Wrong Planet

Last updated
Wrong Planet
Wrongplanetlogo.png
Type of site
Virtual community
Available in English
OwnerAlex Plank
Created byAlex Plank and Dan Grover
URL wrongplanet.net
RegistrationOptional
Launched2004;20 years ago (2004)
Current statusActive

Wrong Planet (sometimes referred to by its URL, wrongplanet.net) is an online community for "individuals (and parents / professionals of those) with Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences". [1] The site was started in 2004 by Dan Grover and Alex Plank [2] and includes a chatroom, a forum, and articles describing how to deal with daily issues. Wrong Planet has been referenced by the mainstream U.S. media. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Wrong Planet comes up in the special education curriculum of many universities in the United States. A page is dedicated to Wrong Planet and its founder in Exceptional Learners: Introduction to Special Education. [8]

Contents

History

In 2006, Alex Plank was sued by the victims of a 19-year-old member of the site, William Freund, [9] who shot two people (and himself) in Aliso Viejo, California, after openly telling others on the site that he planned to do so. [10]

In 2007, a man who was accused of murdering his dermatologist posted on the site while eluding the police. [11] Wrong Planet was covered in a Dateline NBC report on the incident. [12]

In 2008, Wrong Planet began getting involved in autism self-advocacy,[ vague ] with the goal[ dubious discuss ] intended to further the rights of autistic individuals living in the United States. Alex Plank, representing the site, testified at the Health and Human Services's Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. [13]

In 2010, Wrong Planet created a television show about autism called Autism Talk TV. Sponsors of this web series include Autism Speaks. The show is hosted by Alex Plank and Jack Robison, the son of author John Elder Robison. [14] Neurodiversity advocates have accused Plank of betraying Wrong Planet's goal for autism acceptance by accepting money from Autism Speaks for this web series. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Controversies in autism</span> Controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves

Diagnoses of autism have become more frequent since the 1980s, which has led to various controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves. Whether autism has mainly a genetic or developmental cause, and the degree of coincidence between autism and intellectual disability, are all matters of current scientific controversy as well as inquiry. There is also more sociopolitical debate as to whether autism should be considered a disability on its own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurodiversity</span> Non-pathological explanation of variations in mental functions

Neurodiversity is a framework for understanding human brain function that recognizes the diversity within sensory processing, motor abilities, social comfort, cognition, and focus as neurobiological differences. The neurodiversity paradigm argues that diversity in human cognition is normal and that some conditions generally classified as disorders, such as autism, are differences and disabilities that are not necessarily pathological.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism rights movement</span> Disability rights movement for autistic people

The autism rights movement, also known as the autistic acceptance movement, is a social movement allied with disability rights that emphasizes a neurodiversity paradigm, viewing autism as a disability with variations in the human brain rather than as a disease to be cured. The movement advocates for several goals, including greater acceptance of autistic traits and behaviors; reforms of services – i.e. services that focus on improving quality of life and well-being instead of suppression and masking of autistic traits that are adaptive or not harmful or imitations of social behaviors of allistic (non-autistic) peers ; the creation of social networks and events that allow autistic people to socialize on their own terms; and the recognition of the autistic community as a minority group.

High-functioning autism (HFA) was historically an autism classification where a person exhibits no intellectual disability, but may experience difficulty in communication, emotion recognition, expression, and social interaction.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to autism:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Societal and cultural aspects of autism</span>

Societal and cultural aspects of autism or sociology of autism come into play with recognition of autism, approaches to its support services and therapies, and how autism affects the definition of personhood. The autistic community is divided primarily into two camps; the autism rights movement and the pathology paradigm. The pathology paradigm advocates for supporting research into therapies, treatments, and/or a cure to help minimize or remove autistic traits, seeing treatment as vital to help individuals with autism, while the neurodiversity movement believes autism should be seen as a different way of being and advocates against a cure and interventions that focus on normalization, seeing it as trying to exterminate autistic people and their individuality. Both are controversial in autism communities and advocacy which has led to significant infighting between these two camps. While the dominant paradigm is the pathology paradigm and is followed largely by autism research and scientific communities, the neurodiversity movement is highly popular among most autistic people, within autism advocacy, autism rights organizations, and related neurodiversity approaches have been rapidly growing and applied in the autism research field in the last few years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Elder Robison</span> American writer

John Elder Robison is the American author of the 2007 memoir Look Me in the Eye, detailing his life with undiagnosed Asperger syndrome and savant abilities, and of three other books. Robison wrote his first book at age 49.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization run by and for individuals on the autism spectrum. ASAN advocates for the inclusion of autistic people in decisions that affect them, including: legislation, depiction in the media, and disability services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism Speaks</span> American advocacy organization

Autism Speaks Inc. is an American non-profit autism awareness organization and the largest autism research organization in the United States. It sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright and his wife Suzanne, a year after their grandson Christian was diagnosed with autism. The same year as its founding, the organization merged with Autism Coalition for Research and Education. It then merged with the National Alliance for Autism Research in 2006 and Cure Autism Now in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ari Ne'eman</span> American autism rights advocate

Ari Daniel Ne'eman is an American disability rights activist and researcher who co-founded the Autistic Self Advocacy Network in 2006. On December 16, 2009, President Barack Obama announced that Ne'eman would be appointed to the National Council on Disability. After an anonymous hold was lifted, Ne'eman was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve on the Council on June 22, 2010. He chaired the council's Policy & Program Evaluation Committee making him the first autistic person to serve on the council. In 2015, Ne'eman left the National Council on Disability at the end of his second term. He currently serves as a consultant to the American Civil Liberties Union. As of 2019, he also is a Ph.D. candidate in Health Policy at Harvard University.

Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of deficient reciprocal social communication and the presence of restricted, repetitive, and inflexible patterns of behavior that are impairing in multiple contexts, excessive or atypical, or developmentally and socioculturally inappropriate. Other common signs include difficulty with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, along with perseverative interests, stereotypic body movements, rigid routines, and hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input. Autism is clinically regarded as a spectrum disorder, meaning that it can manifest very differently in each person. For example, some are nonspeaking, while others have proficient spoken language. Because of this, there is wide variation in the support needs of people across the autism spectrum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Plank</span> American actor

Alexander Plank is an American autism advocate, filmmaker and actor. He is known for founding the online community Wrong Planet, working on FX's television series The Bridge, and acting on The Good Doctor. At the age of 9, Plank was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Plank started Wrong Planet at the age of 17 in order to find others like him on the Internet. After the popularity of Wrong Planet grew, Plank began to be frequently mentioned in the mainstream media in articles relating to autism, Asperger's, and autism rights.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) or autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) describe a range of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders in the DSM-5, used by the American Psychiatric Association. As with many neurodivergent people and conditions, the popular image of autistic people and autism itself is often based on inaccurate media representations. Additionally, media about autism may promote pseudoscience such as vaccine denial or facilitated communication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism-friendly</span> Being aware of factors affecting those with autism

Autism-friendly means being aware of social engagement and environmental factors affecting people on the autism spectrum, with modifications to communication methods and physical space to better suit individual's unique and special needs.

Gunilla Gerland is a Swedish author and lecturer on the topic of autism. Her written works include Secrets to Success for Professionals in the Autism Field: An Insider's Guide to Understanding the Autism Spectrum, the Environment and Your Role and her autobiography A Real Person: Life on the Outside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Mitchell (writer)</span> American writer and blogger

Jonathan Mitchell is an American author and autistic blogger who writes about autism including the neuroscience of the disorder and neurodiversity movement. His novel The Mu Rhythm Bluff is about a 49-year-old autistic man who undergoes transcranial magnetic stimulation.

The history of autism spans over a century; autism has been subject to varying treatments, being pathologized or being viewed as a beneficial part of human neurodiversity. The understanding of autism has been shaped by cultural, scientific, and societal factors, and its perception and treatment change over time as scientific understanding of autism develops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Cook O'Toole</span> American writer

Jennifer Cook (formerly O'Toole) (born October 24, 1975) is an American author and speaker. She is known for her six Asperkids books, which have been translated into six languages and include the winner of the Autism Society of America's Book of the Year Award. Her memoir Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller, a "Best Book" title winner by Publishers Weekly, and named a "Best Memoir" and one of both the "Best Autism Books of All Time" and "Best-Selling Autism Books of All Time" by BookAuthority. She is the on-camera autism expert in Netflix's series Love on the Spectrum.

<i>NeuroTribes</i> 2015 book by Steve Silberman

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity is a book by Steve Silberman that discusses autism and neurodiversity from historic, scientific, and advocacy-based perspectives. Neurotribes was awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2015, and has received wide acclaim from both the scientific and the popular press. It was named to a number of "best books of 2015" lists, including The New York Times Book Review and The Guardian.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) is a United States federal advisory panel within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It coordinates all efforts within HHS concerning autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

References

  1. "About Wrong Planet - Wrong Planet Wrong Planet". Wrong Planet.
  2. "Autistic Acceptance, the College Campus, and Technology: Growth of Neurodiversity in Society and Academia". Disability Studies Quarterly. Fall 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  3. "Creating an Asperger's Community". Washington Post. December 20, 2005. pp. HE02. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  4. Szalavitz, Maia (February 27, 2007). "Gifted? Autistic? Or Just Quirky?". The Washington Post. p. HE01. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  5. "'Autistics don't want to be cured'". Chicago Tribune. April 2, 2008. Archived from the original on April 5, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
  6. Deardorff, Julie (2008-05-11). "A road to recovery?". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  7. "The New Wave of Autism Rights Activists - New York Magazine". 23 May 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  8. Hallahan, Dan (2006). Exceptional Learners: Introduction to Special Education (10th ed.). Allyn & Bacon. p.  452. ISBN   0-205-44421-0.
  9. Hann, Michael. A loaded discussion. The Guardian, November 14, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
  10. Tran, Mia (November 18, 2006). "Relatives sue over shotgun slayings". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on September 21, 2015.
  11. "Dermatologist's Accused Killer Apparently Blogged About His Emotions". WBBM. 2007-09-13. Archived from the original on 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  12. "Appointment for Murder". Dateline NBC. 2008-03-16. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  13. "IACC Full Committee Meeting Minutes - March 14, 2008". Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. March 14, 2008. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  14. "Introducing Autism Talk TV". Autism Speaks. March 15, 2008. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  15. Lassiter, Zachary (19 November 2012). "Self Advocates Accuse Autism Speaks; Alex Plank of Starting Sock Puppet Organization - Disability And Me". Disability And Me. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.