Stop Tony Attwood Mocking Autistic People

Comments

#3

Mocking disabled people is disgusting and NEVER okay. And autistics are the ones who aren’t supposed to have any empathy. Do better.

Sumar Williams (Edinburgh, 2021-07-17)

#6

Even children know it's wrong to mock people with disabilities. As an adult professional and an educator, this behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Intention doesn't matter over the impact this has on the autistic community, but I would encourage Mr. Attwood to self-examine and figure out why he feels that this is acceptable behavior and why he is so keen to continue. This is ableism.

Cassandra Baker (Prospect, 2021-07-17)

#8

I'm signing because my children are mocked enough already in daily life. It's seen as normal and acceptable to laugh at them for what they cannot help, for being who they are. Stop perpetuating the legend that it's ok to laugh at them. It's not. A meltdown is a result of being totally overwhelmed and unable to mask another second. It is not a tantrum over a minor inconvenience. It is a traumatic and exhausting experience for whoever is having one, and it is NOT funny to mimic one for laughs. Certainly not funny to anyone who has suffered one. It is insulting, and it trivialises both the reasons for meltdowns, and the overwhelming misery of anyone having one. Just stop it.

Karen Lavery (Belfast, 2021-07-17)

#9

I have been to an event where he similarly mocked us. It was very upsetting and othering.

Julia Clark (Bicester, 2021-07-17)

#10

I have no actual hope this will stop Mr Atwood from acting this way because he makes a lot of money abusing us, exploiting his son, and has clearly shown he has no interest in listening to actual autistic people.

I mostly hope this will act as a public record of his abusive nature and potentially discourage some allistic parents of autistic children from following his lead to abuse their children.

Red Hamilton Russell (Glasgow, 2021-07-17)

#11

I'm signing because it is immensely disrespectful and rude for Attwood to mock autistic people, when he's not autistic.
We deserve better than being objects for his crude attempts at standup.
No to Attwood making jokes at our expense.

Nicky Vere-Compton (Cambridge, 2021-07-17)

#12

Mocking or otherwise imitating an autistic meltdown contributes to the marginalization of autistic people. It’s incredibly hurtful to see a so called “professional” behaving in this manner.

Ananda Southard (Carrollton, 2021-07-17)

#23

I am appalled by this behavior.

Melly Adoree (Binghamton, 2021-07-17)

#24

How disappointing. You have been part of the autistic world for long enough Mr Attwood, what possessed you to do this? As a PDAer myself, I think yiu could do with updating your training and behaviour before you alienate all your fans, not just the ones with enough ethical values to highlight your ableism and clear disregard for actual autistic folk. It's 2021 Mr Attwood, improve your standards.

Kyra Chambers (Penwithick, 2021-07-17)

#29

He's not autistic. He doesn't get to make jokes like that. Also, saying "my son would find it funny" is pretty much the template for bigoted humour: "but I have a *select minority* friend" etc etc.
No. Autistic people are allowed to make those kind of jokes. Non-autistics are not.
Not cool, Tony. Not cool.

Amber Peall (Grimsby, 2021-07-17)

#32

Ableism is as abhorrent as racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia.

Gillian Farkas-Blake (Marlborough, 2021-07-17)

#33

I once met Tony Attwood at a meet and greet event held by my local ‘ASD Cluster Group’ this man spoke to a roomful of teenagers like we were 5 all because we were autistic. After this I refused to go back to those sessions deciding I’d be better off teaching myself social skills than learning them from this man or his ilk.

Peter Gregson Ãâ (Cairns, 2021-07-17)

#34

Nobody should mimic a meltdown. A person who is considered a well written author about autism definitely should not. Then to do it again just to get the audience to laugh? That’s just proving how little respect you have for autistic people. If my teenagers had been in that audience, they would have been mortified. They would have taken it as a direct reference to them. That’s not ok. I want them to live in a world that people don’t mock their neurology. They have brilliant minds and could make a real difference to this world. They won’t of a world renowned author shows people it’s ok to mock them.

Andrea Russell (Birmingham, 2021-07-17)

#36

At no time is it appropriate to mock people. It is especially egregious when someone claims to be an expert on neurological differences, but then uses those differences to cruelly mock the people with that condition. It is unprofessional to the nth degree and it is needlessly cruel.

