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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Broken Mirrors: A Theory of Autism |
| 2006-10-22 |
| Abdul, why does all this sound familiar? At first glance you might not notice anything odd on meeting a young boy with autism. But if you try to talk to him, it will quickly become obvious that something is seriously wrong. He may not make eye contact with you; instead he may avoid your gaze and fidget, rock his body to and fro, or bang his head against the wall. More disconcerting, he may not be able to conduct anything remotely resembling a normal conversation. Even though he can experience emotions such as fear, rage and pleasure, he may lack genuine empathy for other people and be oblivious to subtle social cues that most children would pick up effortlessly. In the 1940s two physicians--American psychiatrist Leo Kanner and Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger--independently discovered this developmental disorder, which afflicts about 0.5 percent of American children. Neither researcher had any knowledge of the other's work, and yet by an uncanny coincidence each gave the syndrome the same name: autism, which derives from the Greek word autos, meaning "self." The name is apt, because the most conspicuous feature of the disorder is a withdrawal from social interaction. More recently, doctors have adopted the term "autism spectrum disorder" to make it clear that the illness has many related variants that range widely in severity but share some characteristic symptoms. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 We have two boys with Asperger's Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of Autism. Everyday is different and full of new challenges. Lots of frustration, lots of hope. We face challenges from the education system in that they don't know about Asperger's or they believe they are right and without fault. Misdiagnosis is common and often we hear of various causes (lead-based paint, childhood vaccinations, flouride, etc.) The new one is from an economist (what does he know about child psychology?) that the cause is too much TV in places that have alot of rain. I really don't care what the cause may be, the fact for us is we have to do our best to help our boys get ready for life. It is a hard road. We have to push the schools (we have to deal with two different school districts which adds additional challenges) to do their job. CA, I definitely empathize with your challenges. Fred and the mods thanks for everything you do. |
| Posted by: djh_usmc 2006-10-22 23:56 |
| #8 original link - http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=000B7F38-893D-152E-88E283414B7F0000&ref=rdf |
| Posted by: Slutch Thraviper4354 2006-10-22 23:50 |
| #7 Catherine Johnson posts at Roger L. Simon's blog, CA. You might want to speak w/her. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2006-10-22 23:44 |
| #6 I worked in a State mental health department in the early 70s and had occasion to observe autistic kids. Some were fairly high functioning while others had no language that was obvious, were self-mutilative, and it was difficult to determine what their behaviors were tied to in the environment. Some had to wear helmets to protect them from head-banging. I doubt that TV watching has any link to autism. I can recall one kid that did not respond to anything that anyone could determine until one day he responded to bright shiny nails being used by a maintenance worker. People working with this child began to have some success in shaping his behaviors by paying him off with nails when responses were made. I can recall two autistic siblings (twins) who invented their own language. They appeared to understand each other but no one else could. Often it is difficult to shape the behavior of autistics because one doesn't know what the "behavioral handles" are. I have not observed autism in adults but I believe that autism continues into adulthood--however, one does not hear of adult autistics that exhibit the destructive behaviors that are often observed in youngsters. They might--I just have not heard of it. I wish you the best CA in raising your daughter. Most of the parents of the autistic children that I knew had a great deal of patience and loved their children. Sometimes they were challenged because of not knowing what to do. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-10-22 21:41 |
| #5 Temple Grandin is another high-functioning autistic. Her book Thinking in Pictures is often cited, but I found Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior to be even better and to give valuable insights into autism. As an example, Grandin made a "squeeze box" for herself decades ago, well before the "squeeze vest" mentioned in this article. Not all of her comments on animals hold IMO ... as she herself says, she thinks in very concrete terms and sometimes she overgeneralizes her experience in areas where I have some knowledge. But by and large, the book is filled with a lot of recent neuroscience made accessible, and some fascinating speculations about autism and the gifts it masks. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-10-22 21:14 |
| #4 There's a very good book by a high-functioning autistic woman called Nobody Nowhere that I recommend to anyone interested in the subject. Cap't America, you may find it particularly interesting. |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-10-22 21:04 |
| #3 CA - my sympathies and empathies - I've never had to intyeract much with Autistics (God Bless in my children's case) but it sounds horrifically frustrating. I totally honor parents and friends who have to deal with this.... just as I do my friends with relatives with Bi-Polar tendencies (my best/girl friend). I can only hope the understanding and remedies are soon. My hat's off to you |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-10-22 20:09 |
| #2 Dunno, AC, tv is dumbing down kids (watched in excess), but I would doubt any direct linkage, since autism appear very early in the development of a child. As for the causes, the jury is still out there. The somatic symptoms described in the article may be not the cause of autism but rather its after effect. It is difficult to say where is the cart and where is the horse here. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-10-22 19:45 |
| #1 Thanks, I have a daughter who is autisic. Jus read about a supposed linkage between the increasing viewing of television and the increased number of afflicted. Who knows? |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-10-22 19:33 |