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Autism Awareness: How To Cope

cnn.com — Information for people dealing with autism or kids suffering from the brain disorder.

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  • StevesJobs, on 03/27/2008, -16/+3Call me crazy, but I don't think this applies to many digg users.
    • Totz83, on 03/27/2008, -0/+10Well I work with autistic children so it is applicable to me, also it was a great article. Providing reading like this for people will increase empathy towards people with the condition, peace out =p
      • StevesJobs, on 03/27/2008, -2/+2Well in that sense it does, but looking at the description: how many digg users have autism, or even have kids? I think the article is much more than the description gives it credit for.
      • mal1964, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1"Well I work with autistic children", In what way?
        • xsuite, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Not sure, but I do know he must get ***** off with all those children gnawing on his office furniture :/
    • ngmcs8203, on 03/27/2008, -1/+7With the high rate of autistic children in the world, 1/1000, I think this can easily apply to Digg users.
    • Tigerbot5, on 03/27/2008, -6/+1Why hello there, Crazy...
    • bromac, on 03/27/2008, -1/+6Empathy is a funny thing. Some day, something may happen to you and you'll experience the same apathy that you espouse.

      By the way, my brother's autistic. It applies to me.
    • stillasleep00, on 03/27/2008, -2/+5Hi, I'm the brother of an autistic. Now, what was it you had to say?
      • Ragzouken, on 03/27/2008, -4/+1He already said it, it was 'Call me crazy, but I don't think this applies to many digg users.'
      • wush, on 03/27/2008, -4/+1your brother scratched my car
    • ligyron, on 03/27/2008, -6/+2My brother died that way. It applies
    • apophenic, on 03/27/2008, -6/+5No dude everyone on here is probably an aspie. The doctors just haven't diagnosed them yet.
    • MoofTheStoof, on 03/28/2008, -1/+2I have an autistic daughter.
    • PURPLEDRINK, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1That's funny, I think otherwise + I'm responding to someone named SteveJobs.
    • DanOnTheMoon, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1Given how the elections are going, this ought to be popular.
  • andydude117, on 03/27/2008, -0/+13This article is good for parents in the beginning, but no amount of reading could prepare anyone for raising an autistic child. It is truly a lifelong learning experience.
    • pdwyer, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2As the father of an Autistic child, you are dead on
      • CiXeL, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1sadly, i wonder what is going to happen to all these kids when the parents inevitably pass away. will there be a certain percentage of the population relegated to homes?
        will the growing immigrant population that eventually superceeds us even care?
    • Ladymongoose, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1Damn straight.
  • Blumpkin, on 03/27/2008, -32/+1God damn retards. ;oP' ' ' ' '
    • Mewchu11, on 03/27/2008, -3/+2Please go die in a fire
    • bromac, on 03/27/2008, -0/+4Yeah, they make comments with stupid emoticons that take up valuable space in the first page of responses.
  • bdbthinker, on 03/27/2008, -13/+7PROTIP: Always have a TV close by in case Wapner comes on.
    • scubaman5000, on 03/28/2008, -1/+4This is indirectly related to your comment but your comment got me thinking about it again. If anyone wants to check out something amazing look up videos and articles on Kim Peek. He's the guy the movie Rain Man was based on.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Peek
  • jask0, on 03/27/2008, -2/+18My mom and other friends started a company to help autistic kids.....

    http://www.settogobags.com
    • Ladymongoose, on 03/29/2008, -0/+2Your site needs to show the individual items and descriptions. I need to see these items before I buy them for my autistic child.
      • jask0, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Sorry.. the pictures are on now... if you'd like to know more about the products or have any questions, you can e-mail them on the site.

        Thanks for your interest.
  • LifeIsARhythm, on 03/27/2008, -1/+16this is important because I can't stand people that deny autism exists.

