Action for Children or action against autistic children?
Action For Children is a charity with a long history of advocating for the rights of the child. Formerly known as NCH and before that the National Children’s Home, It began as a children’s home set up by a methodist minister, Thomas Stephenson, in 1869. Its continuing connection with the Methodist Church is embodied in its Articles of Association.
Action for Children is inspired by and works closely with the Methodist Church to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable children and young people and continues the work of the former unincorporated charity, NCH (previously National Children’s Home). Action for Children’s stated purpose is “to help the children who need it the most” and is rooted firmly in the tradition of John Wesley who said that we should go not only to those who need us but to those who need us most.
Its purpose is
To help the most vulnerable children and young people break through injustice, deprivation and inequality, so they can achieve their full potential.
A recent press release on knife crime sums up its approach to disaffected youth.
We need to remember that they are more often victims rather than perpetrators of this type of crime. We must stop demonising and start involving them in this debate, especially the most vulnerable youngsters who are often the ones most affected but whose voices often go unheard.
So why does its latest TV ad about Aspergers Syndrome get it so wrong?This is Dan’s Story. The sound quality is not great, so apologies for any errors in transcription.
I used to lash out if something pushed my buttons or I wasn’t able to do something. Things that wound me up were if they’d insulted me I would physically hurt that young person. My parents sought out help with my autism because it was becoming a pain in the bum. I went to an Action for Children school. I started feeling a bit more friendlier with other people. Thanks to the carers I was able to correct a lot of errors in my behaviour and become a better person. Well I feel a lot more confident thanks to them. I feel at peace with myself.
In the short video that accompanies this commentary autistic Dan is a monster rampaging through city streets that are covered in grafitti, a wild beast. But as he becomes entwined with the logo of Action for Children the real Dan, a vulnerable child, emerges into a green field with trees and is able to trample the beast into the ground.
There is also a cartoon sequence on the website which invites us to “meet Dan.” This repeats the monster imagery with the little boy alone and scared inside who gradually emerges thanks to the kindness of those around him.
All this is in stark contrast to the message coming from the NAS Think Differently and I Exist campaigns. Their message is that autism need not be so bad if we can raise awareness and understanding and provide the right supports. Autistic people deserve to live in a world where people do not push their buttons or insult them. They should not be afraid, as Dan was at the onset of adolescence, that he would not be able to survive without his parents.
I have very real objections to Action for Children’s treatment of autism in this ad campaign.
In all their other work they quite rightly see troubled children as victims of poverty, abuse, neglect and discrimination. They provide services for young adults because one of their slogans is “For as long as it takes.” They do not sign a person off at 18 or 21 if the damage has not been repaired.
But with autistic children they seem to think that it is the autism that is solely responsible for the child’s behaviour and ignore the injustice and abuse that compound the natural difficulties that an autistic child might face even in the best of worlds. All the problems are located within the child and they are all ascribed to the autism monster.
The angry child and the frightened child are the same person. The anger and the fear are united in the experience of the autistic child. The anger is born of fear and the cure for anger is to take away the fear. But in Dan’s story we are shown a frightened boy inside an autism monster and the cure is to take away the monster of autism and trample it into the ground.
Disturbing as this campaign is, I am even more disturbed by thought that, if this is how Action for Children think about autism, what is the impact of this way of thinking on the way they respond to autistic children in their care?
Comment by Sharon | January 24th, 2009
I saw this on TV a couple of minutes ago and was slack jawed with horror. Oh this is just so very wrong. I am astonished that anyone thought it would be a good idea to demonise autistic child in such an overtly horrid way. The boy’s autism is portrayed as the monster with the nice well behaved boy trapped inside, a reprise of a theme many of us a sick hearing. Who on earth did they consult with before unleashing this monstrosity on the world? How will autistic children feel after seeing themselves portrayed in such a way?
Thanks for blogging on this Mike. I will do so tomorrow and more importantly, start writing letters.
Comment by Sharon | January 24th, 2009
I’ve just written to Action for Children (via email) to express my objections to this ad.
