From the New York Daily News and the New York Times:

The NYU Child Study Center has launched an ad campaign that features “ransom notes” warning of the dangers of disorders like autism, ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The notes are prompting outrage and demands for removal among many of the groups they are designed to represent.

Officials at NYU say the ads are not intended to offend, but rather to call attention to the lack of treatment for the disorders. Parents and disability advocates say the ads reinforce stereotypes, stigmatize people who have the disorders, and make the disorders themselves seem somehow criminal.

Protests have been launched by advocacy groups including Not Dead Yet, The Autism Acceptance Project and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. “There needs to be recognition that not all attention is good attention,” said Ari Ne’eman, ASAN president, who has Asperger’s.Text of one ad, scrawled in thick black ink:

WE HAVE YOUR SON. We are destroying his ability for social interaction and driving him into a life of complete isolation. It’s up to you now. (signed) Asperger syndrome. The tag line reads: Don’t let a psychiatric disorder take your child. To learn more, call …

This entry was posted on Friday, December 14th, 2007 at 9:02 am and is filed under ADHD, autism, depression, public attitudes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.