    aka John Travolta
    • herecomes, on 03/27/2008, -7/+0I love John Travolta. He was so good in "Welcome Back Kotter".
    • mewoot10, on 03/27/2008, -0/+7You either forgot to mention or just don't know that the actor John Travolta is a "Scientologist"
    • Vlatro, on 03/28/2008, -1/+2The beautiful irony there is: You have to be autistic to understand the ***** Battlefield Earth movie. Of course, I can't recall any major motion picture in recent years to come so close to grossing $0, So if he accepts my postulate, I can understand why he thinks there are none.
    • KevinWhite, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1and Jenny McCarthy:
      (video) http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=2040
  • jjive, on 03/27/2008, -9/+1...and 334 is the number of toothpicks you dropped on the floor.
    ...yeah, definitely.
  • Fox318, on 03/27/2008, -0/+9Good article. I'm a triplet and both of my brothers are Autstic. One of my brothers is higher functing and just has many social problems to deal with(he can speak but he is often hyperactive). My other brother is non-verbal, he can understand what people are saying just can't communicate for himself. He often gets into temper tantrums over very small things because he can't communicate what he wants. Most family's aren't as lucky as ours though. Whereas my family has tried experimenting with bring my brothers out to restaurants, skiing, snowmobiling and trying to allow them to enjoy some of the benefits of a normal life. Some families have problems getting their kids to just go to school and doing extremely simple things More and more people need to be educated on Autism and try to help families adapt to the change.

    It's also a good thing to see Presidential candidates address this issue. I have seen recent;y Senator McCain and Senator Obama talk about Autism and children with special needs.

  • MrBlack08, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3I was hoping for an article more about public awareness of autism. I work with a student at my school with autism, so I am naturally comfortable around people with disabilities, but other people anymore are scared to death how to react to people with mental disabilities like autism or Down's Syndrome. And it's not their fault, it's something that a person doesn't naturally pickup unless they are exposed to that kind of environment. I think I may just go hunt down an article for that purpose...
  • MWeather, on 03/27/2008, -12/+4I find rocking back and forth helps. Yeah, definitely.
    • herecomes, on 03/27/2008, -7/+0You mean it helps you to win the Oscar.

      White boys always get the Oscar. It's a known fact. Did I ever get a nomination? No! You know why? Cause I hadn't played any of them slave roles, and get my ass whipped. That's how you get the nomination. A black dude who plays a slave that gets his ass whipped gets the nomination, a white guy who plays an idiot gets the Oscar. That's what I need, I need to play a retarded slave, then I'll get the Oscar.
  • loulousfo, on 03/27/2008, -1/+3You should also view Elaine Hall – Coach E – of the HBO documentary Autism: The Musical. You can read about the documentary on our site http://www.healthline.com/blogs/healthline_connect ...
    or
    http://www.healthline.com/blogs/healthline_connect ...
  • Tateohitika, on 03/27/2008, -1/+7It's so important to catch this early and try to help the child from a young age. From all the articles I've read, the earlier the intervention, the better the chances are that the child will develop more fully. I have an in-law who has an autistic child. The father refused to even consider that "his child" had any kind of disability until that child was about 6 or 7 years old! It was ridiculous, since everyone in the world could look and see that the kid was special somehow. I "diagnosed" this child with autism at about age 3. The dad was in a lot of denial, and who knows what that may have caused his son?
  • jm4847, on 03/27/2008, -12/+8Why do we assume autistic people have a "problem"? So they're asocial, big deal. I say, good for them, lucky bastards.
    • CharlesDance, on 03/27/2008, -2/+2Good for autistic people that they are autistic?
    • Ladymongoose, on 03/29/2008, -1/+1Are you being serious or are you just a ***** idiot?
  • bwinebarger, on 03/27/2008, -0/+6Kudos to the parents out there that don't give up. It's hard but it can be rewarding as well.