Comment by Mike | January 24th, 2009
@Sharon
Thank you for reminding me. I did not think about the impact of this ad on real kids with autism watching it. And yes, letter writing is important too.
Comment by Socrates | January 24th, 2009
It appears that the boy was being bullied and he responded by thumping the perpetrator.
This may seem a little off to some but when I grew up it was called looking after yourself.
Comment by Janine | January 24th, 2009
I’ve written an email of complaint to their complaints department. I saw this ad yesterday and I couldn’t believe what I saw, to the extent that I had to get others to validate what I was feeling before I reacted!
I’m also concerned that on the Action For Children web site they say
“Today Headlands – as it is now known – is a very special place. It is a residential and day school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, like autism.”
This is a school which Action For Children are proud to report that Dan, from the advert, took a year to settle in at!!
Comment by Casdok | January 24th, 2009
I havent seen the ad but was shocked just reading this and i will also be writing.
Comment by anonymous | January 24th, 2009
It is not just ‘real Autistic children’ who are affected by this. I am an Autistic adult, still at age 47 recovering from the effects of childhood & young adulthood abuse & being SEVERELY pressured to HIDE MY AUTISM from outer world - ‘APPEAR NORMAL’. My whole life has been affected by this in too many ways to count & NOT ONE OF THOSE WAYS HAS BEEN POSITIVE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. It shocks & sickens me that such attitudes are STILL in place & openly used not only in education BUT TO ADVERTISE ITS BENEFITS.
Too many people RELY on the effects of Autism TO ENSURE WE CANNOT SPEAK OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO US. When we work long & hard so we ARE ABLE to speak of what has been done to us - WE ARE TOLD ‘YOU CAN’T BE AUTISTIC because you can TALK’. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT OUR SOCIETY???
I have not seen the ad in question because I do not watch TV any more. But it is clearly UNETHICAL & DISHONEST, NOT TO MENTION HIGHLY ABUSIVE & DISCRIMINATORY, of Autistic people in general & of Dan in particular. It is hard to believe we live in a country with disability discrimination & human rights legislation - shame those laws do not apparently exist to protect AUTISTIC PEOPLE.
Comment by Socrates | January 24th, 2009
I’m glad to see that my view on Dan dealing with the bully is shared my some members of London Autistic Rights Movement.
I understand that this campaign is blaming everything in a person’s situation on the autism - for example a boy who was being bullied lashed out at the bullies, and this was portrayed as the autism making him aggressive - no condemnation of the bullying. Tell me, if the child in question had been a black child, being attacked by racist bullies, would you have said that he was aggressive because he was black?
A more fruitful target of the campaign might’ve been the bullies that make so many autistic childrens’ lives hell.
Comment by Socrates | January 24th, 2009
Just written a short post on the New Republic, entitled Autistic Monster Dan (Cured)…
Comment by kathleen | January 25th, 2009
Two statements that were of concern to me were” my parents sought out help with my autism because it was becoming a pain in the bum” and “I was able to correct a lot of errors in my behaviour and become a better person”
The first statement wants me to kick the cartoon bums of Dans parents.I couldn’t imagine telling my sons that their autism was starting to annoy me! How can an organization that purports to help kids allow such verbage? It is obvious that Dan needs protection from his parents as well..
As for the second statement…what do they mean by “better person” As opposed to what?
I think it would be wonderful if someone wrote and drew a parody of this ad.
Comment by Mike | January 25th, 2009
@Kathleen
Bev has done a superb parody of the ad on Asperger Square 8.
@Socrates
That is an excellent reply of yours at the New Republic.
@Sharon
This is another great post. Thank you.
If there are any more, please post them here.
Comment by Socrates | January 25th, 2009
Just had a reply from Gary Day from Action for Children; I posted it up in the comments of my last post…
Comment by abfh | January 25th, 2009
I’ve just written a blog entry asking people who have contact information for Action for Children’s major donors to post it. This is part of what was done to get the Ransom Notes ads withdrawn.
http://autisticbfh.blogspot.com/2009/01/destroying-intolerance-monster.html
There’s also a post up at Biodiverse Resistance:
http://biodiverseresistance.blogspot.com/2009/01/monsters-and-changelings-and-charity.html
Comment by Jackie | January 25th, 2009
I can only imagine the damage Dan must suffer through, being so fully intergrated into believing that he’s a monster, even being told to draw images as such.
