Autism Speaks is a known anti-autism, pro-eugenics hate group. A miniscule percentage of the money Autism Speaks raises actually goes towards benevolent causes, and the majority goes towards research that actually harms autistic people.

This includes research towards the development for a pre-natal test for autism so that autistic babies may be aborted before they are born, as well as support for ABA therapy which is traumatic and very similar to conversion therapy. Their goal is to "eradicate autism" as if it is a disease, and not a different neurotype. For the majority of its existence, Autism Speaks had a primary goal of finding a "cure" for autism, which is not even possible or necessary. 

Autism Speaks has also published a commercial called "I Am Autism" in which autism is referred to as a disease, an epidemic, and compares it to cancer and AIDS. It refers to autistic people as "burdens" and "tragedies."

The organization itself lacks autistic representation. 

For the "Light It Up Blue" movement, the color blue was chosen because it was believed that only males could be autistic. The puzzle piece symbol was on the basis that autism is a "puzzling condition" and that autistic people have a "missing piece." 

It is important for these organizations to revoke their support for Autism Speaks and its ableist, eugenicist mission. 

These funds would actually help autistic people if they were donated to a non-harmful organization with actually autistic representation such as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.