    My mom got her masters in speech pathology when I was in elementary and started working in the special education programs in schools. She worked with large groups of kids with special needs. She told me a story once of a autistic kid she worked with who had a particular type different than the normal stereotype. I can't recall the name. She said he would try really hard to do simple tasks. One day he got really frustrated and started crying when he couldn't work something out. My mother said that was the only time in her career that she cried about her job. She cared about him very much.
    It became overwhelming for the family to control him after he got older and they had to put him in a home. Last time I heard the family hardly visits him. That just breaks my heart.
    Sorry to get all depressing here. The individuals involved in these kids lives are true heroes that everyone should know about.
  • ligyron, on 03/27/2008, -2/+2Some videos:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkVYDo8vVLc
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmn_NDh-zY0
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0DBHxS5Zv0
  • poleag, on 03/27/2008, -7/+5there's no real test for autism. people just observe the patient acting in a particular way - not even a specific way, more like a range - and diagnose it. it's pseudoscience at best.
    • MilkManCons, on 03/28/2008, -3/+4You have just described how all mental disorders in the DSM IV are diagnosed, Congratulations on exposing Clinical Psychology as hogwash. You and Tom Cruise have much to discuss!
      • poleag, on 03/28/2008, -3/+2don't put words in my mouth. i didn't say all that.
      • kitkatsavvy, on 03/28/2008, -2/+1hehe you are right :) i would rather go the self esteem route tho
    • Ballchinian, on 03/28/2008, -1/+2I'm not saying its not real, but anyone with a problem like depression or anxiety can be diagnosed by mistake.
    • Ladymongoose, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1The complete ignorance you just spewed makes my eyes bug out. There are a couple of ACCURATE tests for autistic children. Are you speaking from having done research or are you just pretending to know what you are talking about?
      • poleag, on 04/01/2008, -0/+0show me the numbers. i want to see the quantitative test for autism.
  • mrzack, on 03/27/2008, -12/+3How about pregnant mothers stop eating that junk processed foods. Drink filtered water, use a shower filter, stay away from eating fish, take fish oil capsules instead. And when the babies born, don't give it any vaccines filled with mercury or aluminum, and breast feed the baby. so simple. It's disgusting how we're brainwashed to accept such a high ratio of autism in our society. We're been systematically destroyed on purpose.
    • apophenic, on 03/27/2008, -0/+13Don't forget the tinfoil hat. They need one of those, too.
      • poleag, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4they aim the beams at you while you're in the uterus now. there's no escape.
  • NenDaiKi, on 03/27/2008, -8/+5Here's a more realistic point of view. Chances are someone with autism doesn't want to deal with you at all. In the case of full blown super autism the reason should be obvious, but in Aspergian cases it is incredibly unlikely any way of communicating with them will be any better. 99% of people are pathetic pieces of ***** and treat someone with Asperger's grade autism as such. When it comes to that 1% of people, if that's you, there is no way in hell we want to deal with you. For someone in my position having so much trouble understanding people in the first place, having such a large percentage of people treat you inhuman makes it impossible to trust anyone. When someone uses "caring" words, red flags go off warning you that you're being manipulated, and that is actually true in many cases. When it isn't, it is just tragic because there is no way to artificially create trust in a world where the idea has become nonsense.

    Until meatbags stop being shallow wastes of life, which is itself incredibly unlikely, there is no place for an autistic person in the world regardless of how deep the hole they dig for themselves. I'm one person, but I can't imagine how anyone else in my position could not have ended up hating everyone by default.
    • synik, on 03/28/2008, -4/+4Wow, what a twisted cynical way to look at the world.

      People have trouble dealing with things they don't understand... and autism is one of those things. Of course everyone should be treated well, but you need to realise that most people do not know what having autism entails, and as such do not know how to act around an autistic person.

      Personally I'm sick of having to try and work around everyone elses disabilities. Case in point. At work I cop this - "make sure you be extra careful around Simon, he has a mental disability and loses his temper easily". I don't want to be careful around someone because their brain is broken. Simon, mentioned above, has threatened to kill clients before - yet still has a job.

      You're different and probably a pain in the ass to deal with. Acknowledge it, accept it, and get on with your life.
      • psocket, on 03/28/2008, -4/+1Exactly. If you are disabled, YOU need to work to fit into society. Society doesn't need to accommodate you! Get over yourself and if you can't fit in, then expect life to be a bit more difficult. I have my own problems that cause me not to be able to work as well into what I want to do in life, but that doesn't mean I go around asking everyone to have pity on me, or to change the rules just so I can participate. I work to better myself and to find ways that I use to adapt myself to make the best of things.
      • A7EB46, on 03/28/2008, -0/+0NO,you neurotypicals (non autistics) are a pain in the ass to work with.You don`t work so much as bitch about others,talk meaningless chit chat (***** talk) your jealousy and other feminine brain emotions being more important than getting your finger out and working.
    • poleag, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4It doesn't take a diagnosis of autism to realize that people are assholes who generally hate anyone different from themselves.
    • NenDaiKi, on 03/28/2008, -1/+2I can't question what you think about me. In that regard you've met the only expectations that can be held for "normal" people. What doesn't fit is you claiming my world view is somehow inaccurate by labeling it cynical. It's the truth, and if you can tell me to admit that people hate me and always will, I expect you to admit that I am completely justified in viewing the world as being as shallow as I do. Don't give me ***** about how much better your normal life is and how you hate dealing with different people, and at the same time discredit my inability to trust anyone.
      • synik, on 03/28/2008, -1/+2I don't hate people like you, I just don't want to deal with them. I suspect other people are the same. That shouldn't be a reason to distrust. I have no interest in trying to trick or screw over people like you, I've got better things to do with my time. If people keep screwing you over then either you are being an asshole, or you hang around with assholes.
  • willskillz, on 03/28/2008, -8/+1i just typed this with my dick :p
  • iancgi, on 03/28/2008, -12/+3so why isn't anyone asking the reasons autism has gone up so much in children. Could'nt be the mercury based preservatives in the vaccines...
    • Melancholiatic, on 03/28/2008, -1/+8Most likely because we didn't know what Autism really was 20 or so years ago and just thought they were simply "mentally challenged".
      • iancgi, on 03/28/2008, -6/+1More incorrect facts.

