Autism in France: Psychoanalysis, Packing, Other Travesties

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+1 Lilo.

I'm definitely too lazy today to read all these posts in English, but if hasn't been said yet, autism became the "Grande cause Nationale de 2012" and it becomes better with time

Your experience seems vastly different than mines, and I am from California too. Even when I was in school kids who were diagnosed with Aspergers were given all kinds of special treatment. I have a relative who has a condition very similar to profound autism, and he wasn't on any drugs except anti conversant to control his seizures.

The standard treatment for Autism in the US from everything I have read is behavioral therapy and not drugs. Drugs are actually not commonly given. According to a major study only 16% of people with Autism are given any kind of Anti-psychotic drugs and the majority are for children who also have BiPolar Disorder.

Yeah France is rather a strange place.

Im not sure where you live Editself but I do know that it was not nice here a few years ago but it HAS gotten so much better, and if you read what I wrote you will see that I did not paint a rosy picture. The problem is, is that you have lived in France....have you lived anywhere else?
You will find that, like in the US, people think crazy things about people in other countries and I think its the same everywhere. I can post a video of an aide on a school bus in the US beating a non verbal autistic child and another one who would sit next to this poor little girl who sat quietly in her seat and seemed to get off on pinching her and pulling her hair. Its not pretty anywhere and as I said, that is why we need to change things.
Where MY kids are is great. My son is reading and he is happy. My daughter is stressed in the public school (she is going to school with my son next year, they put her in the public school because academically she is ahead of my son but they dont understand enough about autism in the public schools to see that just because she can read words she can not put a sentence together and this is not typical)....Both of my kids adore SESSAD (therapy center) and NEVER has anyone ever made us feel like our childrens autism is our fault even though they know I have Aspergers.

My doctor even gave me a private room the last time I was in the hospital because he knew that I was more comfortable alone. I guess we are just lucky to live where we do. Im sorry you have issues but its like that in the US as well.....You can have tons of support in one state while another gives you nothing and treats you kid like crud.

You cant blame one country....black and white thinking....we have to let go of that. Yes, bad things have happened...bad things have been happening to autistic and handicapped people for years and years. Its up to us to put a stop to it, to educate people. Complaining or being shocked doesnt fix the problem!

Circular, if you havent been here or learned about people here you dont know. Im American and I would rather live here so, Im sorry but I have been treated better here than I was in my own country. Im not saying all the doctors in the US are bad either. I had wonderful therapists and doctors who took care of me and my kids and then I had bad ones. Here the only problem we have had is the public school and that is where they need to really do some work....not to mention they need to speed up the diagnostic process and get a good early intervention program in place. I have also had some problems with doctors, no place is paradise. It takes time, money and work to change things. Its happening but things move slowly....especially in France but eventually we get things done....I think people here are afraid to be pushy, Im not, maybe that is the difference. Some people are afraid to have what they think is a "damaged" child....Im not and I know you are not either...as I said, it may have something to do with where you live. I hope things get better for you editself and you son. If memory serves me right you have one son? .

If they think you can not socialize your son then why arent they helping you....ask them that? Are there social groups? Is there other kids with Autism in your area? They are trying to blame you for their lack of services. In order to teach these kids to socialize we need to get them together with educated therapists to teach them how to socialize. My sons therapist would take him to parks and out to different places and taught him to ask for things and talk to other kids. Our SESSAD wishes that they could do something like that but their budget is small. We have donated many things to them, chewies, weighted blankets. They have an awesome sensory room with a huge ball pit. It is far more that my kid would get in the US. Our kids even get to go to camp. In the US once your child turns 5 they are dumped into the public school system, even the most severe not getting aides sometimes. There is no camp or anything like that, depending on which part of the US you live in. I paid mainly out of pocket for my sons social skills group. Our SESSAD says that my kids help the other kids. We spent every penny and exhausted every bit of our insurance to help our kids and they are doing very well. It is sad for the therapist here to see my kids and think the kids here could be like that. We just have to keep battling on.

