blog-thing : Singer resigns from Autism Speaks

Singer resigns from Autism Speaks

Alison Tepper Singer has resigned from Autism Speaks over the question of vaccines and autism. Singer apparently accepts the scientific consensus that there is no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism, unlike her ex-employer, Bob Wright.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) was meeting this week to vote on a draft of the Strategic Plan for Autism Research. It contained two proposals for further research into vaccines. Alone among the six public members of IACC, Singer voted with the federal members of the committee to remove these proposals from the plan so they could be examined by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee.

The decision was condemned by Autism Speaks in a press release because the proposal to refer these proposals back was not communicated to the public members prior to the meeting. According to Wright because of this “last minute deviation” the plan “is tainted and cannot be supported by the autism community.” This is curious because the press release also tells us that:

Autism Speaks Executive Vice President Alison Tepper Singer was the sole public member to cast a vote in support. The evening prior to the vote, Singer submitted her resignation to Autism Speaks – which was accepted – based on her intention to vote on certain Strategic Plan vaccine safety matters in a way that diverged from Autism Speaks’ position on this issue.

So Singer knew about the proposal the night before and presumably so did Autism Speaks when she told them why she was resigning. So what is Autism Speaks up to? I have written previously about the tension within Autism Speaks between Wright’s agenda and the way he runs Autism Speaks like a private corporation and the scientific agenda he is funding. I think that this latest posturing by Wright over the alleged “last minute deviation” is an attempt to express his support for the vaccine hypothesis. But by dressing it up in procedural rhetoric he is also attempting to keep his scientists onside.

Will any scientists follow Singer and resign from Autism Speaks? And where will she lead? Obama is planning a massive injection of funds into scientific research as part of his recovery plan. If the life sciences get their share it will be interesting to observe the changing landscape as private funding is squeezed by the recession (how many celebrity donors were burned by Madoff for example?) while Obama introduces a New Deal for publicly funded science.

Singer has shown herself to be more than capable in her role at Autism Speaks. She has made mistakes in the past, most notorious being her comments in the film Autism Everyday. But her espousal of scientific evidence may lead to advancement within the Obama administration. Such a prospect may reinforce the commitment to scientific principle among more of the staff at Autism Speaks and prompt more resignations.

Sullivan has posted the full text of Singer’s own press release and the one from Autism Speaks with a commentary on Left Brain Right Brain

January 16th, 2009 Posted by Mike | Autism Speaks, interagency autism coordinating committee, vaccines | 7 comments

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7 Responses to “Singer resigns from Autism Speaks”

Comment by laurentius-rex | January 16th, 2009

I wonder Simon Baron Cohen does not join Bob Wright, they both wear the same spectacles, in that they have no idea what autism really is and summarise it only in the terms they are prepared to see it, none of which really grasp the social dimensions in which it has been constructed by each of them.
Comment by alyric | January 16th, 2009

I loathed the autism everyday video but you have to hand it to her. Since the parents are going Katie’s way she did the principled thing in resigning and not many would do so. Now here’s hoping that AS doesn’t turn into an anti-vax organisation just like the addled rest.
Comment by laurentius-rex | January 17th, 2009

If Autism squeaks does go the way of anti vax it will actually do us a favour as all that money and influence will be going nowhere but into further discrediting the organisation, because it cannot buy a change in the facts.
Comment by isles | January 18th, 2009

I do wonder what will happen to the science wing of Autism Speaks without Ms. Singer present in the executive offices. I’d love to see them revolt en masse rather than let their reputations be sullied by association with an increasingly anti-science organization.
Comment by Rob | November 29th, 2009

Is there going to be a petition on the No10 website?

Rather than give voice to absurd moral outrage maybe the Americans should expend a bit more energy to correct the deficiencies in their military IT that allows some bloke in his bedroom to breach their defences.
Comment by Rob | November 29th, 2009

Apologies. Should have posted to the support Gary McKinnon thread. Clearly I’m no threat to the Americans!
Comment by Mike | November 29th, 2009

Hi Rob

you can read the latest news on the Gary McKinnon case on the NAS website. http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2378&a=18512

My Background

I am Mike Stanton. I live and work in the UK where I teach children with severe learning difficulties, many of whom are autistic. My adult son is diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. I am a member of the National Autistic Society. I speak and write on autism.

My book, “Learning to Live with High Functioning Autism” is available in a Spanish translation, Convivir con el Autismo. I have also contributed a chapter to Asperger Syndrome in Adolescence edited by Liane Holliday Willey.

ACTION FOR AUTISM is a reaction against names like Action Against Autism and Defeat Autism Now! Names like these suggest to autistic people that we are against them as people. You may not mean that. But if you care about autism you ought to care about the feelings of autistic people and not use language that makes them angry or upset. If you disregard the feelings of autistic people do not be surprised if you are disregarded.