Spotlight on Autism, John McCain Irks Special Needs Mom
Oct 20, 2008 | Updated: 9:24 a.m. ET Oct 20, 2008
Autism, once unknown to most Americans, is now a media sensation, attracting the attention of celebrities and politicians alike. Last week, GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain shined a national spotlight on the brain development disorder while answering a question about his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, during the final presidential debate. Palin, whose son, Trig, has Down syndrome, “understands special-needs families,” said McCain. “She understands that autism is on the rise, that we’ve got to find out what’s causing it, and we’ve got to reach out to these families, and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children. She understands that better than almost any American that I know.”
But McCain’s comments and his Palin pick have not been viewed positively by everyone in the autism community. His discussion of autism has even backfired among some parents who believe he is pandering for their vote. NEWSWEEK’s Claudia Kalb talked to Kristina Chew, an assistant professor of classics at Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, New Jersey. Chew writes a blog called AutsimVox. Her son, Charlie, 11, has autism. Excerpts:
What did you think of Sen. McCain’s debate comments?
Kristina Chew: Very puzzling. It seemed that he was conflating autism and Down syndrome. Certainly, parents of kids with autism and Down syndrome have tons of overlap in our concerns, but they’re very different conditions. I found that troubling. And the comments he made about autism, they seem to betray a lack of knowledge or understanding about the kinds of things that autistic children need. It almost seemed to be a rhetorical statement. To be really cynical, it’s as if he’s playing a sympathy card. He’s sentimentalizing the children, but not looking at how we can help them, how we can teach them, how we can make things better.
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