I hate this divide in the autism community, not least because it stifles freedom of speech and I dont mean the freedom of speech to attack one another but to share experiences, whether they are good or bad. In my opinion if we don't feel free to share then how can people learn about the autism spectrum and how can we support one another. As a parent of special needs children, I am often left feeling at the bottom of the heap but I think my voice counts as much as anyone else, not least because I represent my children who can't advocate for themselves yet. That is my role as a parent and I wish people would respect that. As for the leaders, I have no idea who they are and am not particularly interested either. For me I think its more important to empower each other other and allow people to share their experiences.