goals can hurt autistic people, and they don't teach us the skills we actually need to navigate the world with our disabilities. Sometimes people say they use ABA to work on other skills, like communication. There are better ways to teach those skills. We work to make those better ways available to everyone.
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It's also been known to use electric shocks and physical punishment before.

The Judge Rotenberg Center tortures some of the people living there using an electric shock device called a Gradual Electronic Decelerator (GED). Children and adults at the JRC are forced to wear the GED on their bodies. Using a remote control, someone else can use the GED to give an electric shock to the person wearing it. The JRC uses the GED as an "aversive:" they use the pain of the electric shock to punish people for doing certain things.
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If people on the spectrum are against it, their voices need to be heard.
 
Necromanti

Necromanti

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,550
Autism Speaks is awful. There's definitely a spectrum of views on the matter, and both ends can be damaging. The neurodiversity movement certainly has elements that like to gaslight you into thinking that whatever is impairing your quality of life is a "superpower". Either way, advocacy needs to involve the community being advocated for.
 
Chopchop

Chopchop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,171
I'm not really a fan of calling it a superpower. Also haven't heard good things about ABA or Autism Speaks.

He may be trying to spread awareness and that's good, but he may be aligning himself with some things that don't handle autism well.
 
Spinluck

Spinluck

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
28,475
Chicago
Chopchop said:
I'm not really a fan of calling it a superpower. Also haven't heard good things about ABA or Autism Speaks.

He may be trying to spread awareness and that's good, but he may be aligning himself with some things that don't handle autism well.
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I don't like it either. It really misses the day to day reality of living with a different neural make up. I have severe ADHD and am on the spectrum. When people tell me to embrace it as a superpower i cringe.

It's like yeah, you can do remarkable things that neurotypical people will applaud you for but that's but a moment. Every other second of the day you're trying to figure out how to move through the world as a seemingly normal adult.

Can only imagine what the children face.
 
Kernel

Kernel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,889
Thordinson said:
If people on the spectrum are against it, their voices need to be heard
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Oh they're being heard.

I didn't mention that my son was mistreated at one ABA place he briefly went to so I get where they're coming from.

I'm just saying I don't believe ABA should be painted based on the experience of some. None of the people I've interacted with condoned negative reinforcements, electrical shocks or anything of the sort.

From my experiences, there's a lot of unqualified and inexperienced people hired to do this and that's why we pulled out.
 
Chopchop

Chopchop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,171
Spinluck said:
I don't like it either. It really misses the day to day reality of living with a different neural make up. I have severe ADHD and am on the spectrum. When people tell me to embrace it as a superpower i cringe.

It's like yeah, you can do remarkable things that neurotypical people will applaud you for but that's but a moment. Every other second of the day you're trying to figure out how to move through the world as a seemingly normal adult.

Can only imagine what the children face.
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Yeah. I understand the push away from calling it a disability, but calling it a superpower takes it too far in the other direction. Calling it a superpower downplays the issues that autistic people have to deal with in day to day life. It's just not that simple, and speaking in broad strokes glosses over the details, even if done with good intentions.
 
Meauxse

Meauxse

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,248
New Orleans, LA
Per the video description, he filmed this two years ago as he was concerned about internet reaction. Heart breaking. As a parent, infinite respect to Mark.
 
Thordinson

Thordinson

Member
Aug 1, 2018
18,080
Kernel said:
Oh they're being heard.

I didn't mention that my son was mistreated at one ABA place he briefly went to so I get where they're coming from.

I'm just saying I don't believe ABA should be painted based on the experience of some. None of the people I've interacted with condoned negative reinforcements, electrical shocks or anything of the sort.

From my experiences, there's a lot of unqualified and inexperienced people hired to do this and that's why we pulled out.
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I'm sorry to hear about your son being mistreated, friend.

I'm a bit confused here. You saying we shouldn't paint ABA based on the experience of some but a lot of unqualified and inexperienced people are doing it. This makes it seem like it's a net negative since a large number of people doing it are harming others.
 
Dreams-Visions

Dreams-Visions

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
41,368
Miami, FL
His functionality is at about the same level of my big brother who is also autistic and partially retarded (blue baby).

Always nice to see more charities and awareness. It's very difficult to raise low-functioning autistic children. Especially boys, as when they hit puberty, they can become fairly violent (testosterone). His challenge is likely to increase significantly in a few years. Best to him. Send him your patience and energy; he's likely to need it.
 
Jag

Jag

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,673
PennyStonks said:
Wonderful video. I'm about as high functioning as Autism gets; 15 years ago I probably would have been considered "Cured by adulthood" because I am able to support myself.

This video does a good job with an example of sensory overload. Going to the supermarket was probably the equivalent of going to a rave for an average person.

I will never be a fan of "Super-Power". There has yet to be any power in my experiences at least.
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I think my 17 year old son is similar to you. Most people would never know he is on the spectrum, but he has some severe social issues that don't come up when you first meet him. But he eventually alienates everyone. It's why he's never had a close friend. We are getting him ready to apply for college, which is terrifying. I wonder if he will be able to support himself someday. I do think he will, but he will have some serious challenges in life.
 

LFMartins86

Member
Nov 7, 2017
2,179
The stream was last night. Only watched the ending, Mark was very emotional and even Jimmy Kimmel was having trouble in fighting off the tears. They raised over 3M$.
 
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