red flags of autism

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So I stayed up all night on Saturday watching videos of little kids with autism at http://www.firstsigns.org/

Now, I don't know the first thing about babies because the sound of babies crying gives me the howling fantods and so I avoid them like the plague (also, the sound of people talking to said babies in that cutesy-wootsie baby talk makes me want to punch someone). But it really seemed like they were torturing those poor babies in the videos.

For example, this one baby is spinning a bowl and for some mysterious reason the adults decide they don't like it and so they take the bowl away and shove this annoying Big Bird toy in the kid's face.

WTF? Go get your own freakin' bowl, sit next to the kid, and join him in the fantastic and educational game of bowl spinning! Watch how the bowl spins on its curved edge, listen how the sound changes as the bowl comes to a stop. When I became fixated on ball bearings, my parents bought me gyroscopes and tops and pinwheels and rail twirlers. They indulged my every obsession as long as it was educational, even when it involved a 12-foot python, several boa constrictors, a 4-foot monitor lizard, a tarantula, and a freezer full of dead rats. I shudder to think of what my life would have been like if my parents hadn't been the kind of people who like to read books at the dinner table.

And here's another one: the autism "expert" comments that hand flapping occurs in all children, but it's the degree of flapping that makes it abnormal in autism and they show this video of a little girl sitting in the ocean with the waves washing over her legs. She's the happiest you can imagine a child to be and flapping away, so excited. Cutest thing you could see. I say, if this so-called expert thinks it's "excessive," then she must live an impoverished life--obviously her experiences at the ocean must pale in comparison to that which this little girl and myself and countless others have experienced. The ocean has inspired countless people over the course of human history to create great works of art devoted to it--poetry, literature, paintings, sculpture. I can only feel pity for someone who feels that hand flapping as an expression of joy at feeling the power of the mighty seas is "excessive."

/end rant

Sorry, got a little bit overexcited there. I didn't mean for this to turn into a curebie rant.

My point is this: are there any people with autism researching early childhood development? Even if I'm way off and those babies weren't being tortured (and yes, of course I am exaggerating when I use the word "torture"), it still seems like a really important thing.

I agree totally.

Yeah, nice rant.

I remember my dad & I spinning coins on the floor when I was a kid. Between the two of us we'd could get almost 10 of them going at once.

I think this holds a lot of truth. Too many people are freaking out, about autism. I'd like to think that we've come a long way, since the 30s and 40s. It's too bad, that we haven't. We've come a long way...maybe.

On the other hand there are some people who are so profoundly affected by their symptoms that they would like a cure. I respect that. I'd hate to loose all the wonderful divergent thinking and problem solving that so many people with ASDs are capable of. I'd love to find a way for non verbal people to get their ideas across.

There's nothing in this thread about a cure. It's about people telling kids to restrict stimming, and taking away anything they get 'too' interested in. That isn't curing.

There are non-verbal people on this list who can and do speak their mind. I agree though that people ought to get whatever they need to be able to communicate as best as possible.

i'd love to hear what they would have to say. i bet they'd have amazing insights, especially if unable to communicate for most of their lives and then somehow given a voice.

What the hell are "howling fantods"?

I would play spinning bowls by myself right now- it sounds fun
I think there is a push to get kids to act as mainstream as possible- they did this with lefties back in the day, repressing them, forcing them to use the right hand. I dont see a problem with playing with bowls - most kids I know do that.

That's like telling a child that he can't live in a fantasy world. Imagine a world without imagination.

My mom used to just open the cabinets that had all the pots and pans and hand us a serving spoon to beat them with. Easy, quick entertainment for hours.

That would be like taking my Kinks stuff away from me. I'd run to the nearest cliff and jump off! I don't care, if I'm scared of heights.

If you want to make a Tibetan monk unhappy, forbid him his singing bowls.

... It's not an autistic answer, sorry. Well, not really related to it but it made me think of it.

And also, in that culture, the buddhist one, they like to hang little flags on strings
(This one is a wink to the title of the thread )

I like the analogy, zena4!

But rant aside, why aren't there people with autism involved with early childhood development research? I'm sure those people just want their babies to grow up into happy healthy adults and they don't intentionally torture them. Who would have better ideas about what babies with autism need than other people with autism? It seems like it would be a very productive "special interest" if the right person landed on it. If no one puts forth any better ideas than what Autism Speaks is peddling, nothing will change.

That is a good point. Unfortunately, autistic efforts to help other autistics are hamstrung by a deficit in communication and sometimes, a dislike of dealing with people. Aren't the roots of the word 'autism' auto- and -ism -- the religion of oneself?

But really, who are you going to trust to take care of your kids? A therapist with years of experience or an autistic person who dresses strangely, talks funny, and acts weird?

There are many autistic researchers who have gone into the research for this very purpose. I think that there are quite a few on this site.