Anyone read Jenny McCarthy's new book?

Post Reply New Topic

I've been seeing Jenny McCarthy all over the place lately -- talking about autism and her new book. Just curious if the book is good in any way.

Kris

I haven't read it. It does look intresting. She is scheduled
to appear on Larry King tonight.

I read it, it was good, just some of the things she says in it, I don't like! She was like I pulled my son out of autism, and nows hes recovering! I wish she would have reworded it to be like, with all the therapies, vitamins, diet, DAN doctors I was able to help my son Evan so he wouldn't be severely autistic, now hes more high functioning. What she said, a lot of people are misinterpreting, and I have people coming up to me and saying "Hey you can cure you autism, Jenny did it to her son!" or "Autism can be recovered, you don't have to worry about it anymore, you can get rid of it!"

So theres a huge arguement with people on Jenny McCartney, because of the way shes putting it. The other day she was on a show, and was like I saved my son from autism! What? Saved your son from autism? Now people think its a horrible syndrome, when in reality, she meant, I was able to help my son become more high functioning, and not in his own world anymore!

Jenny McCartney also has a lot of money, so she can do anything imaginely possible to help her son with autism, but she can't cure him, even though she wants to! A lot of mothers are getting frustrated, because they want to do anything possible, so some are selling their houses living in mobile homes just to try to save their child from autism, which once again is false information going out. You can't save your child from autism, you may be able to help the child seem less autistic, and more high functiong, but hes not going to be cured of autism.

I also hated how she first started saying Vaccinations cause my sons autism! Firstly, she didn't even notice the signs her son did have before he was even vaccinated. Once a doctor told her he had autism, and that he had the signs since he was about 1, she was like oh I just thought they were quirky things he did, like hand flap, I called him my little bird. Then she went on and said vaccinations did it to him. Wrong Again! Too much bad information is getting out about autism. My boyfriends grandmother came up to him the other day and was like "vaccinations causes autism, you don't have to worry about age have autistic children now!" Wrong, its mainly got to do with genetics and environment!

Age1600: I totally agree with you. I'm glad she is so dedicated to helping her son but I disagree with the way she is going about this - saying that she "healed" her son's autism. She definitely brought him out of his shell and helped him get to a more high-functioning state. But what happens when he gets to a point where he can't improve? Is she just going to keep pushing him until he has a meltdown?

Yes exactly, shes using her fame to show that she can help her child with autism, but shes not curing him, shes "helping" him. And I know what you mean what does happen when he doesn't improve anymore, shes going to drive him to breakdown, and then what is she going to do, stop going into public, because "O um yea my son got his autism back again!" Yea right, your son will always be autistic, and there will be days he will remind you more then anything. He may be become more high functioning, but hes autism will not disappear.

Well, you're telling me pretty much what I was afraid of. I had seen her both on Oprah and the View, and sometimes she would backtrack and try and improve the way she was saying things, i.e. "I'm helping my son recover" instead of "I've cured my son from autism," but she's pretty excited about how well he's doing, and she probably thinks she's helping people. Plus, having a book out and selling it and making more money is probably helping to fund whatever programs she is using for her son.

She's an OK gal -- I just think she's a mom who's not really an expert in this situation. She did say that she had to take out a second mortgage on her home to help pay for her son's therapy (and she was going through a divorce at that time as well, so money was going out to her ex as well), so I don't know that she was rolling in enough money to fund everything easily.

The other lady that was on Oprah with Jenny (can't remember her name, just know I enjoyed her series back in the 80's) had an older boy, who I'm guessing isn't quite as high-functioning as Jenny's. I felt like this lady had more things to say of interest to me than Jenny. She just came off as the wiser of the two.

You are so right -- these children will always be autistic, it's just nice to see when they improve.

Kris

[quote="Age1600"]I read it, it was good, just some of the things she says in it, I don't like! She was like I pulled my son out of autism, and nows hes recovering! I wish she would have reworded it to be like, with all the therapies, vitamins, diet, DAN doctors I was able to help my son Evan so he wouldn't be severely autistic, now hes more high functioning. What she said, a lot of people are misinterpreting, and I have people coming up to me and saying "Hey you can cure you autism, Jenny did it to her son!" or "Autism can be recovered, you don't have to worry about it anymore, you can get rid of it!"

quote]

My mother saw Jenny on The View, and called me yesterday to tell me about how "her son's autism was reversed".