        "Autism was discovered in 1943, in American children, twelve years after ethyl mercury (thimerosal) was added to the pertussis vaccine. (The disease was not seen in Europe until the 1950s, after thimerosal was added to vaccines used there.) "

        Quoted from an article by Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD
        http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller14.html
        • PaxImperium, on 03/28/2008, -0/+6"The clearest example of this was the prediction that if thimerosal in vaccines were contributing to the incidence of autism, then once thimerosal was removed from vaccines the incidence of autism should decline. I and other have pointed out already that thimerosal was almost completely removed from the routine childhood vaccine schedule by 2002 and yet we have not seen any decrease in autism rates. This replicates the experience of other coutries, like Japan, that have removed thimerosal without any subsequent decrease in autism. Here we are six years after the removal of thimerosal in the US - and now we have the definitive data on the effects of this removal on the incidence of autism: none."
          -Steven Novella MD, Dr. Novella is an academic clinical neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine.
          http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php?p ...

          BTW: Donald Miller is a surgeon and do not treat autistic patients.
        • eir574, on 03/28/2008, -0/+5What does Donald Miller even mean when he says that autism was not seen in Europe until the 1950s? It's not like autistic people have the word "autistic" stamped on their foreheads. The fact that they may display some characteristic behavioral traits does not mean that doctors would have necessarily recognized that they had a medical problem. I sincerely doubt that the first case of autism occurred in 1941 occurred in the United States or that the first case occurred in Europe in the 1950s. If those statements don't hold, then Dr. Miller hasn't even demonstrated that the appearance of thimerosal in vaccines is correlated with the rise of autism, let alone that it caused it.
    • jacbo, on 03/28/2008, -1/+10Are you really that stupid?

      Autism rate are rising because of increased awareness and a higher rate of reporting. NOT because people with autism are increasing in numbers.

      Also, you really need to do some fact checking if you going to spread dis-information about these mysterious magical autism causing vaccines. MERCURY DOES NOT CAUSE AUTISM WHEN USED IN VACCINES.
      http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php?p ...
      http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php?p ...
      http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php?p ...

      Every time you push your false claims, you directly harm children by spreading the belief that children shouldn't be vaccinated.
      By spreading this rubbish, you are directly killing children.
      • iancgi, on 03/28/2008, -6/+1So you source a blog? Try looking a little deeper next time.
        http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/thimerosa ...

        Mercury being a neurochemical should not be anywhere near the body and mind of a developing baby.
        • iancgi, on 03/28/2008, -5/+1http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/thimerosa ...
        • PaxImperium, on 03/28/2008, -0/+6False:
          "Thimerosal — a preservative still used in the influenza vaccine — contains a different form of mercury called ethylmercury. Studies comparing ethylmercury and methylmercury suggest that they are processed differently in the human body. Ethylmercury is broken down and excreted much more rapidly than methylmercury. Therefore, ethylmercury (the type of mercury in the influenza vaccine) is much less likely than methylmercury (the type of mercury in the environment) to accumulate in the body and cause harm."
          http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic. ...

