Alone in Autism
Yet another article that can't get its facts straight. I personally enjoyed spouting statistics back in my comment.
What will you post? :twisted:
Here's my fisking (wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisking ) ...
"The estimated annual cost [described as a "burden on taxpayers"] of autism nationwide is $90 billion, with 90 percent of that amount coming from adult services."
I didn't realise the US government spent $81 billion each year on adult autism services??
"And that number is expected to rise to as much as $400 billion over the next 10 years."
Whoaah! Is this free healthcare!? If so, I'm moving to the USA! (irony alert). Sod the free British National Health Service - the USA has obviously switched wholesale to free healthcare and no-one told the world!
"Sheila Wagner, assistant director of the Emory Autism Center. "Yet people with autism need continued education and support. And there's not a level of services and options for what they need."
What, no level of adult services? [Cop-voice "on":] 'So what did you do with the $81 billion, lady?'
I smell a self-interested and morally-dubious "autism industry" waking up, smelling the money, and yearning to break into mainstream press approval.
"Chief suspect ... mercury [in vaccines]"
It thought this had been definitively ruled out, by now?
"no one knows for sure"
Well, at least she gets around to saying it.
"Though Mary Grace no longer throws tantrums, kicks her mother or runs away from school,"
Well, that's something - at least the journalist isn't pushing the mis-apprehension that "aspie kids never mature".
How's this? I'm worried about some of my facts, so I'm a bit hesitant
As an autistic, I'm not going to justify myself or anyone else with tales of perceived functioning level. I'm not going to talk about my autistic strengths, nor other people's neurotypical weaknesses--why should I have to? I am good enough on my own, and I don't need your fawning condescension.
Instead, I am going to align myself with the others exhorting you to get your facts straight.
In the last twenty years, the criteria for autistic disorder have gone from requiring it be evident before thirty months, to before three years, to dropping the age criterion altogether, and this is only half the story. In the early nineties, asperger syndrome and high functioning autism were added to the Diagnostic and statistical manual, edition IV, and the idea of the "Autism spectrum" became formalized as a significant number of people suddenly became elligible for autism spectrum diagnoses. The entire spectrum now comprises Austic Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative disorder, and PDD-NOS, this last a catch-all for persons with a number of autistic traits that do not qualify for autistic disorder or aspergers syndrome.
Early infantile autism was identified by Kanner and Eisenberg in the early forties. A relatively short time later, Hans Asperger published a paper detailing a peculiar group of children with clear autistic features and superficially perfect speech--a grouping he reffered to as "autistischen psychopathen" or autistic personality disorder--that he had been studying for several years. He also noted many characteristics of the parents, which in some cases were nearly identical, and there are also descriptions of grandparents with very similar traits. His paper even contains the statement "When one learns to recognize the signs, one realises that the autistic personality is not at all uncommon."
An examination of history shows even more stiking evidence: such figures as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and even Socrates have been speculated to be on the spectrum because of various traits they possessed. It is certain that there were many more autistic people of whatever functioning level who did not rise rise prominence during these times.
With these very clear references going back so long, and widespread awareness going back so shortly, it is hardly reasonable to conclude that there has been "an explosion" in the amount of autism in this or any other country.
Furthermore, I find it curious that the well documented genetic causes are given little more than a cursory "maybe" but such discredited dogmas as mercury get an entire paragraph. Rett syndrome has been definitively linked to a specific gene, persons with fragile x often meet the criteria for autism, and in other cases certain genes on chromosome 15 have been identified as playing a role.
I must also take issue with the way the differences in functioning level are displayed. While the current DSM criteria for aspergers syndrome disqualify a person who has any form of cognitive delay, Hans Asperger himself identified persons with his "autistic personality" who had cognitive delays, and in fact many people in the PDD-NOS category actually meet Asperger syndrome criteria except for the fact that they learned to speak late or were cognitively disabled. At the same time, there are persons with far more autistic traits than many aspies have and yet achieve a higher level of functioning. Beyond this, there are people who are low functioning in one particular trait, and high functioning in others. Put simply, there is no neat, easily discerned line of functioning starting at the "low end" with autistic disorder and going through the "high end" past asperger syndrome.
Please try to keep these considerations in mind when presuming to speak on behalf of, or even describe, one out of every 166 american citizens.
Excellent responses! Shoot, I'm still learning new things!
Oh, and I did post. Not strongly like the rest of you, but I have more mixed feelings, I can't help it.
As for the money ... I recently discovered that there is an adult autistic group home near us. I never knew it was there. A regular home bought for 5 autistic adults to share, with aids taking shifts helping with meals and groceries and laundry, etc. Funded by the government. Apparently this lovely home costs a fraction of what institutionalization does - and institutions according to the article on the home remain where most adult autistics live. Maybe that is where the money goes.
Why is the article titled "Alone in Autism"? I don't get it. If there is an "explosion" of auties and aspies, wouldn't that make them not alone? :?
Left my comment, I'm the longest one on the page, and REALLY annoyed that you can't organise it into paragraphs. I had it all neat, but now it's a big block of text that even I would have a hard time reading.
and yes, I do have a name, but you weren't supposed to see that. Move along...
Right after I posted here, I made some edits (reflected in the original post) and put it up.