Mindy Sharp (Zürich, 2021-07-17)

#38

I’m disappointed mostly because the people in my life idolise this person. I’m not mad, just disappointed and definitely not surprised that another professional is treating us like dog shit. :/ To think I had planned to meet him in person someday is actually really embarrassing, especially having read other autistic opinions on him… I don’t want to be mocked or talked down to because of my diagnosis. I’m a 20 yo (almost 21) woman, for*****’s sake! Treat me like an adult. I’m so frustrated.

Maddison Hind (Mount Cotton, 2021-07-17)

#43

This man is full of misinformation and disrespect. The actual autism community thinks he is disgusting and as a parent I'm shocked people allow him to give advice about their autistic children.
He should not be discussing things he does not understand, not mocking people he claims to advocate for.

Erica Bowes (Kitchener, 2021-07-17)

#44

This type of behaviour is unacceptable. Not only is it offensive towards the autistic community, but it also shows other people attending the lecture that it’s ok to mock the autistic, because he (an “expert”) does.

Jessica Burgess (Belair, 2021-07-17)

#45

Stop mocking children. You're an adult. Grow up.

Julia Berner (Titusville, 2021-07-17)

#46

Tony Atwood has creeped me out since I first discovered my daughter and myself are autistic and began watching his and others' videos. I felt so pathologized and othered in his way of talking about autistics, especially as a female autistic with a daughter, and immediately stopped viewing his videos.

Nancy Bale (Regina, 2021-07-17)

#48

His behaviour and public messaging is harmful and inaccurate

Stephen Leighton (Rutherglen, 2021-07-17)

#50

I love my autistic grandson. I take bullying by mocking very serious.

Frank Rice (Elk River, 2021-07-17)

#51

I’m signing this petition because it is never ok to mock the most vulnerable moments of anybody. An autistic person having a meltdown is out of their control and visibly shows us the asynchrony going on inside due to stress, overstimulation or other triggers. I’ve heard many autistic people talk about the physical discomfort and pain that happens during a meltdown. It is nothing to be mocked. It is disgusting and insensitive to do so.

LaToya Pryor (Hammond, 2021-07-17)

#56

The autistic community is a marginalized group and does not deserve to be mocked. Tony also needs proper education on current terms and therapies

Heather Schwartzman (Monrovia, 2021-07-17)

#57

He doesn’t get to decide if mimicking us is funny, we do.

Amy Woods (Newcastle, 2021-07-17)

#61

I'm signing because I find this type of behavior appalling. My son needs to grow up in a world where people have accurate information and an accepting mindset. This type of behavior from a self proclaimed "expert" isn't going to make that happen.

Amber Spillman (Slidell, 2021-07-17)

#64

This is unacceptable behavior

Lindsey Tallent (EVERETT, 2021-07-17)

#66

Tony Attwood style of attitude towards autistics is no longer what should be leading training and he has no right to call himself an expert if he believes laughing at my child when they are at their most vulnerable is appropriate.

That's personal.

Tony, from one parent to another...pack it in..you are a disgrace and do better by your child. Put your microphone down and open your ears instead to the autistic community. Its never to late to learn and change and apologise.

Rachael Gilbert (Russell, 2021-07-17)

#73

Dude! Just no.

Dii DiiMoffatt (Nelaon, 2021-07-17)

#74

It is*****ed up what he is doing.

PAIGE MOORE (Sydney, 2021-07-17)

#75

Absolutely unacceptable

Hannah Karasek (Cedar Rapids, 2021-07-17)

#76

I think it's highly ofensive he mocked disabillity for his selfish purposes. Trying to look good în front of people by mocking autistic meltdowns is selfish and discriminatory.

Cucui Olivia-Loredana (Alba Iulia, 2021-07-17)

#77

My Son has Autism and mocking needs to stop

Maeve Meehan (Co.Limerick, 2021-07-17)

#78

Our kids face a daily struggle of being misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and bullied. Professionals, and society, need to do better.

Maureen Whitaker (Frankston South, 2021-07-18)

#79

I'm an autistic person and you shouldn't act autism.

Kerry Sheehan (Fitchburg, 2021-07-18)

#83

I'm frankly shocked that not only did he mock autism without being autistic himself, but then using his child as a green card to perform his 'meltdowns act is disgraceful.

Mart Flannagan (Manchester, 2021-07-18)

#87

C'mon, Tony. You know it's bad. Why are we made to petition against you, when you could just be a decent human, accept you have been behaving appallingly, and apologise.

Abelism is not ok. Ableism performed by prominent disability professionals is a knife in our backs, turns us away from help and supports.

So stop. Grow up. So that we may move forward.

