A Question About Autism...

[Goat Whisperer]

**I know that some of you on the board have kids with autism and I don't mean to be insensitive with this post

I hear SO much about kids with autism, our school raised 10'000$ for the autism fund in Utah, and it seems like 75% of the fundraisers I hear about are for autism.

But, what about the kids that are actually dieing of cancer in hospitals? At least the kids with autism get to live their lives... don't get me wrong, I think it's important that we research a cure for autism too, but don't you think illnesses that are actually causing children to be hospitalized or to die are more important?

Please don't kill me

 

[Jersey]

My best answer to this question without getting into a debate about it:

Yes, most children with Autism can live somewhat decent lives physically. Often children with Autism are diagnosed with several other medical issues that require very expensive care. Autism in general is very expensive to treat since there are actually very few specialists with the knowledge and resources to treat these children.

It may seem that there are several fundraisers for Autism, but that is only because it has only recently made breakthroughs in medical research.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

My best answer to this question without getting into a debate about it:

Yes, most children with Autism can live somewhat decent lives physically. Often children with Autism are diagnosed with several other medical issues that require very expensive care. Autism in general is very expensive to treat since there are actually very few specialists with the knowledge and resources to treat these children.

It may seem that there are several fundraisers for Autism, but that is only because it has only recently made breakthroughs in medical research.

Well it has seemed to have a lot of fundraisers for like 4 years... that's not very recent.

Wouldn't it be more expensive to pay for a kid basically living in a hospital for the last year of their life, then one with medical needs?

 

[Jersey]

Well it has seemed to have a lot of fundraisers for like 4 years... that's not very recent.

Wouldn't it be more expensive to pay for a kid basically living in a hospital for the last year of their life, then one with medical needs?

4 years in the medical world is still very recent. Children with autism require several therapies in addition to any medical needs they have. 9 out of 10 children with Autism require speech, physical and occupational therapies several times a week just to learn how to walk and "function" in their day to day lives. It is EXTREMELY expensive to pay for all of that and most states give little or no help to the families of these children because there is still so much that is not known about Autism. If they do not get the therapies they need, they may end up in a group home or state institution from the age 21 and up. That would be extremely expensive for the taxpayers as well as their families.

Fund raising not only gets money for those that need it, but gets the word out and opens eyes to those that are not aware of the affects Autism has on children and their families. Getting the word out is just as important as the money itself.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

4 years in the medical world is still very recent. Children with autism require several therapies in addition to any medical needs they have. 9 out of 10 children with Autism require speech, physical and occupational therapies several times a week just to learn how to walk and "function" in their day to day lives. It is EXTREMELY expensive to pay for all of that and most states give little or no help to the families of these children because there is still so much that is not known about Autism. If they do not get the therapies they need, they may end up in a group home or state institution from the age 21 and up. That would be extremely expensive for the taxpayers as well as their families.

Fund raising not only gets money for those that need it, but gets the word out and opens eyes to those that are not aware of the affects Autism has on children and their families. Getting the word out is just as important as the money itself.

I still think the lives of children dying in hospitals are more important then the money parents are spending on their kids in therapy. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Jersey]

If they dont get therapy, they would end up in the hospital right next to the cancer patients. I think that's a harsh statement to make, opinion or not, without having a knowledge about Autism as you have said yourself you don't know anything about.

 

[Jersey]

The money being raised for Autism is not taking anything away from the money being raised for cancer research so there really is no point in comparing the two. If you are affected by Autism, you raise money for that cause. If you are affected by cancer, you raise for that. Pretty simple...

 

[RedRyder]

**I know that some of you on the board have kids with autism and I don't mean to be insensitive with this post

I hear SO much about kids with autism, our school raised 10'000$ for the autism fund in Utah, and it seems like 75% of the fundraisers I hear about are for autism.

