Jenny McCarthy & Son(Evan Asher)

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I understand that and I agree, I'm just saying you need to be careful when you hear people (especially non-Aspergians) throwing the word 'cure' around, like 'my child was cured' etc. The majority of the time they don't mean an actual cure, they mean the symptoms were lessened if not eradicated altogether, but the autism is probably still there as it can't really be 'cured' as such (not yet, at least, if ever).

If they don't mean actually cured, then they shouldn't even use the word.

No idea, since Jenny McCarthy thinks that she "cured" her son of autism by using "crystals".
She even had someone fired who suggested her son be tested for autistic traits; she reversed that decision when she went on TV during an Oprah taping.

You just need to remember not everyone is as precise with their language as Aspergians tend to be. Which is where implied meaning comes in... it may not be the exact definition, but it's what they mean anyway and you can surmise it from context. There's no point jumping down her throat for her saying her kid's cured if she simply means his symptoms have responded to treatment, rather than 'cure', because if it isn't what she means then you're effectively accusing her of believing something she doesn't.

See what I mean?

It's frustrating but it's something that happens a lot, you just need to accept it as how people are and then take it from that point.

The problem with using the word "cure" and then using the kid as an example of a child "cured from autism" is that it really can set an unfair burden on the child. What happens if they're a poster-boy for "autism recovery" and they're still not really normal? I can't imagine that kind of pressure.

I know - and that's what I meant. It all follows this "curebie" mentality that is holding up and delayed the true understanding of the Spectrum. It results in situations that Srriv345 spoke of above, and that's not on.

She's scary-looking! Seriously, in all her pictures, she looks like she's evil or made of plastic or both.

evil:



evil plastic:

Thanks, Kim! That just broke my monitor!

I think the use of the word 'cure' with this intentional meaning (to have lessoned symptoms) is of euphemistic nature. I hope I got it right that euphemism = use of language in a way that hugely pronounces the positive.

Instead of the emotional response of 'it lessoned or redirected his/her symptoms' - negative association - 'cured of his/her symptoms' - positive association.

Maybe this is vice versa though. Parent = excited and happy mood, then uses vocabulary that is associated with a positive mood such as 'cure' rather than a vocabulary with a still negative connotation 'lessened' and 'lessened symptoms' = implication that the issue is still present

Because the use of language are influences by moods (as are actions) too.

I think that parents tend to use the word 'cure' because of the above. A least to some degree.


Hm... I just noticed, I automatically think a lot about language.

Whilst I agree - it doesn't resolve the problem. Emotional responses by parents are in fact the root of it - across a number of issues and not just this. That is, it's the emotional parents that are more likely to chase down "cures" rather than make the adjustments needed to the challenge - that is essentially lifelong. For example.

Sora - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/euphemism Euphemism


I agree, but we do need to keep in mind that not all parents of autistics are of the 'we need a cure now!' mentality - I know a few, and none of them think that way at all. They're all far more likely to ask me round for a cup of coffee every now and then to see if I can give some kind of insight into a new behaviour their child is doing and see if I can help them out in understanding what their little darling is up to. Which is far more positive to me; they just want to understand their kids, not change them or cure them. They accept them as who they are, which is all you can really ask for, and in doing so are able to support them and care for them so much better.

my wife recently took our eleven month old son to get his flu shots (one regular and one for h1n1). the pediatrician told her a lot of parents had been declining the shots because of jenny mccarthy.

seriously though..i'm gonna trust a guy that's been through med school above some bimbo actress..i'm just shocked so many parents believe her...

My video card is now fubar. Thanks a lot, baka.

The research article that she and other parents are using as evidence against vaccines was fraudulent, as well as the experiment itself. I found the article the other day - forgot where I put the link though. Anyway, the scientist behind it falsified the results - yet the whole article and the experiment are still cited to this day.

Evan Asher was probably misdiagnosed with classic autism. There is a very high probablility that he has Landau–Kleffner syndrome instead.

Reasons

- Evan Asher's problems started with seizures
- Ashers problems resided when the seizures were treated [1]