Anonymous
12/18/2011 18:52
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Is every child with poor social skills SN? Couldn't they just have inherited it from their parent/s? Similarly, why are so many trying to claim that so many SN children are brilliant? Is that statistically possible? Not trying to be snarky, just wondering why the coated information can be so slanted. As if some parents are looking for excuses NOT to treat disruptive behavior. I certainly hope not, for the children's sake. No amount of advanced classes will help the SN child socially if the parents do not take necessary measures.
Anonymous
12/18/2011 18:11
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Anonymous wrote:You are hiding your head in the sand if you cannot see that there are many, many more children with autism than there were 40 or 50 years ago. I am a boomer, and I did not know a single child with autism when I was growing up and when I was in college. When I started having children, I began to see children with autism. My child needed speech therapy, and suddenly there were no speech therapists because they were booked for months taking care of all these ASD kids. The number of impaired kids mushroomed in the 1990s.
It's not my opinion, nor is it better diagnosis (although that may be a small part of it). Did you know a single kid with a life-threatening peanut allergy when you were growing up? I never met one until the late 1990s.
I think the toxins in our bodies, and the toxins our children are exposed to have caused this epidemic of ASD, allergies, asthma. Yes, toxins in the computer I'm using now, in the fuzzy blanket covering my feet, in the soft sweater I'm wearing, in the rug on my floor, in the vinyl in my car, in my food, in the air, in the materials used to build my house, and on and on and on.
Some people are not affected by these toxins, but most of the kids with ASD have a relative with allergies and auto-immune diseases (mother or father or grandparent), and these are the kids who are most affected.
I'm not saying there were NO ASD kids who were given other diagnoses, but people who try to explain away the epidemic of ASD must have another agenda. Opinions don't change reality, and the reality is that there are many more sick children now with ASD, allergies, asthma, ADHD, etc., than there were 40 years ago.
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!!
Anonymous
12/18/2011 17:26
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
You are hiding your head in the sand if you cannot see that there are many, many more children with autism than there were 40 or 50 years ago. I am a boomer, and I did not know a single child with autism when I was growing up and when I was in college. When I started having children, I began to see children with autism. My child needed speech therapy, and suddenly there were no speech therapists because they were booked for months taking care of all these ASD kids. The number of impaired kids mushroomed in the 1990s.
It's not my opinion, nor is it better diagnosis (although that may be a small part of it). Did you know a single kid with a life-threatening peanut allergy when you were growing up? I never met one until the late 1990s.
I think the toxins in our bodies, and the toxins our children are exposed to have caused this epidemic of ASD, allergies, asthma. Yes, toxins in the computer I'm using now, in the fuzzy blanket covering my feet, in the soft sweater I'm wearing, in the rug on my floor, in the vinyl in my car, in my food, in the air, in the materials used to build my house, and on and on and on.
Some people are not affected by these toxins, but most of the kids with ASD have a relative with allergies and auto-immune diseases (mother or father or grandparent), and these are the kids who are most affected.
I'm not saying there were NO ASD kids who were given other diagnoses, but people who try to explain away the epidemic of ASD must have another agenda. Opinions don't change reality, and the reality is that there are many more sick children now with ASD, allergies, asthma, ADHD, etc., than there were 40 years ago.
It's not my opinion, nor is it better diagnosis (although that may be a small part of it). Did you know a single kid with a life-threatening peanut allergy when you were growing up? I never met one until the late 1990s.
I think the toxins in our bodies, and the toxins our children are exposed to have caused this epidemic of ASD, allergies, asthma. Yes, toxins in the computer I'm using now, in the fuzzy blanket covering my feet, in the soft sweater I'm wearing, in the rug on my floor, in the vinyl in my car, in my food, in the air, in the materials used to build my house, and on and on and on.
Some people are not affected by these toxins, but most of the kids with ASD have a relative with allergies and auto-immune diseases (mother or father or grandparent), and these are the kids who are most affected.
