Cure Autism Now (CAN) described itself as an organization of parents, clinicians and leading scientists committed to accelerating the pace of biomedical research in Autism through raising money for research projects, education and outreach. Founded by Jonathan Shestack and Portia Iversen – parents of a child with Autism – in 1995, the organization grew from a kitchen-table effort to a leading provider of support for Autism research and scientific resources. The organization’s primary focus was to fund essential research through a variety of programs designed to encourage innovative approaches toward identifying the causes, prevention, treatment and a cure for Autism and related disorders.

During it’s life, Cure Autism Now committed more than $39 million in research, the establishment and ongoing support of the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), and numerous outreach and awareness activities aimed at families, physicians, governmental officials and the general public. CAN has since been taken over by Autism Speaks.

Background
NBC News reported in 2005 on the progress of Cure Autism Now, quoting Portia Iverson speak of their first child, Dov; “He was slipping away, every minute” promoting it as though the child was dying. Jonathan Shestack was quoted as saying “So, we said, ‘OK. What’s there in medicine?’ There wasn’t anything in medicine,” recalls Jon. “And then we said, ‘Well, they must be doing research.’ But there was no ‘They.’ There just wasn’t.” This was basis on which CAN was formed. However the article also notes that in 2005, ten years after the original diagnosis, Dov remains at the low end of the spectrum – signifying no effort to improve his functioning levels and therefore imputing 100 percent effort into cure and no effort into what was really needed.^[1]

Criticism
A wide variety of Autistic self-advocates find a “cure” extremely insulting and hurtful, arguing that it is simply eugenics. This is due to the fact that without Autism the individual’s personality is destroyed, and without Autism they would not be the same as before. They argue that since Autism is not a disease,^[2] they do not want a cure.^[3] Many people on the Autistic spectrum are okay with the way they are,^[4] and are able to make important contributions to the world.^[5] The web portal Autistics.org has a picture on its home page showing a garbage can full of dead Autistic fetuses with Cure Autism Now’s initials on it, in front of an abortion clinic with the caption “The real meaning of ‘autism prevention’.”

The main criticism of Cure Autism Now was that the organization demonized Autistic people, scaring their families and promoting a narrow vision of the ideal mind. The organization has also been criticized for not listening to the experiences of Autistic adults.

Tony Attwood, author of “Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals”, has described the most pervasive problem among Autistic adults as being a feeling that their families have rejected them and what they are. Some Autistic people and the professionals who work with them feel that Cure Autism Now exacerbated this feeling of rejection. These advocates do not believe that Autistic people do not need therapy, just that a cure is the wrong approach. Self-advocates believe that money should be spent on finding ways to support Autistic people throughout their lifespans,^[6] rather than forcing on them a cure they never asked for.^[7] This view is both advocated by people who are “high functioning” and “low functioning” people such as nonverbal writer Amy Sequenzia.^[8]

Demise
Cure Autism Now was another example of an organisation about Autism that did not consider the input of Autistic people. On February 1, 2007, CAN announced that it was combining operations with Autism Speaks. That ended up being a takeover by Autism Speaks, which now hosts AGRE on its website.^[9]

Shestack is now an independent movie producer.^[10] Iverson has wound back her work as she is no longer involved in any leadership roles in advocacy, which is a good thing – her last effort being in 2010.^[11] There doesn’t appear to be any updated information on Dov.

References
^[1] NBC News: Parents push for autism cure
^[2] The Guardian: Autism Is Not a Disease
^[3] Aspies for Freedom (now defunct)
^[4] Cynthia Kim: Acceptance as a Well Being Practice
^[5] New York Times: How About Not “Curing” Us, Some Autistics are Pleading
^[6] The Daily Beast: They Don’t Want an Autism Cure
^[7] Diary of a Mom: Lost in Conflation, Not Autism
^[8] Autistic People Protest Autism Speaks
^[9] Autism Speaks: AGRE
^[10] ‘The Black Room’ Picked Up By MajorJazz, Based On Co-Writer’s Experience In Psychic Research Institute
^[11] Portia Iverson; Autism