http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080112/ap_on_re_us/autistic_girl_killed_5

For all my readers who KNOW someone who has some closely-held notion of one's autism being "separate" from one's PERSON-NESS, I encourage you to share this sad, sad story. Please, don't skip this mom's final words in the article. Have a look at where that thinking brought her.

It's a loathesome tragedy, and I can't tell you how many women I have encountered who have this EXACT thinking. Mothers who slave to deny their child's autism, who forbid the use of the word, and pretend that being autistic is just a "terrible thing" that has happened to their child. They think that the child shouldn't understand it or have it explained in order to embrace the child and give the the child control and ownership of his/her essential being.

I am just sick and sad. I was already sick and sad about this news story in general, and it's not exactly fresh. However, reading that quote from the mother just turned my stomach anew, particularly in light of the kinds of things I've been hearing so often lately.