I also forgot to mention that service dogs are FREE here....covered by insurance depending on the need. We have a little Bichon mix and a Collie who just naturally take care of my kids but since I have a hard time standing and walking I need one. I am considered 80% handicapped by the French government so I am getting my doggy for free, cant wait....Ill post pics .

I think a different country that treats Autistic people properly should conquer France by any possible means! That is the solution. At least my solution anyway. I know most will think, "Violence isn't the answer" but it is always in the answer in the mind of a person who thinks violent thoughts about nearly everything. In my opinion, conquest is important and those French "psychologists" should be shown how wrong they are.

Well move to the US, Texas to be exact, and you can have some of this:

http://news.yahoo.com/video/dallascbs11 ... 73580.html

Thats right, your 10 year old child, who has seizures, has a meltdown (he is being tested for Autism) on the bus and they TRY TO SEND HIM TO JAIL, this just happened, I found it on the news today.

I have seen the wrapping here and I have said that it is horrendous and children died from hypothermia, however children have also died in other countries while being restrained and suffocated.

Like I said I dont know where you live here in France or what has happened to you. I can only say what my situation is and I am aware as I have said OVER AND OVER that there is NO country that does not have serious issues in certain areas. Im saying we can not attack one state or country because its bad all over.

Im not lying to you, as you seem to be accusing me of. I live in Gleize outside of Lyon France and this is the way things are for us. Im sorry it is gone so wrong for you but I do think that I sent you information on how to get help here in France at one point in time because you or someone else asked me where I get my services from.

Here is some footage of a bus driver and an aide beating a non verbal autistic child. Also you can see how cruel and angry they seem and how they pull his seat belt as tight as they can.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w8EP1hA6CA&feature=related[/youtube]

I can post more if you like....there is abuse here and abuse in the US and abuse everywhere. As I said, lets stop talking about it and DO SOMETHING TO STOP IT!

I just found this....a cell in a Arizona Elementary school for autistic children.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Ar4JZOD98&feature=fvst[/youtube]

This is a hospital treating a severely autistic young adult or teen and his Mother is very calm....I give her a lot of credit. This is in California. It is hard for people who are not educated to care for severely Autistic or mental ill children. My son was on a mental ward for a few days and he told me that they would tackle young kids and stab them with drugs to calm them down. There are better ways, we need to teach people how to care for Autistic people and children.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQXUezJtDmo&feature=endscreen&NR=1[/youtube]





I thought it was pretty amazing that my doctor knew enough about Autism here in France that he ORDERED me a private room. In the US they would not do this for me. Also while in the hospital I had a meltdown and locked myself in my room, no one did anything to me but was kind and rubbed my back and straightened my sheets until I calmed down....no one threatened me or my husband or said anything about me not being well enough to care for my kids and just to remind you, my daughter is classic autism and my son is Aspergers.

Also Im not just slamming the US...there are videos and stories from other countries like Canada and many others that are far worse than the US and France....the UK is not doing so hot right now either. The funds are simply not there and they are taking away disability and services. The grass is simply not greener on the other side of the fence. I did not like this slamming of French people in general just as I would be upset if someone made ALL of the US look bad because its not true. A lot of help and work needs to be done everywhere not just one place. I like Documentaries and Im glad this one is allowed to be seen by other countries but as you know France has laws that if you are in a documentary you can change your mind and decide you dont want to be a part of it, even after it is finished. All the doctors do not want to be in this video because the finally woke up and realized everyone does not think like they do and that they are in the wrong! So, as I said, it was good that the documentary was made and its wrong to make this woman pay these slime balls that call themselves doctors money for the abuse that they cause!