I'm not saying there were NO ASD kids who were given other diagnoses, but people who try to explain away the epidemic of ASD must have another agenda. Opinions don't change reality, and the reality is that there are many more sick children now with ASD, allergies, asthma, ADHD, etc., than there were 40 years ago.
Anonymous
12/18/2011 15:24
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Pp here. Sorry, can't read. Worked with at law firm, didn't go to school with.
Anonymous
12/18/2011 15:23
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
A guy I went to high school with is autistic is also is working at a law firm (same guy perhaps... You ever hit China Jade?)...and is doing much better than many other grads of our high school. He has his MBA also I believe from Strayer. He is on the functioning end of the spectrum clearly.
Hate to admit it, but I always assumed that the guy I went to school with was doing better than the guy working at my local McDonalds because his parents have enough money to set him up for success.
Hate to admit it, but I always assumed that the guy I went to school with was doing better than the guy working at my local McDonalds because his parents have enough money to set him up for success.
Anonymous
12/18/2011 14:33
Subject: Re:Where are the autistic adults?
Anonymous wrote:PP, if it makes you feel better to think someone caused your kid to have ASD, instead of it just happening, bless your heart.
huh???? who are you referring to?
Anonymous
12/18/2011 14:32
Subject: Re:Where are the autistic adults?
PP, if it makes you feel better to think someone caused your kid to have ASD, instead of it just happening, bless your heart.
Anonymous
12/18/2011 13:14
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Anonymous wrote:Autism is a "spectrum" disorder folks. Not every individual who is on the spectrum will be incapable of holding a job. That is not a criteria for a diagnosis.
No, but having it be pervasive and severe most certainly is. And having it negatively impact daily life. Too many people think "spectrum" means mild, or just a little. Those are subthreshold autistic tendencies, not full blown ASD. The spectrum refers to differently affected areas.
There are about 100 autism cohorts. The AVERAGE American adult has up to 20 of those. Someone with actual autistic disorder will have about 80 of them.
Anonymous
12/18/2011 08:29
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Autism is a "spectrum" disorder folks. Not every individual who is on the spectrum will be incapable of holding a job. That is not a criteria for a diagnosis.
Anonymous
12/18/2011 08:17
Subject: Re:Where are the autistic adults?
Our downstairs neighbor is HFA. He's 50 something, lived with his mother until she died. She left him the condo and a modest annuity. He works for a company that specializes in employment for SN adults and the company has a contract with the federal government for mailroom services. I also worked with another HFA adult. He was a contracting specialist specializing in pricing. The latter man was divorced, frequently wore sound deadening headphones at work. Had extreme difficulty in recognizing social cues and language. I also went to college with a couple of HFA girls. Didn't know it at the time but it's very clear to me know.
Anonymous
12/17/2011 22:55
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They are in my family.
This was my post. The ones in my family are perfectly intelligent and can care for themselves but they can't hold a job, are supported by relatives, spend all their time on the computer, no friends. This may seem like an exemplary life if your DC has Kanner autism and is nonverbal and I agree that this isn't as bad. But its pretty damn bad. I wish you would stop with these -- if they can talk and hold jobs, they are fine -- posts. The things that are important to most of us, friends, family, jobs that really challenge us, are beyond these folks.
You talk in circles...you say your family members can take care of themselves, but then you say they are supported. If they are supported, then they are not independent, fully functioning adults, are they? You can't seem to commit to saying that your brothers are really not high functioning at all, even though they can talk. Your brothers are autistic...I get it!!! I'm not disagreeing with you. If your brothers were holding jobs, married and have children, I'd be disagreeing with you.
Anonymous
12/17/2011 22:39
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Anonymous wrote:They are in my family.