          "Recent estimates from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring network found that about 1 in 150 children have an ASD. This estimate is higher than estimates from the early 1990s. Some people believe increased exposure to thimerosal (from the addition of important new vaccines recommended for children) explains the higher prevalence in recent years. However, evidence from several studies examining trends in vaccine use and changes in autism frequency does not support such an association. Furthermore, a scientific review* by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that "the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism." CDC supports the IOM conclusion."
          http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/iso/concerns/thimero ...
          • iancgi, on 03/28/2008, -4/+1its all speculation they have no proof, every other word is "suggest" or "less likely" or "thought to"

            look at the facts, no form of mercury or heavy metal needs to be anywhere near childhood vaccines, there is no ***** need for it!
          • spikeyone, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4You think they (used to) put it in for ***** and giggles? It's a preservative. In fact, perhaps the recent recall of a childhood vaccine (I can't remember which) due to contamination was because they removed thimerosal. Removing thimerosal may make vaccines MORE dangerous!
        • StaticThunder, on 03/28/2008, -0/+5There was an incident where hundreds of Iraqi's were poisoned by methyl mercury from contaminated grain. There was literally, toxic effects, of mercury on them, pregnant women, children. But of all the effects that were seen, the one effect that wasn't was autism. And this was thousands of times greater than the exposure from vaccinations (which has ended with no decrease in autism rates) in a highly bioavailable form.
    • chaosium, on 03/28/2008, -2/+6Considering mercury isn't actually in childhood vaccines, the rise of autism is proven to have nothing to do with thimersol!
      • iancgi, on 03/28/2008, -6/+1yea.... it is in there it was never taken out.
        • PaxImperium, on 03/28/2008, -0/+5False:
          Thimerosol was removed from vaccines in 2001 and autism rates have not changed.
          http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#t1
        • iancgi, on 03/28/2008, -5/+1yea believe the same govt that put it in there in the first place and that puts the fluoride in your tap water.

          Actually autism has gone down since the removal of thimersol from "most" vaccines, 35% to be exact.
          http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCateg ...
          • PaxImperium, on 03/28/2008, -1/+6So you have no arguments anymore? Why don't you go and get a couple of vaccines used in kids and then show that there is thimerosol in there and then sue the hell out of the government and the vaccine makers?

            You actually trust a study the the Geier's, two of the most dishonest and incompetent researchers around?

            "In Redfoot, Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled:

            “[T]he court has found, however, that Dr. Geier’s testimony must be excluded because he is not qualified as a pediatrician, neurologist, toxicologist, or epidemiologist, and because his opinion is not reliable… [T]here is no evidence that Dr. Geier has either the training or the background to diagnose autism or to treat autism in any child… Drs. Lucier and Haley submitted no expert reports and are not A[…]‘s treating physicians… [E]ven though [Drs. Bradstreet and Krigsman] are A[…]‘s treating physicians, it appears that plaintiffs are seeking to have them offer true ‘expert’ opinion, about matters as to which they are not percipient witnesses, rather than having them testify about A[…]‘s diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis.”

            In Doe, Judge James A. Beaty found that:

            “[U]pon being subjected to extensive cross examination, much of Dr. Geier’s analysis, based upon his collective review of a motley assortment of diverse literature, proved, in the Court’s view, to be overstated… . For example, in examining Dr. Geier’s methodology, the Court notes that Dr. Geier could not point to a single study, including anything that he had published, that conclusively determined that the amount of thimerosal in RhoGAM when given not to the fetus but to the mother, as in this case, could cause autism… This Court must find more than the ‘hypothesis and speculation,’ engaged in by Dr. Geier in this instance, in order to allow Dr. Geier to rely upon the methodology he used in forming a conclusion based upon his review of the literature presented to the Court… [T]he Court finds that Dr. Geier’s literature review, in this instance, does not meet the Daubert standard of being both derived by the scientific method and relevant to the ‘task at hand.’”

            “…[T]he Court is particularly concerned as to a potential bias in Dr. Geier’s methodology and ultimate conclusion given the recency of Dr. Geier’s research into the cause of autism, which he admittedly began in only the last two and a half years, a time period that also represents the pendency of this lawsuit… [T]he Court finds that Dr. Geier (1) was not specifically qualified to perform a differential diagnosis of a pediatric neurological disorder, and, that (2) he did not properly perform the differential diagnosis given his failure to consider within his analysis the high probability that an unknown genetic cause cannot be ruled out as the specific cause of Minor Child Doe’s autism.”
            http://neurodiversity.com/weblog/article/141/

            I've read their paper and here is an article that completely disassemble their dishonest research.

            "There are three primary reasons Geier & Geier (2006) is invalid in terms of the CDDS data. I will present these and argue that such threats negate the value of this study.

            Misuse of Data
            The data in this study are supplied by the CDDS. This relies on the change between quarterly reports to calculate new cases. Unfortunately the CDDS has a document that states the changes between quarters can not be counted as new cases (DDS, 2005). The persons may have already been in the CDDS and receiving services under a different category or their paper work may have taken a while to collect and process, even though they were already receiving services. When such uncontrolled data are employed they contain errors of random and systematic error (Friis & Sellers, 2004).

