Re: Another side of the story.... Fw: [EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !

[Guest guest]

I heard him on the radio last night saying "they're trying to kick me off the radio, please go to my web site and help me stay on" I don't remember very much more that he said cause DH was talking over it.He sounded like he was pleaing for listeners to help keep him on the air. It was on KVOO a local radio channel here. Love to all, (ie from OK)Smyelin groovy wrote: That makes sense. But here's what

he actually said... -- Dear Friend,On July 16, the No. 3 syndicated radio talk show host in the country, Savage, made the following statement on autism:"Now, you want me to tell you my opinion on autism?... A fraud, a racket."Savage went on to say:Now, the illness du jour is autism. You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is.What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, "Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot."Autism -- everybody has an illness. If I behaved like a fool, my father called me a fool. And he said to me, "Don't behave like a fool." The worst thing he said -- "Don't behave like a fool. Don't

be anybody's dummy. Don't sound like an idiot. Don't act like a girl. Don't cry." That's what I was raised with. That's what you should raise your children with. Stop with the sensitivity training. You're turning your son into a girl, and you're turning your nation into a nation of losers and beaten men. That's why we have the politicians we have.During the same broadcast, Savage also attacked those in "the minority community" who suffer from asthma. He stated: "[W]hy was there an asthma epidemic amongst minority children? Because I'll tell you why: The children got extra welfare if they were disabled, and they got extra help in school. It was a money racket. Everyone went in and was told [fake cough], 'When the nurse looks at you, you go [fake cough], "I don't know, the dust got me." ' See,everyone had asthma from the minority community." Savage's mean-spirited comments are disgusting and are anaffront to basic decency.Find your

local Savage Station, log into our calling tool and tell your Savage station manager what you think of Savage's tirade.The Savage Nation reaches at least 8.25 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it one of the most listened-to talk radio shows in the nation, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Hannity Show.Your voice is critical in holding Savage accountable for his comments. I hope you take the time to call and tell those running the station exactly what you think of Savage.Find your local Savage Station, log into our calling tool and tell your Savage station manager what you think of Savage's tirade.Thank you, HofteigDirector, New MediaMedia Matters for America-- He is definitely caustic. LOL Unfortunately, he is also uneducated and bigotted. These things don't rile me as they might have years ago. I've seen and

heard it too many times. Challis [EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot ! What an Ass ! .... Savagw ~ Arrogant imbecile !!! Radio host angers parents of autistic children By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television WriterMon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET Radio talk show host Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed. Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last

Wednesday. Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate. On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'" The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses. Fournier of the

National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment. Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel." "I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick." Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage. "That isn't just

freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat." Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig." Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view. "He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."

[Guest guest]

I listened to his radio show last night. Tom and I listen to him rather frequently. I think that what he said was taken out of context, and surely the whole truth was not told. People took parts of his transcript and twisted it. A lot of it wasn't even mentioned.

Last night there were several parents with autistic children who called his station. They were the only ones, it seemed, to get what he was trying to say. He was not accusing all parents of autistic children of "faking" to get meds. He was talking about a system of people who don't know what to do with their unruly children, so they take them to the Dr.s assuming that there must be something wrong. The Dr.s arbitrarily put them on drugs and claim the child has autism. He was speaking about the all too many parents out there who are either too busy or just don't know how to parent their children,

Does he come off as a little harsh sometimes. Yes, I think so. But, I don't think he, as a man who is always advocating children and is known for giving to children, is all of a sudden going to say something to hurt them. I really don't.

Love and blessings,

Val

The residual attributes that we pass down to our children may not be in our genes... but in our souls.

From: Anne Whitworth <reikiladyitlnet (DOT) net>Subject: Fw: [EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !To: "MSersLife egroup" <MSersLife@yahoogrou ps.com>Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 4:53 AM

 moron is a better word

[EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !

What an Ass ! .... Savagw ~ Arrogant imbecile !!!

Radio host angers parents of autistic children

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television WriterMon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET

Radio talk show host Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed..

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."

"I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick."

Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage.

"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat."

Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig."

Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

"He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."

[Guest guest]

I've heard he's dedicating a show (Monday, maybe?) to this. Asking parents to call in and "educate" him on air. I thik this is a good thing. Better than the report which went exactly the wrong and negative way.

Challis

[EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !

What an Ass ! .... Savagw ~ Arrogant imbecile !!!

Radio host angers parents of autistic children

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television WriterMon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET

Radio talk show host Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed.

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."

"I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick."

Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage.

"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat."

Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig."

Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

"He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."