I just saw a hideous video from China that I will not post here. It is a typical child (as far as we know) being, kicked, dragged, laughed at, having his fingers stomped on....supposedly he stole something. He looked to be about six years old, was screaming and crying......horrible.
Also I dont know if you have visited every place here in France but my husband and I have visited many places and schools and most of them were very nice and used the same program we got in San Diego. My husband does have a co worker who has a autistic child in his twenties who has been in and out of hospitals and received the treatment that the child above has had....but the video above is the US. So unless you have just gone around everywhere you cant make the judgement that we are just lucky. We have to start somewhere and they are trying here in France to change things, you behave as though they are not.
The thing that bothers me and upsets me is the mentality of some of the parents here. As I said, they want to hide away their "damaged" children. That is one thing that really pisses me off and unfortunately this happens in my family. I shouldnt be sharing this but my nephew is 14 and was born with a spontanious mutation of Di Georges syndrome. His Mother refused to get him any help....he has a huge hole in his palate and heart conditions. They insist putting him in public schools where he has no friends and can not keep up with the other kids, he can hardly speak and is very depressed and despondant. Also it makes me angry that they do not tell him about his upcoming surgeries, they dont want him to get upset, they say (the parents)....to me this is wrong, children should be told the truth about what is going to happen to their body. You dont lie to them!
Also there are so many Non verbal or hardly verbal children in my childrens therapy due to lack of early intervention and some even being put into these hospitals or institutions.....they call them schools but they are not. I do know the bad things and if you really read.....sorry, i know Im wordy and French is your language but I did say all this already.

All I can tell you is that no one has the right to take your child or tell you that you do not make him social. Its a good time to fight this right now as there is so much negativity toward the way the French system works for Autistic children. The reason I donate things to my kids center is because I want these kids to get the assistance and help that they need. I want them to be able to communicate and how to self soothe. The iPad (If Proloquo2go would get on the ball and get the French version done) could help a lot of the kids who communicate with PECS.

My son has a best friend, he obviously has Aspergers and his parents dont tell him because, as I said, I am honest with my kids and they know they have Autistm and Aspergers. Im glad my son has a friend and neither one of them care if they have Aspergers or not, they are happy and have the same interests.

Here is another video of the same boy in the hospital and mother finds him unresponsive and having an obvious allergic reaction. Where is she supposed to put her son when he is ill?? You can read and see her frustration and anger. This is San Diego California and I had only one issue where a therapist pushed my daughter to the point of her bashing her head on the floor. I calmly picked her up and told the therapist that the session was over. My daughter was also in the hospital from illness and typical doctors are clueless. We had to point out her obvious severe symptoms of Autism to our pediatrician and I even bought posters of "red flags" for autism to put on the walls. One of our doctors thanked us for showing them, not only what to look for but how much children can change with the right therapy.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKe8YhIkMtg&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]

Well thanks Liloleme, at least it put things into perspective.

At first I was surprised and shocked to see this, but then I remembered how frequently history repeats itself and how hard it is to make old habits die out. There are so many unethical things that have happened in the history of psychology and psychiatry (and this is coming from someone training to be a clinical psychologist). It is so frustrating that they justify what they are doing by saying that it is "beneficial". Beneficial for whom? Lobotomies, drugging until practically comatose, shock therapy...sure they create changes, but isn't that often mostly for the staff to feel like they can handle their patients more easily? Now it is true, there are some cases where treatments like electroconvulsive therapy are still used (e.g., severe depression), but it is only used when the patient does not respond to other treatments and when the patient can make an informed choice about their treatment. It so important for people in any country to advocate for the most appropriate/least restrictive treatments with the individual client's needs considered foremost, especially when that person cannot communicate what they want/need.

Hello. Here are some news from France. I tried to get a diagnostic from a CRA (Centre Ressource Autisme). It was very long, and in the end, in a interview with a psychiatrist, she asked me about my thought about reality. I answered that what we see is not reality, it is a construction from our senses. So at the same time, I do not say that it is not reality. This is common knowledge in neuropsychology. Guess what, she said, quite gently, that I was psychotic, and that I needed to be followed by a psychiatrist. I am so disappointed. All these months reduced to ashes, because I have non conventional theories. I just have the feeling that they fear that you don't get into line. And you know what ? I don't want to get into line !