Was just on YouTube watching a nice video by an Autistic YouTuber 😊
Concerned to see it being followed by an ad featuring Chris Packham plugging the suicide prevention work of the Autism Centre of Excellence in Cambridge, and asking Autistic people and their families to complete a survey
ACE is a charitable offshoot of Simon Baron Cohen’s Autism Research Centre, with which Chris Packham has had a controversial relationship 😔
It all sounds very worthwhile superficially, but I’m very wary of taking part in such a survey – am I too cynical?
Transcript:
‘Hello. I’m Chris Packham. I’m a keen supporter of the Autism Centre of Excellence in Cambridge. And today I’d like to ask you to take part in a vital survey.
‘Many autistic people are not getting the support that they need, and this can lead to the real danger of suicide. We believe that this can and must change.
‘Our survey is designed so that we can better understand what support could reduce the number of autistic people dying by suicide.
‘So if you are an autistic person and you’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts, or if you’re a parent or a carer, or someone close to autistic people who has first hand experience of these issues, please take part in our survey. It takes just 15 minutes, and the information that we gather could help provide proper support for autistic people when they need it most. Thank you.’
@actuallyautistic
#SimonBaronCohen #ChrisPackham #AutismResearchCentre #AutismCentreOfExcellence #Spectrum10K #suicide #suicidality #ActuallyAutistic
Anna Nicholson