[Guest guest]

LOL Yeah, he said 99% of the time it's not a valid dx. Sorry, this guy is stupid on this issue. And he absolutely knows how to work a story and get a reaction. It's his job. LOL

Too much "big pharma", mis-dx, over-dx, under-dx, not looking at the big picture (including all the "other" ways to help a child), etc., etc., etc., are all important and very real issues. But this guy wasn't working to bring awareness of those issues... He made his beliefs clear, no matter how pretty the words are twisted later, they are what they are. LOL

You can only take so much out of context. LOL

Challis

[EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !

What an Ass ! .... Savagw ~ Arrogant imbecile !!!

Radio host angers parents of autistic children

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television WriterMon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET

Radio talk show host Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed..

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."

"I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick."

Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage.

"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat."

Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig."

Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

"He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."

[Guest guest]



the reports I am getting is he had so much of a uproar he is begging for help to stay on the air

[EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !

What an Ass ! .... Savagw ~ Arrogant imbecile !!!

Radio host angers parents of autistic children

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television WriterMon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET

Radio talk show host Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed.

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."

"I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick."

Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage.

"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat."

Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig."

Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

"He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."

[Guest guest]

You know. What amazes me the most is. Most of the people who raised such a stink about this, and wanting to protect the children; are people who didn't even have children themselves. And very few were actually parents of autistic children.

Yes, maybe he does need to be educated on this particular illness. But, I myself have seen too many children diagnosed as being autistic when they weren't. One of my own children was being tested for it. Turns out, she was bi-polar. The little girl that I babysat(Yaya), her mother thought she might have been autistic. Where she got that notion I'll never know. She was nowhere near autistic. She thought the little girl was too hyper and didn't pay attention. I found, that through taking care of her, she was not hyper. In fact, quite the contrary. She was an only child. She was seeking attention. And she had no problem paying attention. That little girl was a whip! It was her mother who didn't pay the little girl any attention. Too busy runnin' the streets. And entertaining men instead of parenting her child.

When he stated the 99% figure, I agree, he was exagerating. But, the numbers are higher than what should be accepted. I have learned that the media is the worst place you can go to get the facts these days. The are the biggest lying industry around. They take the facts, chop them up, twist them around, and then regurgitate it to all the eager listeners who feast on it. Unfortunately, he's in that business.

I don't believe anything I hear and only half of what I see. Or should that be the other way around?

Love and blessings,

Val

The residual attributes that we pass down to our children may not be in our genes... but in our souls.

From: Anne Whitworth <reikiladyitlnet (DOT) net>Subject: Fw: [EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !To: "MSersLife egroup" <MSersLife@yahoogrou ps.com>Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 4:53 AM

 moron is a better word

[EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !

What an Ass ! .... Savagw ~ Arrogant imbecile !!!

Radio host angers parents of autistic children

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television WriterMon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET

Radio talk show host Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed...

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."

"I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick."

Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage.

"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat."

Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig."

Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

"He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."

[Guest guest]

He said nothing about that on his program last night. I think that if he was begging, he would have said something then. Unless after one week of this, he's finally decided to let the chips fall where they may.

Love and blessings,

Val

The residual attributes that we pass down to our children may not be in our genes... but in our souls.

From: Anne Whitworth <reikiladyitlnet (DOT) net>Subject: Fw: [EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !To: "MSersLife egroup" <MSersLife@yahoogrou ps.com>Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 4:53 AM

 moron is a better word

[EnergyTransferal2] Savage ~ What an Idiot !

What an Ass ! .... Savagw ~ Arrogant imbecile !!!

Radio host angers parents of autistic children

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television WriterMon Jul 21, 6:59 PM ET

Radio talk show host Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed.

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."

"I'm hoping to make him see the reality of what these kids are facing," she said. "You can't fix it by telling a kid to shut up. It's like telling a kid with cancer to stop being sick."

Ain, whose 8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism, said she had never heard of Savage and couldn't believe what she had heard when she first listened to the remarks. She organized a demonstration Monday outside New York's WOR-AM, which broadcasts Savage.

"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech when you say 99 percent of children with autism are brats," she said. "I'll tell you, I wish I had a brat."

Savage, with more than 8 million listeners a week, is talk radio's third most popular personality behind Rush Limbaugh and Hannity, according to Talkers magazine. He's made a living off bold, outrageous statements: His brief MSNBC show was canceled after he told a caller he should "get AIDS and die, you pig."

Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

"He's an entertainer, he does these things for attention," Bell said. "I think we should, to the best we can, ignore it."