Michael Alan Weiner, aka Michael Savage, stands by his insensitive and false remarks about autistic children. The conservative political commentator, 66, said on his Savage Nation talk show last week that nearly every child with autism as “a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out.”

Both in a statement on the WOR710.com Web site and in an interview with The New York Times, he stood by his remarks and said he has no intention of apologizing. However, Michael Savage acknowledged that he exaggerated in claiming that 99 out every 100 cases of autism were misdiagnosed.

WOR Radio immediately issued a statement distancing itself from Savage's statements, and saying that Michael Savage is a syndicated show, and thus the content is the responsibility of the syndicator, which is Talk Radio Networks. Nevertheless, their studios in New York City were picketed by Autism United, a coalition of organizations that advocate on behalf of children with autism.

Today's Savage Nation, to be broadcast 3 to 6 p.m., Pacific time, or 6 to 9 p.m., Eastern time, will allegedly focus on the same subject. Meanwhile several autism and disabilities groups, as well as other groups which sided with them on this issue, want Michael Savage fired immediately.

It is still unclear what the cause for autism is, but a combined cause with a large genetic component is suspected. A recent Harvard study appears to indicate that autism is caused by the deletion of some genes and turning off of other genes, which cause disruptions in the brain's ability to form new connections in response to experience.

People affected by the disorder are characterized by social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that many people take for granted. Autism Spectrum Disorders are associated with periods of severe tantrums and one third of autistic children also have displayed aggression, especially when the disorder is associated with mental retardation (as it often happens).