I do plan to watch Larry King tonight.

I looked through some of Jenny McCarthy's other books, and found her offputting, to say the least. Some of the chapter titles were extremely crass. When I saw her on 20/20, I didn't like how she pretended some of her son's early behavior, like staring at rotating fans, was "cute," and "quirky." She also takes too much credit where it isn't due. She's not a savior, she's just doing what any mother who cared about her child would do-strive to get him to a greater level of functioning in the world.

I, too, wonder what will happen when her son begins school.

I haven't read the book, I have been debating over it because I was stupid enough to buy the People magazine she was on the cover of. I too don't like it that she says he has been "pulled away" from autism. Someone like her can really bring national attention but all she did was put out a feel good story that if you work hard enough you can "save" your child from autism. It really really put me off. And once again, no one mentions anything about autism being on a spectrum! (sigh)

It is interesting to hear all of these opinions. I didn't really find offense with her saying her child was "recovered," etc. I guess I have been walking around feeling the same way. Our kids are only a year apart, and they both started receiving therapy before they were 3. My son has also been doing really well and the teachers and therapists at his new school this year are almost treating me like I am crazy for having him in special ed now. It's like they don't realize how far he has come because they didn't see him last year.

But I do see how we really do need to wait and see. Our kids might not be doing so well when they get a little older and all of a sudden their peers are leaps and bounds ahead of them in social situations. But honestly, there are kids in his class who are typical (because it's a sp ed/ regular ed collaborative) who are having more trouble with separation, participation, speaking in class, fine motor, etc. It's hard not to just feel like they are just typical kids now.

Having a 21 year old way up on the spectrum, and an 11 year old a little lower than that, I can easily say that there are definitely situations when they get older that cause you to say "yes, for the most part they are doing OK, but man, he's really lacking socially in this particular area." Those unusual incidences crop up by surprise, when you least expect it, and when you think that all is well and you can relax now. Having said that, maybe all parents feel this way about their kids, AS or NT. But I'm always thinking that we can relax with our older son, because he's doing so "well" in college, but then he does something unusual or says something unusual, and I still feel like there are maturity issues that are not yet resolved.

Kris

I agree. Speaking for myself, I do very well at work and academic disciplines, but I am very shy and do quite poorly socially.

She's on the cover of People Magazine this month with her son.

I can't get past the fact that I rather detest Jenny McCarthy to even read her book. My best wishes to her autistic son, however.

I was watching Jenny McCarthy on The View and she was describing the early signs of her son's Autism.

When she said "hand flapping" a light bulb went off in my head. I started doing research, and the material I was reading about Ausperger's fit my daughter to a "T".

I'm a pretty well educated, bright, well read individual, and I just thought my daughter was "quirky". I had no idea she had a disorder of any type.

Thanks to Jenny creating more awareness, I have a more distinct grasp of the problems my daughter will face in the future, and of why she is struggling in social situations, now.

On the same show, she made a point of emphasizing that vaccinations were not a "cause" of autism, but rather one of the possible "ingredients" that could lead in that direction.

I did enjoy her book (read it the day I received it...), although I have to say that she said a couple of things...

1. There is a window through age 6...This is not good...What this does is believe that after that, no further services are deserved because the "window of opportunity" is gone...The state of Texas passed some insurance laws but your child MUST be receiving therapies by age 6, or they no longer apply. I do not feel that is fair...My child was not diagnosed until age 5! After many, many attempts telling pediatricians something wasn't quite right...

2. Recovered I also didn't like...he has less issues, yes...and I do agree many of the biomedical things she discusses actually DO work...I've seen many of them work with my son...However, he will always have autism...just his symptoms are lessened...

With all that said, I think it is at least great that she is getting the word out about the biomedical treatments because indeed many of these do truly work. I honestly have been living in a hole and didn't even know who she was until the book came out, but I'm glad that someone from Hollywood is speaking out because sometimes that is the only way that people listen...or at least, they have the money / connections to be on shows such as Larry King...

In addition, I know that hearing her has helped at least my dad in understanding the biomed stuff I do with my son and for that, I'm also thankful.

My son will always have autism...but his symptoms have greatly improved...and if it's not for her, many kids would not even get diagnosed with the allergies, etc...that my son has been diagnosed with...like hers...because since they can't really communicate, they can't tell us what hurts, how the feel, etc...for us to talk to doctors...So, yes, I think it was good what she did, although not everything is perfect.