            Arbitrary Assignment of Point of Change
            One is not permitted to simply look at a graph and pick the point of change as occurred in Geier & Geier (2006). This a very fundamental error. Instead the authors should have identified a point when the thimerosal had been removed to test this hypothesis.

            Application of More Restrictive Criteria
            In July 2003 the CDDS applied a more restrictive criteria to the eligibility requirement for their autism services (Rollens, 2004). This severely confounds the decrease that is noted in this period, as it makes it almost certain that there would be a drop. Furthermore, a review of Figure 4. shows that the decrease does not occur until after July 2003, and the implementation of the more restrictive criteria. This is not clear in the correlational graph in Geier & Geier (2005).

            I conclude that Geier & Geier (2006) does not necessarily show what it claims to. I strongly second the position that Joseph at the "Autism - Natural Variation" blog, put forth, namely that the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons peer reviewers re-examine this study and consider retraction. "
            http://interverbal.blogspot.com/2006/03/review-of- ...
        • PaxImperium, on 03/28/2008, -0/+6"The only researchers who are publishing data that contradicts this consensus are the father-and-son team of Mark and David Geier. They have looked at the same data and concluded that thimerosal does correlate with autism. However, the hammer of peer-review has come down on their methods and declared them fatally flawed, thus rendering their conclusions invalid or uninterpretable (Parker 2004). Also, like Wakefield, their reputations are far from clean. They have made something of a career out of testifying for lawyers and families claiming that vaccines caused their child’s autism, even though the Geiers’ testimony is often excluded on the basis that they lack the proper expertise (Goldacre 2007). The Geiers were not even called as experts in the Autism Omnibus hearings.

          The Geiers are now undertaking an ethically suspect study in which they are administering chelation therapy to children with autism in conjunction with powerful hormonal therapy allegedly designed to reduce testosterone levels. Chelation therapy removes mercury, and so it is dependent upon the mercury hypothesis, which is all but disproved. Moreover, there is no clinical evidence for the efficacy of chelation therapy. The treatment is far from benign and is even associated with occasional deaths (Brown 2006)."
          VACCINES & AUTISM: Myths and Misconceptions
          -Steven Novella MD
          http://www.csicop.org/si/2007-06/novella.html
  • PURPLEDRINK, on 03/28/2008, -5/+21. Seculed yourself from the outside world
    2. Build doomsday device
    3. ?????
    4. Profit!
  • teambosun, on 03/28/2008, -2/+1the curious incident of the dog in the night time
    • ZEM13, on 03/28/2008, -0/+0I don't know why you're getting dugg down, that's a good book about autism. I AM autistic and my mom had me read it. Use google before burying people!
  • slayerofmuffins, on 03/28/2008, -12/+2So autism is the new aids...? Or cancer...?
    Autism has been around for quite some time, but the liberal media has seemly grown tired with those less interesting diseases and disorders. My, these disease fads come and go, do they not? I remember seeing a recent SouthPark episode about something like this.......
  • brutalsponge, on 03/28/2008, -2/+5in before hundreds of self-internet-diagnosed autistic/asspies
    • MentalHazard, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1I have malingering! Self diagnosed too. :O
  • MentalHazard, on 03/28/2008, -7/+4Autism is the new ADHD.
    • kjoe51689, on 03/28/2008, -1/+0It is in no way close to ADHD.... Autism ruins lives. My cousin has it and will never be able to function well in society because of it.
  • tehstyles, on 03/28/2008, -7/+2I wonder what causes Autism. This wasn't around a couple decades ago. I remember Robert F Kennedy went on the Daily Show to explain that child vaccinations are whats causing it.
    http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?vide ...
    • ultrafez, on 03/28/2008, -0/+3If he has "explained" that vaccinations are causing it, then if his proof was correct then surely vaccinations would have banned, or at least, another way would have been found to immunise children against diseases or infections. The true cause of Autism is unknown at the present time.
      • tehstyles, on 04/03/2008, -0/+1Do you really think the FDA is that competent? The FDA is a cesspool of failure.
  • lukemann, on 03/28/2008, -2/+5Unless your kid is diagnosed by a neurologist as Autistic they are not Autistic. There is this new wave of "Educational Autism" crap spreading throughout the US. Autism is the new ADHD. Schools slap this label on kids that they don't want to take the time to understand. It is also beneficial to the School Districts to put this label on kids because it gets them extra funding from the state. I was told for years that my stepson was Autistic by halfwit teachers. They would encourage him to do bizarre behaviors and then claim that it demonstrated his "Autism". Amazingly none of these behaviors happened at home. Now he's in 3rd grade and is perfectly fine. No thanks to the NEA.

