MC Hammer producer on hunger strike for autism

So many celebs today are trotting their autistic kids out in front of the media like a never-ending circus side show – now, however, there is another celeb who’s doing it all differently. And it should be no surprise it’s different, because he himself has Asperger’s, a form of autism, and sees the world differently.

This man is Michael Buckholtz – the platinum record producer, behind such artists as MC Hammer. This self-taught multi-instrumentalist, song-writer, producer is currently nearing the end of a 30-day hunger strike to draw national media attention to his cause.

His strike is to highlight two causes.

First, he seeks to highlight the fact that autism isn’t a children’s affliction, and that there are scores of adults living and coping with this condition today.

“There have been nationally televised features recently where one of the expert guests asked, ‘So where are all these so-called autistic adults? I don’t see them!’ This kind of misinformation is appalling,” said Buckholtz, “I wish to bring attention to the gross misrepresentation of who autistic people are and what we really act like.”

Michael continued by saying, “Many of us are invisible to the general public out of necessity. Mainstream media love to focus on the most severe cases, the tragedy, which becomes the average American’s vision of what autism is With this as the dominant perception, many with autism, whether it be high-functioning or not, are less likely to want their condition revealed to fellow associates, workmates, employers or anyone they come in contact with for fear they may lose a job or damage an important long-term relationship. In short, we blend in as best we can to survive. My hope is to generate massive energy around a humanitarian movement to include autistic adults in the everyday autism conversation because we are here and coping, some of us just barely.”

Michael’s second goal is as the spear-head of a grass-root, non-profit organization, Aid for Autistic Children Foundation, Inc. (www.aacfinc.org), established to raise funds for families who have undergone financial hardship as a result of autism in their families. From the uninsured autistic man who has to go to a hospital and doesn’t know where to turn, to families on the brink of bankruptcy due to treatments and therapies they’ve gone out of pocket to secure, Michael is shining a light on this completely disenfranchised segment of the population that’s at the end of their rope.

Michael continued, “The media driven wrong perception of what autism really is – and the variety of ages of people affected – makes it difficult for the poorest of people coping with autism to have their voices not only heard, but, taken seriously. I’m giving voice to the autism community’s repeated and continued request for this help – which today is virtually non-existent.”

Unlike what many think of when they envision someone with autism – shy, withdrawn, reticent – here again we find disparity in mainstream conventional understanding, for Michael is anything but quiet, or slow to speak about this mission. While we’re so accustomed to seeing celeb parents – here’s the real article: a man who is articulate, on a philanthropic tear, smart, talented, African-American, proud of what he’s been able to do so far, and looking to change how we think about autism .

Want to try to exceed his energy for this cause? The only adequate response would be: “U can’t touch this!”

Brian Field is the National Autism Examiner