There's a feature article in The Weekend Australian this weekend about autism. I haven't had time to read it all yet. One bit in the article caused me some concern, though. Here's a quote;
On the contentious mercury debate, Underwood believes there's enough mercury in the air from coal-fired power stations to cause problems in children, who's immature systems are unable to rid themselves of metals. He says he uses drugs to "chelate" or remove these metals, but admits his practice gets short shrift by most in his profession.
The "Underwood" mentioned is "Sydney paediatrician Antony Underwood". It is indeed a concern to me that there is a paediatrician in Australia who claims to be using chelation as a "therapy" for autism. I wonder if the drugs he uses are the same as the chelation drug that killed the autistic boy inthe US recently? I think this Underwood person deserves worse than a "short shrift" from his profession.
That stuff about kids' bodies being unable to remove metals due to immaturity sounds questionable to me. I have read quite a bit about lead poisoning in children (a quite common hazard from old paint). Kids are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning not due to any immaturity in their excretion system, but due to the fact that their brains are still developing, and small children are just more likely to eat dirt or paint chips. For some reason some medicos love to paint a picture of children as fragile and physically incompetant creatures who need to be wrapped in cotton wool.
Here is a link to an online story on the Australian's web site about autism, dated this weekend, by the same author as the one who wrote the published article about autism. It isn't that same story, and is much shorter, but it has a similar theme.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/com...89,00.html
Here's a quote from that story
Mr Lo Ricco said he was just pleased he could afford to do something. "I was given a picture of a kid who would most likely never talk, who would never marry and would work in a sheltered workshop doing a meaningless job," he said of the diagnosis when James was 2 1/2. Within months at Sydney's Centre for Autism and Related Disorders - where annual bills can top $60,000 - the boy was talking, and hugging his grandmother. "That was worth $10,000," Mr Lo Ricco said.
Isn't the gullibility and stupidity of some parents of autistic children simply breathtaking? Do you believe it is possible for anyone to predict a child's entire future when the child is only two and a half years old? Do you believe that boy could never have spoken without the expenditure of ten grand? Every achievement that that kid is going to make in his life will no doubt be credited to NTs who supposedly cured him, rather than to his own efforts and abilities.
Cripe, I didn't know we had chelation for autism happening here. I hope they don't administer their treatments as irresponsibly as how they have with that boy who died.
Having read the article in the Australian and the one on the site, I would say that it's rather sensationalist to quote the figures for autism-spectrum incidence, when the treatments they cover are rather intensive or 'dramatic' like ABA or chelation. ABA is more suited for lower-functioning autistics, and chelation isn't really suited for anyone with autism unless they have diagnosed mercury poisoning. Higher funtioning autistics don't really need these expensive therapies, and would benefit more from understanding and support, organised or otherwise.
I'm glad they balanced out the article in the Australian with acceptance and cure themes. And the bit at the end about the female aspie university student is a mix of positives and negatives as well.
I think there could be some autistics who don't agree with ABA even for the lower-functioning autistics.
I read the print article, and I thought overall the article was generally negative about autism and written from the NT parents' point of view. I found no mention at all of the Baron-Cohen systemising theory of autism, a huge omission, and only a very brief mention of successful autistic people, followed by the seriously incorrect statement that "But most people with ASD are intellectually handicapped, not genuises." I'm no genius, but I'm not retarded either, and neither are any of the people who I know who I believe are on the spectrum.
If this article represents the current level of public attitude about autism in Australia, then we have a long battle ahead!
I forgot about that bit. I noticed when I read through it, and thought umm, that's not right. But at least it didn't give the impression that we're all geniuses, like the last article in the Australian did - I assume you saw that one too.
About ABA, as long as aversives aren't being used anymore I'm happy. Although I'm not sure about what behaviours therapists deem appropriate and inappropriate - hopefully they're only helping autistics to become more functional and not trying to assimilate them or anything.
I'm sure you'll be glad to know that 'acceptance not cure' themes are being integrated into theories about disability. In my nursing course this year I've been pleasantly surprised by the amount of content going over disability discourse, the type bandied about here. So even though there a a number of news stories that crop up every now and then about mistreatment of autistics and other misfits, they're the exception because professionals are being made well aware of how difference is not necessarily disability or in itself a justification for being labelled.
Enigmatic_Oddity,
I'm glad to hear about the enlightened stuff that they are teaching in your nursing course. I think a big barrier to updating thinking in the health professions is the fact that some older doctors and nurses don't really change their ideas, one just has to wait for them to retire or drop dead.
The other article in the Australian was the review of the book about famous people diagnosed with AS post-mortem? I did read that article, which I thought depicted aspies as tormented geniuses. If you're an aspie it appears that the experts think you must be either intellectually disabled or a suffering genius. :? :roll: I think that might explain why there are so much fewer adults being diagnosed with autism than kids.
If you're an aspie it appears that the experts think you must be either intellectually disabled or a suffering genius. :? :roll: I think that might explain why there are so much fewer adults being diagnosed with autism than kids.
Do they think that, Lili? I've always had the impression that "autism = total write-off" so far as the world outside AFF was concerned.
I've even been called a living vegetable. :roll:
Stella
I've even been called a living vegetable.
Do you have any idea why they said that? It is an extraordinary thing to say about any person.