I seriously doubt a child would think of themselves like this, without the influence of adults around them.
Comment by Socrates | January 25th, 2009
The owners of the Baby Creative ad agency who made the video are at
laurence@babycreative.com
and
steve@babycreative.com
http://www.babycreative.com
Please feel free to write and explain our reservations.
Comment by Socrates | January 25th, 2009
THIS HAPPENED AT DAN’S SCHOOL
Family’s outrage at child’s arrest
Jan 10 2008 by Sian Watts, Rhymney Valley Express
A CHILD suffering with special needs was arrested, handcuffed and put in a cell only weeks after she had been forced to walk alone from Cardiff Bay to Penarth, her mother claims.
Nakita Williams, who was only 12 at the time of the incident, was arrested at her specialist school after allegedly being involved in an altercation with a member of staff.
Nakita, who has severe learning and behavioural difficulties, attends Headlands School in Penarth because of her problems.
Only the previous month, it has been claimed, she had been forced off the school bus in Cardiff Bay and told to make the two-mile journey back to school alone.
The 13-year-old, of Oak Tree Drive, Cefn Hengoed, claimed a teaching assistant had ordered her off the bus after she had taken her seatbelt off during a school trip.
The Express reported Nakita’s family’s outrage at the time of the event, but they are now even more upset at how the situation has progressed.
Talking about the arrest, Mandy Williams, Nakita’s mother, said: “They handcuffed her, and put her in a cell.
“That broke my heart.”
Full Story
IT’S TIME TO TAKE THIS INTO TOP GEAR!
Comment by Ari Ne'eman | January 26th, 2009
http://www.change.org/autisticadvocacy/actions/view/action_for_children_offensive_ad_campaign_alert
Pingback by You Can’t « Andrea’s Buzzing About: | January 26th, 2009
[...] it as such. (Or rather, how a boy called Dan narrates it.) Mike at Action For Autism blog explains the background on AFC. Over at Biodiverse Resistance, Shiva notes that the [...]
Comment by Harry | January 26th, 2009
Its a terrible ad - we really have to get people to try to understand WHY people with autism act the way they do. All the films associated with the Think Differently campaign try to do this. Its amazing that a charity such as AFC has put out this sort of stuff. Who advises them?
Comment by Socrates | January 26th, 2009
Its amazing that a charity such as AFC has put out this sort of stuff. Who advises them?
http://www.babycreative.com - when they’re not selling David Beckham and marketing Pan-Fried Organic Cabbage Stalks to the ubertrendy residents of Hoxton.
Comment by Barbara | January 26th, 2009
Have just spoken to my son who heads up a commercials (film) company. He said that the agency won’t be responsible for the content of the ad - that’s down to the client (Action for Children).
I’ve protested this ad through ASAN, but have tried to get a message through to them that they’ve set up the protest email petition as US-centric, and those of us in the UK and elsewhere can’t effectively send an email through their system. I had to put a US state in before it would let me send!
The ad is one of the most harmful and offensive I’ve seen. I wonder why they didn’t ask the advice of the NAS before making it? It totally goes against the social model of disability and I haven’t seen that done for a long time in the UK. It’s an outrage.
Comment by Ettina | January 26th, 2009
Is Dan a real kid, or just made up? I’m not very clear about this - I assumed they made up a child to represent the autistics they work with, but some of the comments suggest that Dan is an actual child.
Comment by Barbara | January 26th, 2009
They say he’s real. Here’s the reply I got from them:
Dear Barbara,
Thank you for your email and for raising your concerns over our recent
television advert. I am sorry to hear the content of this advert has
caused you offence or upset.
Action for Children’s three new adverts focus on how the charity helps
to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children throughout the
UK. For 140 years we have been committed to children and young people
being at the centre of all our work. Therefore these new adverts tell
real stories of young people, told by them, in their own words.
