Palin and Autism

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There we go "choices". Many autistic people are choosing to die, I suppose you are okay with that janjt. The autism debate has been hijacked by people like yourself janjt and the voices of individuals with autism have simply been sidelined. We are the cause that so many people have dedicated time and money to and also profit from but no one really wants to listen to what we have to say. I am not angry janjt, but I am frustrated that there are so many people like yourself who blindly insist that there are options when plainly, for many of us, there are none.

The issue is Palin and the question is still out there: what conclusions will she reach about individuals with congenital disorders and their place in society. My hope is that in her role as a mother, she gets to see first hand what it is like and can therefore move away from the specious assumptions made by "experts" who will say whatever needs to be said to capture that lucrative income stream from desperate parents. Perhaps she will learn not to listen to people like you janjt and confront head on the truthful realities. Very little of the money presently spent on autism is properly allocated and almost none of it will really benefit autistic individuals. And yet because everyone feels that something needs to be done, the system is strained to breaking point. Rich autistic kids get help that they do not need nor want. Working class autistic adults are allowed to become social detritus that everyone would rather be rid of. The therapists get rich at taxpayers' expense and no one is better off for it. It is quite a system!

Okay, Zeno, so explain to me what the proper system looks like? It goes back to my previous question: what do you want? Explain it to me.

Well, I finally get a demonstration of what I thought was going on all along. Zeno is playing the game of "Corner the therapist and bully her into consulting for FREE!"

thank you Zeno, now I see your idea of self advocating for Autistics is just schoolyard bullying. If you bully your consultants, you will bully the rest of us too.

Merle

ROFL!! !! !

Sorry, Merle, it's my old Rhetoric classes kicking in...that and I really do want to understand Zeno's point of view...just kinda hard to get at.

I was going to give a rest for a bit but cornering the therapist and getting her to consult for free? What nerve! What kind of arrogance and conceit would lead anyone to believe that they have the right to be a therapist to anyone who happens to come their way? So you get a Doctor of Psychology and with that little piece of tarp you saunter through life thinking that you are completely justified in imposing your opinion on others?

Look, because of your manifest narcissism, it is a bit like trying to discuss Plato with a moose, but I will say this to you again: the assumption that individuals with autism have a choice about their autism is completely fallacious. There is a second point that emerged in our discourse that I hope might serve a didactic purpose: there are no effective therapies in treating autism. The clear juxtaposition of point number two is that therapists are useless in autism but the empirical evidence is that an overwhelming of therapists make a very good living by providing lifelong "treatment" to rich autistic people. The third point is this: people with autism are opting to kill themselves in alarming numbers. The real problem in autism is not the bullying but the suicides. I would like to listen to how you might "positive think" this problem away.

oh, belly ache, Zeno.

You are not the only person with Autism, you know. You are in a community of us, and gawd knows you do not speak for anyone but yourself. I am sorry your life has not changed one whit since you were a baby, that you didn't learn to read and write and wipe your butt. oh, wait! you did! so maybe 'occupational therapy' did work, eh? maybe you can express yourself where as before you couldn't. So, learning how the world works and how you can fit into it is jut as much therapy as any, eh?

think before you use the tools you learned that changed your autism and changed you. Otherwise it just seems silly to say that "therapy didn't work."

Merle

Uh, I didn't say that, Merle did...



Masters, actually.



Hmmm...opinions are sort of what these forums are all about, now isn't it? I don't see ZENO'S EXCLUSIVE WORLD AND OPINIONS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH anywhere on the banner here...

Now, what else were you diatribing about? Ah yes.

- Suicide rates. I did a little research yesterday and could not find any reliable stats on this, which sucks. I am certain it is much higher than the general population. It is also much higher than the average population for folks who are gay/lesbian, folks who are African American, folks who are bi-polar, and folks who are schizophrenic. Pretty much any disenfranchised group has higher than average suicide rates, because they do not get the support and acceptance they need and deserve. This is tragic, and it is also pervasive in other communities as well.

- No effective therapies. Hm. This I cannot agree with. You're right in a sense -- no one can take an ASD and turn them into an NT. But, I don't think that's what most ASD folks want, and it certainly would not be something I'd promote. The Aspies I know want to make it through the day without melting down, have a way to contribute to the world, have a social life, have a job, have an apartment, maybe go to college and have a career, get married, etc. For some, these things are possible, and for most, at least a few of these things are possible.

ABA therapy is proving to be highly effective with ASD kids. CBT has been effective for years, but is very underutilized. Play therapy is also helpful. Group therapy is also very effective in promoting social awareness. Occupational therapy helps with fine motor skills and balance issues. Visual teaching methods are good for instructing visual learners. Sensory issues can be mitigated by any number of strategies. Neurofeedback can help with attention deficit and meltdowns. Medications can definitely help anxiety, depression, and attention deficits that are prevelant in ASDs.

These are just a few things -- are any of them perfect? Absolutely not. Do all of them help all people? No. Is there room for improvement? Definitely. The problem is that ASD is different in each individual, and so each person needs different types of help. There is no one-stop-shopping for a therapeutic intervention that works for everyone and covers all issues. ASD is complex, and hence the answers are complex and broad.

I think it is far too early to say that therapy doesn't work. Certainly, doing nothing doesn't help. The sad bit, Zeno, is that many people did not receive solid, targeted, holistic intervention at an early age, and services for adults are few and far between. That definitely needs to change.