Wish I could have kept that tidbit about autism not being a recognized special education category in the early nineties, but I couldn't find the original reference for that, and had to drop it because of the vagueness of my timelining. I already had put in enough around, near the, some time afters to add any more. It would have been better were I able to make a stronger point that nobody in hell knew what autism was until the nineties, and unfortunately I was kinda relying on the special ed reporting.
"Chief suspect ... mercury [in vaccines]"
It thought this had been definitively ruled out, by now?
Well, if you talk to scientists who use the scientific method, it has.
If you talk to parents who don't use the scientific method but rather hastily-drawn conclusions, intuition, and anecdotal material, it hasn't.
I just wanted to say, I love Mary's Goth look. Not that it really has anything to do with taking apart the article or anything.
Do any of you realise how many of these kinds I have seen? hundreds by now. it's depressing. The all have the same structure:
- First write a paragraph narrating a moment in the Autistic target's live that is portrayed as really strange and anti-social. Even the smallest qurcks are portayed as lonely and sad.
- then explain that the person has autism.
- provide a explaination of what autism(Not nessisarly an accurate definition). make sure to mention that Autism cause and cure is currently unknown.
- Interview the autistic or their parent(s). this is the hopeful account. It may not be very hopefull to ours eyes but it's more so the second account.
- Now show a more pessmistic view. Often this is another more serious case or it is the viewpoint of the parents. if the hopfull account was and interview with the autistic, the pessismistic account often make it seem like the autistic is naive and unaware of their predicament. the second account showss the real viewpoint the reporter wants to convey.
- now talk about about Autism in society. this part often includes topics such as services(or The lack Thereof) or the raise of autism cases. Sometimes the come before the personal accounts.
- Now talk about cause's and cures. Too often mercury is mentioned as a possible cause. these paragraph ususally end with a statment at noone knows for sure.
- Cunclusion. usually a quote of love or hope from the parents. or sometimes a quote from the first autistic.
Hee hee! I tried this as a mental excercise. Replace "Autistic" with "NT" and go on to write about their deficits from our point of view:
[*]First write a paragraph narrating a moment in the NT target's life that is portrayed as really strange. Even the smallest qurcks.
Chucky feels the need to live in a large group. He feels most comfortable in a herd situation, surrounded by as many others of his species as he can. He will put up with many privations (lack of privacy, fighting for scarce resources, etc) to achieve this aim.
[*]then explain that the person is neurotypical.
Chucky is what is known to us as an "NT".
[*]provide a explaination of what NT is (Not nessisarly an accurate definition). make sure to mention that NT cause and cure is currently unknown.
Chucky's condition is one that afflicts around 166 live births to every 1 of our population, so it is easy to see that is now of epidemic proportions.
NTs are illogical, lie with great ease, love to chatter on to each other about inanities, and spend a disproportionate amount of their time focused on one of three areas: sport, the search for sexual gratification, and time spent with their herd.
[*]Interview the NT or their parent(s). this is the hopeful account. It may not be very hopefull to ours eyes but it's more so the second account.
Chucky's mother: "Well, we wanted an Aspie kid, of course. I mean, who wouldn't? He'd be better if only he wouldn't keep meeting our eyes when we interact with him. And he plays with toys, rather than sitting thinking. But still and all, we love Chucky, despite his misfortune."
[*]Now show a more pessmistic view. Often this is another more serious case or it is the viewpoint of the parents. if the hopfull account was and interview with the autistic, the pessismistic account often make it seem like the autistic is naive and unaware of their predicament. the second account showss the real viewpoint the reporter wants to convey.
Chucky's dad: "We both are on the AS spectrum. My wife has classic autism and is a nuclear scientist. I'm Aspie, with a bachelor's degree in science. To have Chucky diagnosed as an NT early in life meant that he can never aspire to all the things we take for granted. He'll probably end up as some mediocre truck-driver or football player. Or worse, get institutionalised in a "Big Brother" House. Poor kid. It's a hopeless case: he's retarded, with only 110 IQ. Sometimes I get so depressed I just think how he'd be better off dead."
[*]Now talk about cause's and cures. Too often mercury is mentioned as a possible cause. these paragraph ususally end with a statment at noone knows for sure.
The theory is that a lack of mercury in the environment could be one cause of this devestating condition. ABA, if begun early, has had some promising results, with children showing some improvement in their overall IQ and attention rates. However, there is still a depressing tendency for them to want to talk to each other and play with balls, even when doctors are pumping enough mercury into them to make them pee silver.
[*]Cunclusion. usually a quote of love or hope from the parents. or sometimes a quote from the first autistic.
Chucky: "I really don't know what all the fuss is about. I feel fine, except when mum and dad are making me eat mercury sandwiches and forcing me to play computer games and read Star Trek comics. I just wish they'd give me a football for Christmas."
Alison
:lol:
Someone should write a satirical piece about the cliches and journalistic formulae that are used when autism is written about in articles or depicted in documentaries or TV shows. I think Drifter's observatons were very true and most amusing. There does seem to be a formula and also a lots of rules, conventions and cliches that NT writers almost always employ when writing about autistics. It's almost as though all of the journalists are working off the same sheet of editorial guidelines for autism journalism. Perhaps someone should write this set of guidelines as a spoof?
LOL, Alison, that's classic. :lol:
ROFL at the idea of peeing silver
REally, I fell off my bed when I read that