This was my post. The ones in my family are perfectly intelligent and can care for themselves but they can't hold a job, are supported by relatives, spend all their time on the computer, no friends. This may seem like an exemplary life if your DC has Kanner autism and is nonverbal and I agree that this isn't as bad. But its pretty damn bad. I wish you would stop with these -- if they can talk and hold jobs, they are fine -- posts. The things that are important to most of us, friends, family, jobs that really challenge us, are beyond these folks.
Anonymous
12/17/2011 22:25
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
2 in my family -- lived with their mothers until their mothers' deaths. Never had a "career" but turned their narrow interests/hobbies into something that made a little spending money (to go along w/ living for free with their mothers). Never married, never seem to have any romantic relationships. Very narrow lives, go same place every day, with same people, can't diverge. One in particular can't drive, gets completely flustered at the idea of going outside his comfort zone (so has enormous trouble, for ex., going to a family wedding and makes it difficult for everyone because they have to help him even participate at all). The other doesn't get so flustered, but I think that could be because he doesn't actually go anywhere outside his comfort zone. Both lucky enough to have mothers who left them modest houses and just enough money to eat and survive (doubt they have any health insurance, or maybe now they're on medi-whatever it is when you're over 60ish). They're nice people, but definitely don't live normal lives. My DH, FIL, and son all Asperger's to varying degrees (worse as it goes down the line, son is worst).
My son most definitely would have been institutionalized in a different time/with a different mother (I would like to think I would have resisted, but who knows what pressures would have been put upon me). My DH's K teacher told my MIL he should be tested for mental retardation because he had selective mutism. MIL was very confused as he was highly verbal and reading at home before K. He didn't speak the entire year. Still intensely uncomfortable in crowds/groups, but yes, he is functional.
My son most definitely would have been institutionalized in a different time/with a different mother (I would like to think I would have resisted, but who knows what pressures would have been put upon me). My DH's K teacher told my MIL he should be tested for mental retardation because he had selective mutism. MIL was very confused as he was highly verbal and reading at home before K. He didn't speak the entire year. Still intensely uncomfortable in crowds/groups, but yes, he is functional.
Anonymous
12/17/2011 21:29
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If your autistic co-workers are alive and well, functioning as independent members of society, I hardly see how it compares to non-verbal children who are wandering off into the wilderness and dying because they don't answer to their names.
Just wondering...how many of THEM do you work with in your law firm? How many of them are your neighbors? How many of them are your aunts or uncles?
There are many researchers that have studied and written about this topic. Before the 1980s, most kids that were non-verbal, low IQ, and/or violent were labeled as having childhood schizophrenia, emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded. This is well documented (researchers look at old records of patients for symptoms and compare diagnoses). Where are they now as adults, in mental institutions, adult homes, etc. As ASD diagnoses went up after the 1980s, mentally retarded, childhood schizophrenia diagnoses went down. High-functioning kids with Asperger's for example, were not labeled and ended up at the law firm or science lab as PPs have mentioned, considered "quirky" or lacking social skills, but smart. I just read a study that kids with average to high IQs that are diagnosed on the autism spectrum as a child will probably grow out of many of the traits that labeled them in the first place, without intervention as they grow up. Unfortunately, IQ is highly correlated to diagnostic outcomes within ASD.
Thought of this thread when I heard a radio story today from the radio show The State We're In--a story called "Where's Molly" about an adult man who rediscovered his younger sister, institutionalized since childhood for mental retardation. (Link from this page: http://www.rnw.nl/english/radioshow/still-here)
Anonymous
12/17/2011 21:28
Subject: Where are the autistic adults?
Anonymous wrote:If your autistic co-workers are alive and well, functioning as independent members of society, I hardly see how it compares to non-verbal children who are wandering off into the wilderness and dying because they don't answer to their names.
Just wondering...how many of THEM do you work with in your law firm? How many of them are your neighbors? How many of them are your aunts or uncles?
There are many types of autism, hence "spectrum." Yes, there are some that are far worse. Don't understand what your issue is.