    Doesn't a week go bye without my wife running into someone who claims that there kid is Autistic. There isn't some sudden onset of mass Autism in this country. If your kid is labeled Autistic, get a professional opinion please.
    • Gutterpunk, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1My kid has been diagnosticated at 2 y/o, and not by a neurologist mind you. Should I get a refund?
      If you have an autistic kid and he isn't diagnosed before school start, you are an idiot. They don't "become" autistic, they always were. It shows in the way they suck their mom's ***** for crying out loud, if thats not early enough for you, what is? If a teacher tells you that your kid is autistic and you didn't know yet, yes, go see a neurologist. Pass a test for yourself too while you are at it, because something is probably wrong with you if you didn't see it earlier.
      But for millions of parents, autism is not the new ADHD.
      • lukemann, on 03/28/2008, -0/+0I'm sorry to break it to you, but most Neurologist will tell you that 2 years old is even too early to even test a child for autism. For every doctor out there who would call your child autistic there is one that will tell you that your child isn't. There are kids that really have autism and I feel very sorry for them. Every kid is different, but labeling a kid autistic because they're learning to speak late or because they exhibit some different behaviors is bunk science. I can not believe that anyone would diagnose a kid as autistic based on the way they breastfeed. That is pure craziness. I believe in science not some new age Behavioral Psychology bullsh$t. In any case I wish you and your child well.
  • tweetsa, on 03/28/2008, -7/+1Autistic kids are such *****. They shouldn't be allowed in spelling bees and science fair competitions because there is no way for normal kids to compete.
    • ZEM13, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1I don't really know if I should find that offensive, but it made me laugh so I'm not digging you down.
    • ZEM13, on 03/28/2008, -3/+0I don't really know if I find that offensive or not, but it made me laugh so I'm not digging you down>
    • kjoe51689, on 03/28/2008, -1/+0What led you to believe that?? Its not like a child chooses to be Autistic... Thats like saying a kid who is tall should not be allowed to play basketball.. No offense but your a dumbass
    • forgiste, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Not all autistics are savants. Just because you're autistic that doesn't make you Rain Man. Sometimes Autism would make it more difficult to spell. You ignorant turd.
  • Tearlock, on 03/28/2008, -0/+4Our former doctor was a real bastard. When my wife brought our then 2 year old son to him with concerns of his lagging development. He waived off any disability concerns and said my wife was "causing" him to lag behind by over-nurturing. He then proceeded to insult her appearance and pat her on the head before she left. This is not a joke!!!

    A few months later we had another doctor at that clinic check him out. She immediately helped us make arrangements to get on a a schedule to have him evaluated for a potential autism diagnosis (there's a 6 month waiting list to be seen by specialists). As we left that day, the bastard (after hearing of our second opinion) walked up to my son and tried to talk to him to see if he'd respond. Of course he did not. I felt like knocking him flat on his fat ass.
    • hacker_dude, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Hey, same - exact - situation here with my son. We got him diagnosed right under 3 years old (1 month under!). Today he is 4 1/2 and is still almost entirely nonverbal. Luckily his "stims"are being managed by both his therapy and ourselves so they are mostly appropriate for his age (jumping and running instead of hand-flapping, for example).

      It's important that family members and friends know that pediatricians are usually not educated on how to detect autism symptoms. You -will- be ignored and laughed off (especially if it's your firstborn) and it is up to you as a parent to be your child's advocate and insist on an evaluation, providing very specific information about why you think so. If you do this before his third birthday he qualifies for early start programs, and the earlier you do it, it is less likely that the architecture of the brain has been crystallized.

