Got Autism? PETA's newest insulting stunt

I'm not usually in staunch opposition to the sometimes extreme actions of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Some many people write off their stunts as mere attention-seeking coated with cause, but I've battled over many a dinner with my family about the value I see in some of their passionate acts.

Not this time.

[Graphic caption: A spoon and cereal bowl are pictured with the cereal making the shape of a frowning face. The text reads 'got autism?' Studies have shown a link between cow's milk and autism. find out more at goveg.com]

PETA recently unveiled the billboard above in Newark, NJ. "Got Autism" is intended to be a catchy play off the popular "Got Milk?" campaigns. Disability advocates have expressed their anger that misleading information is being used to exploit a large group of people-men, women, and children with autism that didn't sign up to be part of this campaign. If I wasn't irritated enough by PETA's shenanigans last week (they publicly asked Ben and Jerry's to use breast milk to make their ice cream), this makes me even angrier.

Here's why I'm offended:

1.  This nothing but negative attack on people with autism digs up ancient fear tactics to SCARE parents out of giving their children milk. Fear doesn't generate rational decisions and its no way to characterize a group of people. The cereal and frowning face on the billboard targets children-whether that means making us think of them or catching their eyes and interest. Some will ask their parents what this advertisement means. What would you say?

2. The press released published by PETA conveniently leaves out any snippet of information that might allow me to actually look up these 'studies' they cite in the billboard. As a scientist, this use of research is enraging. Even PETA admits one of the whopping two studies they used to jump to this conclusion only involved 20 participants. In what little I'm able to find on this study, it removed milk from the diets of children with autism and THEN found changes in their behavior. It's impossible to prove causation with this type of study. A million (or likely more) other factors could have played a role in the participants improvements...the most obvious probably being their parents' hopefulness that an intervention of any type could help their child.

[Photo caption: Hanging poster resembles a Twister board with two feet pictured at the bottom. The poster is titled 'Jump to Conclusions' and divided into four rows of three squares. The squares are labeled: ???, jump again, strike out, could be, lose one turn, yes!, no!, accept it, go wild, one step back, think again, moot!] 

3.  Maybe you don't have a firm connection to the autism community but deciphering your feelings on campaigns like these can be done with consideration of the 'ole Golden Rule. What if the campaign featured my diagnosis-or yours-instead?

[Graphic caption: Same billboard from above but the text was changed to read 'got Osteogenesis Imperfecta?']

This perspective served to make me even more annoyed since there's a common misconception that my condition is caused by a LACK of milk/calcium consumption. Causation is rarely that simple for any condition. I wish PETA would leave my breakfast alone!

If you'd like to become involved in the advocacy efforts to tell PETA to stop exploiting people with autism, here are some options taken from the Justice for All blog:

• Write PETA at info@peta.org
• Call them at 757-622-7382 and dial 0.
• Sign an online petition.