Is Chris Chan autistic? YouTuber gets criticized for controversial views on Asperger and autism
HENRICO COUNTY, VIRGINIA: ‘Sonichu’ creator Chris Chan or Christine W Chandler Sonichu, an artist, blogger, and YouTube personality and a “proud Lesbian Transwoman”, was reportedly arrested following shocking allegations of sexually assaulting her own mother. Chan was spotted being handcuffed and taken into custody by Greene County Police on August 1.
The 39-year-old was reportedly removed from her home on July 31, and her mother was put in professional elder care. An emergency protective order, prohibiting Chan from contacting her mother, has been issued till August 5 to ensure the well-being of the elderly woman.
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Her arrest was filmed and streamed live by YouTuber Ethan Ralph. While actual details remain murky, an arrest record from Henrico County Sheriff's Office has been doing rounds on the internet, which lists Christine Weston Chandler as a 39-year-old White female, and specifies her status as "In Custody."
According to social media rumors, which cannot be verified, Chan's mother is currently at the hospital for a senior care inspection and Chan has been removed from her residence. No more information regarding the same was available. It is not known whether Youtuber Chris Chan has been charged with anything.
Is Chris Chan autistic?
While personal details about Chan are sparse and not verifiable, a Her page on Fandom notes that she didn’t speak at all would visit the James Madison University for speech therapy around the age of seven and during that time, was diagnosed with High-functioning autism. She has also reportedly stated that Asperger's syndrome should not be on the spectrum, claiming that people with Asperger's are taking the attention away from autistic people.
In a student newspaper called The Compass, it was reported that at around the age of 12, Chan entered a Sonic the Hedgehog Watch and Win Sweepstakes, and won the grand prize of a one-thousand dollar worth shopping spree. At the time, WVIR-TV covered the event with a heavy focus on her autism, and how it was such a great accomplishment for someone with so many setbacks to achieve this.
But Chan and her takes on Autism have been criticized. On Tumblr, a user named The Nerd Next Door who blogs about “gaming, Autism Self Advocacy, my Asexuality, or what's going on in life,” said that Chan gives Autism a bad name. They wrote, “Chan also highlights what happens if we accept a doctrine of pity and fear like what Autism Speaks spreads.”
Autism Speaks is a controversial autism advocacy organization and as per the Washington Post, “The objectives of the organization have largely involved serving families — they have resources for parents, siblings, and grandparents, but little for autistic people.”
The Nerd Next Door also wrote, “Chris Chan represents the belief that Autism is some sort of dark malevolent force that feeds on you and controls you. In reality, this is far from the truth as it is who we are.”