Kelly Jordan (Melbourne, 2021-07-18)

#88

I’m signing because it was several years ago that my husband attended an Attwood/Larkey seminar and was horrified at the jokes made at autistics’ expense. To hear that it’s still happening appalled me, but I can’t say I was shocked. We are people, not a gravy train to be mocked and exploited. It’s well past time to listen, not double down and justify.

Tanya Masterman (Canberra, 2021-07-18)

#89

It’s wrong

Michelle Lauck (Tucson, AZ, 2021-07-18)

#90

I was dismayed while watching online seminar at apparently mocking tone while representing autistic children’s perspectives.

Marina Keating (Galway, 2021-07-18)

#93

This needs to change.

Callagee Julie (Canton, 2021-07-18)

#96

Tony Attwood has been professionally mocking autistic people and does not have a true life standing experience of autism to truly exhibit such behaviour. Is closing your eyes or putting your fingers in your ears a true mirror of being blind or deaf.

G Ballantine (Glasgow, 2021-07-18)

#101

I agree with all this that he should do the things he does and it makes me sick thinking people do this

Luca Ember (Lakewood, 2021-07-18)

#104

It's highly disturbing when "autism experts" claim the right to make fun of those they allege they are trying to help.

Karen Underwood (Ypsilanti, MI, 2021-07-18)

#105

It’s not ok to make fun of someone’s personal challenges. Having to navigate through everyday things can be stressful especially when you are faced with daily physical and mental challenges. For shame you making fun of people’s disabilities and it was done in such bad taste i need to go brush my teeth with a gallon of mouth wash. Apologize! Coward …

Tamee Hicheri (Marion, 2021-07-18)

#108

I totally agree; I attended a talk by him in the UK & felt very uncomfortable several times during his talk at several of his "joke-like" comments that were clearly at the expense of autistic people like myself.

River Stone (Minehead, 2021-07-18)

#115

As a high school teacher in a secondary school, I teach a number of Autistic students and I am horrified someone would do this and act so unprofessionally.

Louise O’Mara (Harristown, 2021-07-19)

#117

I hate bullies (especially those who are supposed to be 'experts in the field') publicly humiliating people.

Rosie Fernyhough (Bath, 2021-07-19)

#118

I believe that it is imperative that anyone purporting to be an expert in Autism should treat those with Autism with respect.

Susan Baxter (Maud, 2021-07-19)

#120

As a autistic psychologist I have concerns about the damage this person is doing to our community

Dr Lisa Smith Àū (Morphett Vale, 2021-07-20)

#124

My daily struggles are not someone else’s comedic relief.

Logan Hartler (Chicago, 2021-08-28)

#126

It's disgusting to mimic disabled people especially ones in distress

Irvine Wendy (Sleaford, 2021-10-17)

#130

Mocking disability is offensive & discriminatory. Saying ‘my autistic son would laugh’ is like a racist saying ‘I told my racist joke to a black friend & they laughed.’
That doesn’t make it ok, at all.

Irith Williams (Manifold Heights, 2022-01-06)

#131

I was at that presentation and it was a bloody disgrace. Tony also is deaf to any feedback or criticism and becomes very defensive when people don't like his "act". The great comedian George Carlin always advised his fellow comics to "punch up". By mimicking autistic people Tony consistently "punches down". Coupled with his "well-prepared" slides (by someone else, given he couldn't actually talk in-depth about what he presented) and his fellow presenter who looked like she was there to collect her cheque, no more no less, this section of the conference - which was the keynote - was so patronizing to the audience and to those on the spectrum..i would sign twice if I could. This guy is a jerk.

Kate Buckland (Nambour, 2022-01-10)

#138

We deserve not to be used as a comedy piece. Meltdowns are an horrific consequence to unavoidable stress.

Sarah Langdon (Rugeley, 2022-03-29)

#142

I'm signing because this individual has shown many problematic behaviours when imparting education aboitvthe autistic neurotype, falling back on pathologised deficits and neurotype humour that often affects the autistic community adversely. We are never a point of amusement and using his own child as an okay to do so is abhorrent. Own your behaviour Mr Attwood, learn from neurodivergent led sources and drag yourself out of the 70s. You have a huge reach, the potential to do much good in elevating the autistic voive rather than the harm you continue to impart.

Kyra Chambers (Highbridge, 2022-07-20)

#146

It is offensive to stimulate social bonding through humour at the expense of a minority group.

Caroline O'Brien (UK, 2023-01-06)

#147

This man's a jerk

kate bruce (nunawading, 2023-07-06)



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