In our second advert, Dan chose to name his condition and approved the
concept and drawings. These pictures depict how he saw himself and what
he felt he needed help with before Action for Children helped Dan and
his family for a number of years.
Action for Children helped Dan gain control over aspects of his
behaviour - this was about helping him feel more at peace with himself,
as he states in the advert, and clearly his autism is an intrinsic part
of himself. The animation in the advert is a representation of Dan’s
own individual feelings of anger and frustration, not of autism.
Action for Children is a major provider of services for disabled
children, including some with autism, We have other significant areas
of work as well, and are a leading charity working with over 178,000 of
the most vulnerable children, young people and their family members .
The advert will be running until the 15th February. If you would like to
further your complaint or concerns about our advertisements then you can
do this by contacting the Advertising Standards Authority at
http://www.asa.org.uk. They will look in to your complaint and if your
concerns are upheld then we will be instructed to change or remove the
advertising.
Yours sincerely,
Emma Alford
Contact Centre Manager
Comment by Barbara | January 27th, 2009
The ad appears to have disappeared.
Comment by Socrates | January 27th, 2009
It’s up at you tube http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_K5lSSTG-90
and getting thrashed.
Comment by Barbara | January 27th, 2009
…and now it’s back. I discovered its return when I went across to the Uni, but there’s a good side to this. The Prof I work with is giving a lecture on Inclusion, this afternoon, to the MEd students, and is going to use the ad, the cartoon, and some of the blogs, to show the students how NOT to deal with disability issues. He was truly horrified by the ad.
Comment by Socrates | January 28th, 2009
New two minute Dan video here http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ6U3XWoCRY
Comment by Socrates | January 28th, 2009
RE: Autistic Monster Ad Campaign
The TV ad’s and other material from the AFC campaign have been reworked and the video is here
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?…7154931157
The You Tube version has some quality control issuses - some of the text has got mangled by the codec.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=34QUEC5VegY
Feedback would be very welcome….
Comment by Andrea Shettle, MSW | January 29th, 2009
Action for Children has made another ad that parents with MS find almost as horrifying: I haven’t seen it (I’m in the US, so they don’t have those ads here), but apparently it features a young girl who has to take care of her Mom because her Mom has MS. And Action for Children helps her. Parents are incensed because it implies that children automatically become carers for disabled parents (when they don’t, or shouldn’t have to).
The Facebook group focused on the MS parent ad is at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=51200447470
I suggest that the campaigns against both ads (the autism ad and the MS parent ad) would be more effective if they were to work in tandem. I also suggest that letters should focus NOT ONLY on removing the two offensive ads but ALSO on urging Action for Children to consult more closely with disability groups in the future for ALL relevant ads.
Comment by Mike | January 30th, 2009
@Socrates
thank you for the video links. I just recovered them from my spam trap.
Comment by anonymouse | January 30th, 2009
Just went to look at the clip on YouTube and it says it’s been taken down as Action for Children has pressed them with a copyright claim…
Comment by N Lieberman | February 4th, 2009
I’ve just seen the add and realised its about aspergers. I really hope my ten year old son with aspergers dosn’t see it as its really not going to do his confidence any good thinking hes a monster with uncontrollable anger problems. It’s hard enough for him to fit in with his peers without people thinking that’s what he must feel and be like. What an irresponsible advert!
Comment by Stu | February 5th, 2009
Having been alerted to this advert - by my 10 year old son who has Aspergers - i was amazed on two fronts.
1.There was an advert talking about Autism at a peak time (which is a good start)
2. How aggressive Autism came across as.
As most will know in this comment run - the reason it is called a spectrum is just that - and i agree with the comments posted by N Lieberman. It is hard enough to explain to the unknowing what Autism and Aspergers is - without it being labelled as some form of aggressive dysfunctional behaiviour that requires removal from society to be cured. I agree - some professional consultation could have really made this into something positive - maybe NAS should have taken some more intrusive steps?