But, what about the kids that are actually dieing of cancer in hospitals? At least the kids with autism get to live their lives... don't get me wrong, I think it's important that we research a cure for autism too, but don't you think illnesses that are actually causing children to be hospitalized or to die are more important?

Please don't kill me

The minute you said..... "I don't mean to be insensitive with this post"....... and then continued.....

:thumbdown

 

[RedRyder]

The money being raised for Autism is not taking anything away from the money being raised for cancer research so there really is no point in comparing the two. If you are affected by Autism, you raise money for that cause. If you are affected by cancer, you raise for that. Pretty simple...

:thumbup

 

[Goat Whisperer]

If the parents are in the hospitals all the time with their dying children or at work paying for their hospital bills, how do you expect them to be out raising money for it? Ergo, all the money goes to autism, and cancer is kind of left out in the rain.

 

[AUDRAA]

If the parents are in the hospitals all the time with their dying children or at work paying for their hospital bills, how do you expect them to be out raising money for it? Ergo, all the money goes to autism, and cancer is kind of left out in the rain.

Are you fucking kidding me!! wait nvm Im not getting into this thread it may not turn out nicely for you

 

[Jersey]

If the parents are in the hospitals all the time with their dying children or at work paying for their hospital bills, how do you expect them to be out raising money for it? Ergo, all the money goes to autism, and cancer is kind of left out in the rain.

...and what? Parents with children diagnosed with Autism are blessed with being miraculously rich? I'm not sure if you're reading my posts or not, but please go back and read the part about how expensive caring for a child with Autism is..

 

[RedRyder]

Are you fucking kidding me!! wait nvm Im not getting into this thread it may not turn out nicely for you

:clap :thumbup

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Why do you guys have to take everything so personally? I never said cancer was more important then autism, I suggested that autism wasn't more important then cancer. And they should be getting equal amounts of attention and fund raising.

 

[Sneakiecat]

If the parents are in the hospitals all the time with their dying children or at work paying for their hospital bills, how do you expect them to be out raising money for it? Ergo, all the money goes to autism, and cancer is kind of left out in the rain.

ActiveGiving.com Donations
Special Events and Fundraisers
Teens Against Cancer Home Page
Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation Home
Pediatric Resource Program - Jimmy Fund Clinic - About the Jimmy Fund - The Jimmy Fund

From the first page of results when I type "pediatric cancer fundraisers" in Yahoo! search engine. I'm sure there's tons more. Cancer's certain been left out in the rain.

 

[Jersey]

You posted a question about Autism.. I answered to the best of my ability.. .and you don't like the answer, so you find something else to argue about.

 

[333halfabeast]

I am not trying to make a debate out of this, but this is close to my heart because my adorable young brother is afflicted with autism.

Autism is more potentially curable than cancer just because of the physiological nature of cancer it is more subdued than cured with the resources available and probably not curable.

Secondly, as said before there is a lot of charity out there, contributions to one do not necessarily effect the revenues to another. Therefore, a sizable contribution to a group for autism would potentially not effect charitable contributions to cancer groups. And being that charity is a voluntary transaction it is subject to the priority of the contributor and therefore is open.

 

[Jersey]

We take things personally because some of us are affected by the things you deem as unimportant. Perhaps read up on the topics before you make statements that will surely cause a ruckus.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

ActiveGiving.com Donations
Special Events and Fundraisers
Teens Against Cancer Home Page
Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation Home
Pediatric Resource Program - Jimmy Fund Clinic - About the Jimmy Fund - The Jimmy Fund

From the first page of results when I type "pediatric cancer fundraisers" in Yahoo! search engine. I'm sure there's tons more. Cancer's certain been left out in the rain.

Compared to autism it has been...

 

[HottyToddyChick]

If autism isn't more important than cancer, then by pure logic, cancer is more important.

I think both are just awful, but I have to agree with Jersey- you donate to what has effected you or someone in your life. One does not take away from the other. If that were the case, then we should only have charity in the entire world because having a second would detract from the first...