Sebelius Appoints the $600,000 Woman Federal Autism Panel

This post has been updated from its original version.

Just the other day, President Obama said: “at a certain point you’ve made enough money.” I wonder how he would feel about Geraldine Dawson. If the President is so concerned with what people working in the private sector are making, I’m sure he’d be just as interested in the “non-profit” sector. Kathleen Sebelius’ most recent appointment to the IACC (Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee) would certainly be worth noting.

The IACC is a Federal advisory committee that sets priorities for autism research dollars within the National Institutes of Health. The committee helps to ensure that a wide range of ideas and perspectives are represented and discussed in a public forum by appointing both Federal and public members.

This morning, Secretary Sebelius chose Geraldine Dawson as a public member to represent Autism Speaks, where Dawson serves as Chief Science Officer. According to Autism Speaks’ 2008 Form 990, Dawson received compensation of $644,264.00. The 990 reports that about $270,000 of her compensation was a one-time relocation expense which puts her annual compensation at approx. $370,000. $270,000 is a huge “relocation” reimbursement. I don’t know about you, but unless she’s renting a limo for each packing crate, I’m starting to wonder where that money is going to.

It wouldn’t be so bad if Dawson were collecting dollars that she earned through private enterprise. However, her salary and “moving expenses” from Autism Speaks are paid for with donations from families and philanthropists who believe that in donating part of their income to a charity, they’re helping to build a better future for people with autism. Parents and family members didn’t participate in annual walks for autism so they can help pay Geraldine Dawson an AIG/Lehman Brothers type salary – but that’s where their money goes.

Ridiculously high compensation is not the only reason to be concerned with Dawson’s appointment and Autism Speaks. The IACC provides advice to Sebelius regarding Federal activities related to autism spectrum disorder. (ASD). They also exchange information on and coordinate activities among the member agencies and organizations. Dawson’s employment by Autism Speaks ensures that their agenda will be carried out. Instead of funding services for families and individuals, Autism Speaks’ operating budget goes primarily towards research on the cause of autism, much of it devoted to finding particular genes with an eye to developing a prenatal test. As families of children with Down Syndrome are aware, the existence of prenatal testing for autism means a vast increase in the eugenic abortion of children with autism before they are born.

Organizations like Autism Speaks don’t spend their vast budgets to help children and adults with autism or their families. Instead, they fund research with eugenic implications and help their executives enjoy standards of living far beyond what the average parent or person with autism will ever see. Then, to keep the gravy train flowing, they use fear tactics and demonize autism to compel families to open their pocket books. Autism Speaks advertisements and fundraising videos have featured parents talking about killing their children with autism and portraying their children’s lives as not worth living. Is it any wonder that when Autism Speaks provides them the means and the motive many potential parents will consider abortion as their only option when a pre-natal test is developed? As the mother of an autistic child, I am deeply offended that my child is considered a burden and better off never being born.

The IACC is supposed to increase public understanding of the member agencies; activities, programs, policies, and research by providing a public forum for talks related to ASD research and services. This is also an area of concern since Autism Speaks is notorious for putting very little funds from their donations into improving services or educational opportunities for children and adults with autism.

Geraldine Dawson is part of a movement determined to eradicate people with autism from our society. We need more respect and understanding when it comes to the autism community. Sebelius’ choice to appoint Dawson to the IACC does not represent the hope and change that many in the autism community were expecting.