Comment by teresa | February 6th, 2009
i am the mother of a 13 year old boy with aspergers syndrome. when we saw that advert, my son got really upset as he felt that it was telling him he had a monster inside him, and that he should be able to get rid of it. he cant. he is autistic. yes, he gets angry, particularly when “normal” kids pick on him and push his buttons. Teachers tell him not to hit out, but they never listen to why he has hit out in the first place. ive been trying to get help for my son for years, and as i watch him go from a sad boy to a sad adolescent i despair of him ever getting the understanding he deserves.
Comment by Graham | February 8th, 2009
Am I alone in liking the advert? My 10 year old son has autism. The advert captures his behaviour and his worries very well. If the advert conveys those to a public who doesn’t understand the frustrations of having autism, then it will indeed have a positive effect.
My concern is entirely different. If the normal process of maturation helps some autistic children to correct anti-social behaviour and feel more confident, then the effect claimed for schooling may be debatable.
Comment by julie Bennison | September 29th, 2009
I appreciate all the comments made here about this add. i would say that anyone with autism or aspergers is quite normal in their responses and if they react severly in any way then this is likely to be normal to how anyone else would respond with their difficulties. in fact i see ‘normal’ people without diability react in far more obnoxious ways, yet they dont even have the severe disability behind this. this add show they dont even understand autism. people with autism will react very badly if they are not understood and their human rights are not acknowledged, who wouldnt respond in this same way! so much for this charity i dont think i will be looking again at them, in fact if they dont understand those with autism and a disability how can they possibly understand any kids at all
Comment by AM Hill | October 8th, 2009
I’ve worked professionally with children suffering from aspergers for more than ten years. In my experience many of these children are very confused by their mixed feelings about their condition. Each child is unique in the way he regards his condition and if, indeed, Dan does see a monster inside himself that he wishes to conquer, then why is his view any less valid than those of any other aspergers child?
Well done, Action For Children, for an advert that has got people talking. Proof of its success!
Comment by Mike | October 9th, 2009
Dan may well see himself this way. If I were working with Dan I would be interested in how he came to see himself in this way. I would make a professional judgement concerning whether or not it was helping Dan to think about himself and his autism in this way. Then I would plan what to do next in relation to Dan.
I would not make him the centre of a mass media campaign in which I endorse his view of autism. This ad campaign did not say, “this is one child’s negative view of himself and we helped him to a positive conclusion.” The message was that autism is a monster and if your child is possessed by this monster NCH can rid him of it.
This ad was not a conversation piece. They were selling the NCH by mis-selling autism and exploiting Dan into the bargain.
Comment by JENNIFER LITTLE | October 10th, 2009
Hi Mike,
My names Jenny, im a trainee teacher with previous experience working with and supporting adults and children on the autistic spectrum.
I have been following your blogs, books and speeches within the area with much interest.
I am currently conducting research into pupils with Aspergers syndrome and effective socialization strategies within the mainstream school.
I was wondering if you would be willing to become involved within my research and participate within a questionaiire to support my research .
any support or guidence would be greatly appreciated.
Jenny
any contribution would be greatly appreciated
Comment by john | January 26th, 2010
the ad is true. many children with autism are dangerous to society. i work with them. my agency is horrible–when we get punched or have our skin ripped open from a bite, the blame is on us for not getting out of the way fast enough, or for not having the right “chemistry” with the kid. some autistic children only have verbal behaviors and will shout but not get violent. some are pretty well-behaved; they are the exception, and they get a bad reputation from the more malicious kids. what is most troublesome about these kids, is that the most arbitrary things set them off, and many cannot be talked to like rational human beings.
Comment by Mike | January 26th, 2010
John
If I were you I would look for another job. Either you are unsuited for work with clients with challenging behaviour or your agency provides inadequate training and support for staff. Either way, I would seek another employer and get some serious autism training if you are going to continiue in this profession.
Comment by parent of autistic 6 year old | June 5th, 2010
you are right blogger, very right, sometimes the challenged people are the fast moving intolerant people around special needs people, ramming their aggressive narrow world view down the throats of those who illustrate life’s great variety