Denis Leary On Autism Controversy: ‘Read The Book!’

Looks like Denis Leary isn’t sure autism protesters would help him sell books after all. Despite previously welcoming controversy over Autism Shamautism, his “favorite chapter” of his upcoming book, Why We Suck, Leary now complains that people are misreading his stance. Here’s what Page Six quoted from the book yesterday:

There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can’t compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don’t give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you – yer kid is NOT autistic. He’s just stupid. Or lazy. Or both.

According to a statement from Leary, those who would criticize the chapter “clearly have not read it.” Well, yes, David. It doesn’t come out until November 14. But there’s more.

If they have, they missed the sections I thought made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child.

The point of the chapter is not that autism doesn’t exist — it obviously does — and I have nothing but admiration and respect for parents dealing with the issue, including the ones I know.

The bulk of the chapter deals with grown men who are either self- diagnosing themselves with low-level offshoots of the disease or wishing they could as a way to explain their failed careers and troublesome progeny.

Of course, this entire misunderstanding can be easily avoided simply by doing one thing — reading the book.

If the chapter is about self-diagnosis, why does he bring up “the happy laps of shrinks” and not caring what “crackerjack whack jobs” tell parents about their “junior morons”? He doesn’t deny the accusations so much as describe who else he rails against even more. With the release of the book still a month away and Leary already backing off, it’s possible the controversy will die down before anyone gets the chance to decide for themselves.

[Photo: WireImage]