Michael Savage

So a radio talk show host named Michael Savage has claimed that autism is a false disease and the result of bad parenting especially an absent or wimpy father. From http://mediamatters.org/items/200807170005 here is the story:

On the July 16 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage claimed that autism is "[a] fraud, a racket." Savage went on to say, "I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.'

As the father of an autistic son, I say to anyone who is reading: ignore him. Who cares? Its just some guy with no influence spouting off. He's got first amendment rights, so let him talk.

An interesting thing about autism is that its bipartisan. So its likely that many of his audience have a child or know someone who has a child with autism. So he may ultimately be biting the hand that feeds him. If his point is that autism may be over-diagnosed and the numbers are being massaged to create more of a crisis mentality, that is what he should have said. But he didn't. He said something else.

I don't listen to his show nor do I know anyone who does. So why would I get angry or indignant about his supposed opinion? It simply doesn't matter.
I used to like to read things that I knew would anger or annoy me and bask in my own righteousness. But its bad for my health. So I just try to accept that other people have different opinions than me. I'm not always successful, but getting better. Like I said before, who cares? Just continue not listening and not caring what this guy says. And if you believe him, then you probably haven't met a truly autistic person.