      Here are a handy list of indicators. Note that having one or even many of these doesn't mean he or she for sure has autism, but it does mean that he should be seen by a specialist to rule it out:

      Some traits of autism
      Does not babble, point, or make meaningful gestures by 1 year of age
      Does not speak one word by 16 months
      Does not combine two words by 2 years.
      Does not respond to name
      Loses language or social skills

      some other indicators
      Poor eye contact
      Doesn't seem to know how to play with toys
      Excessively lines up toys or other objects
      Is attached to one particular toy or object
      Doesn't smile
      At times seems to be hearing impaired
      Walks mostly on tippy-toes

      The Dan Marino foundation has a great video explaining brain architecture - http://www.childnett.tv/videos/lectures/building_b ...
  • quail20, on 03/28/2008, -2/+3In the last few years I've fallen into the camp of people who wish that the term Pervasive Developmental Disorder was used more when talking about this spectrum disorder. Too many people see the word Autism Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder and immediately they think they know all there is to know about it because they saw a movie or they knew one person once with the diagnosis. The truth is the numbers quoted of 1 in 144 is probably correct. Of that number many are functioning citizens of society. Many, many of them soar under the detection radar. They're usually just the quirky people everyone loves to gossip about. The kid who got bullied a lot at school. Sometimes even the bully. Don't think that the Rainman character is the only personification of the spectrum disorder. And don't think that all of them are upset to be the way that they are.

    For anyone interested I suggest you head over to http://aspiesforfreedom.com/ and take a look at some things.
  • Backstab, on 03/28/2008, -3/+3Autism from vaccines is *****
    Facilitated Communication is *****.
    • Ladymongoose, on 03/29/2008, -1/+1Interesting..... I guess that's why my son turned a 180 overnight into autism after his MMR. Do some bloody research. Read Evidence of Harm...
  • aedraste, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Thank God, finally...
    I've been looking for a guide on coping with autism awareness for a while now.
    • pdwyer, on 03/28/2008, -1/+0I'm the father of an Autistic child. 6 Years ago, when my son was 2, we realised something was wrong and began to explore what options we had.

      This article is almost a map of what my wife and I have done, she more than me.

      Early intervention is the key, so long as you can get access to services that can help your child.

      I'm lucky, my boy can speak, can wipe his arse, but he can barely read, nor will he willingly sit and learn alongside kids a year younger than him.

  • forgiste, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1Here's the weird thing. I had negligent parents growing up so if I'm autistic I wouldn't necessarily know, but I used to have weird habits like they described as a child. I used to repetitively hit my head on things and I didn't say a word until I was 3. In school I would sometimes just leave class and spin around in the hallway during class. Also my birthday is actually on Autism Awareness Day, April 2nd... weird. I was given Ritalin at a young age, and I took it for about 4 years, and it didn't treat my symptoms at all. It just kinda made me more hyperactive. My grandparents who raised me since 5 told me that my behavior was really unusual and erratic when I was younger. I've just assumed all this time that all kids did that stuff, but now I don't know.
  • Zoshchenko, on 03/28/2008, -1/+3I'm the father of a teen who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome - a "high functioning" form of autism. I drive his teachers crazy because I am constantly asking them to provide him with extra help or assistance in school. They know they are obligated to do this - whether by law, policy or simply ethics. He is very intelligent but views the world very differently from the normal kids. I'm not going to allow the system to spit him out because he is wired differently. By and large I am very pleased with the way his teachers respond to my requests even though I know they are overworked and overwhelmed by the amount of classes they teach and the number of students they see daily.
    The biggest problem he faces are the insensitive "cool kids" in school who feel it is their mission in life to drag down everyone who is the least bit different from them. I try and let the school deal with this and force adherence to their strict no bullying rules. But there are times where I just want to grab these jerks by the scrotum and ask them to show ME how cool they are. If they don't want to hang out with my son, that's fine. If they don't want to be his friend, OK. But they have no right to make him or anyone try to feel inferior - especially for something like this over which he has absolutely no control or blame. All it takes is one act of insensitivity to undo months of encouragement and gains in self-esteem. I'm not a violent person, but sometimes all I want to do is Billy Jack these future selfish bastards with a swift kick to the side of the head.
    • MentalHazard, on 03/28/2008, -0/+2First, there's nothing selfish about not being able to generate your own self esteem, that would lead one to try to reduce themselves to the level of animals to try to get it from others.
      Second, I have high functioning autism and I have not once in my life let that be the reason for anything I did. I accept full responsibility for anything I do.
      Third, knowing Aspergers, I know that all you have to do is let him/her find some hobby and take pride in it. That's what I did with myself and I couldn't possibly be happier.
  • yunfat, on 03/28/2008, -2/+2Autism is caused the use of petrochemicals in the packaging of the foods we eat.
  •  

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