Autism National Committee

History and activities

Autism National Committee was founded in 1990 to protect and advance the human rights and civil rights of all persons with autism, Pervasive Development Disorder, and related differences of communication and behavior. It was founded by the late Dr. Herb Lovett. In the face of social policies of devaluation, which are expressed in the practices of segregation, medicalization, and aversive conditioning, AutCom asserts that all individuals are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, AutCom works to ensure that people with autism and related disabilities are treated equality and with dignity.

In 2012, AutCom published How Safe is the Schoolhouse? An Analysis of State Seclusion and Restraint Policies written by Jessica Butler. The report provides a summary of state restraint and seclusion laws and policies in effect in 2012 for students in school. Approximately 29 states have meaningful legal protections against seclusion and restraint in school.

Public policy

Autism National Committee believes strongly that no person should be subject to restraint, seclusion, aversives, or other forms of abuse. Children in school should receive positive supports and accommodations for their disability needs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that hundreds of children have been subjected to these techniques, including a 7-year-old dying after being held face down for hours by staff, and 5-year-olds tied to chairs with duct tape and suffering broken arms and bloody noses. According to "Unsafe in the Schoolhouse: Abuse of Children with Disabilities", a large number of students who are abused have autism.

Autism National Committee advocates for the right of autistic people to communicate via whatever form of augmentative and alternative communication they choose, including facilitated communication, which is a technique involving one person's providing physical assistance to a communicatively impaired individual with the aim of helping the latter point or type. CNN reported on the experiences of some users of facilitated communication at Autism National Committee's 2007 conference. In a position paper published in 2008, Autism National Committee argued that facilitated communication should not be dismissed but merits full consideration; that research findings are equivocal; and that facilitated communication is a valid means of communication for certain individuals, such as those who have gone on to type independently or with minimal physical support.