This NBC video purports that we can "recover from autis

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp ... &#30262936

What is your opinion?

I'm thinking that maybe that kid wasn't autistic in the first place. or maybe he just improved.
I aslo don't know how much of this i'm actually buying, it seems a bit "sensational"

A really neat story about that boy. I think a lot of this is shaped by the words we use to describe it, though. I don't quite like how they talk about "losing" Jake when he started showing signs of autism, then "getting him back" when he responded so well to the therapy. Jake didn't go anywhere; he was always there-- it's just that he's able to communicate in a way others understand now.

I have been learning every day of my life about how to communicate better with those around me. I used to ignore people who called my name, but I learned what the expected response was. And I am still learning things today. Some might say that I have "recovered," but we don't usually say that a child "recovers" from not knowing how to walk, talk, or read when he or she is born.

I hope I'm not sounding too skeptical-- that story really was wonderful, and I hope that something of the parents' approach can be applied to helping other children with autism. But there's no guarantee that every child will respond in the same way, and I hope that parents know that even if their child never does talk, he's not "lost" and still needs their love.

The word "recovery" can be used in a relative manner. I consider myself somewhat "recovered" from AS. It does not mean I am any different at the core. It does not mean that AS isn't still a part of me. What it means is that I've learned coping skills that have enabled me to better interact with those around me, giving me the appearance of a "recovery". After all, AS is only considered a disorder because those individuals' behaviors deviate from the majority-defined norm, and result in difficulties. When those difficulties are lessened, there's "less of a problem" or "recovery".

I was really interested in the other video about robots being used to teach social interactions. I really think that's a great idea and that's what autism research should be doing, not looking to cure autism.

You could argue that I'm in the "recovered" category. Growing up, I was definitely Autistic, though it seemed like docs kept trying to turn it into something else. I went through all the speech therapy, motor therapy, occupational therapy, whatever else, but after getting into college and being in an open minded environment where otherwise not fitting in was actually encouraged and I could learn about the world around me, that's when I really learned how to navigate my way through the NT world. I'm not perfectly NT, never will be, but usually it takes me actually telling someone that I'm Autistic for them to realize it.

Also, there's still something about that kid that doesn't quite add up to being a NT. I think they're doing a disservice if they say that he's no longer Autistic. Rather, I'd prefer they mention that he's learned to overcome his handicaps and function satisfactorily in the NT world. Also, Autism today in general is dealt with like a Salem witch hunt, so I take anything about diagnosis, recovery, etc. with a grain of salt.

Yes, there could be quite a few interpretations of this story. And for all we know, there's a rare temporary autism disorder, yes I would call this in particular a disorder if it is as I describe, that causes autism-like behavior for a couple of years only to resolve itself. Maybe even a strange as yet unidentified virus. Seriously, they'd have to be sure that everyone they were studying had an identical condition to present any conclusive findings from their research. But since most truly autistic children respond differently, this tells me that the "recovered" ones may have something a bit different if not totally unrelated. A few episodes of House are all it takes to show how similar totally different conditions can be.

And I swear there are some parents who are just looking for a clinical reason why their little dears don't act the way they were expecting. Then when they brainwash them into being the way they want, or fuss them until they get past whatever phase they're going through, they crow, "We cured him!"

Puh. Might not be the case, but I love how certain they are that it is absolutely as they say, no other options presented.

Mind you, it was all I could do to follow them during the live sections, with all those idiots flailing around behind them. What were they thinking, filming in front of plates glass windows?

I thought so too. His speech reminded me of my own. He mixed words up and his facial features look flat. He could be HFA now. It is possible to go from LFA (or moderate in his case) to HFA.
But the video is like 'he can talk to people and play basketball so he must be cured!' I'm sure other autistic people can play sports and be able to talk to people.

I don't know the stats, but a portion of those with Autistic Disorder progress to HFA/AS as they develop through childhood. Some even improve to a level higher than AS (AS seems to be far more stable than Autistic Disorder).

Around adolescence, 50% of those who improve return to how they were before their marked improvements in verbal and social ability; they start becoming withdrawn again, and some even lose cognitive ability.

The actual label for those who stay at the improved level is called "Residual Autism", and it comes under PDD-NOS.

mum has not listened to daniel o donnel or one of those other ear hurting singers in a long time,does that mean shes cured from him? no,she's still got the tapes and cds.

thats like with autism,it can improve or regress to any level,but not remove as the hardwares always there.
unless there is a form of autism not yet discovered that can be completely unwired,KoR guesses not,but still..

Some cases of Autism could very well be autoimmune mediated; like how many autoimmune neurological disorders come in "attacks" throughout a person's life.

Not sure if this one has ever been posted here (it was pretty high up on the Youtube search when I checked, so maybe...) but here's a similar video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S9OLLaG8t0


Seems like she's doing great, but the couple times she talks, she has an extremely sing-songy voice, and when she's not speaking, she's either showing very manufactured looking empathy, or she looks like she's squirming to leave. I'm not sure if they're trying to imply that she doesn't have Autism anymore, but it's pretty obvious she has it in some form or another. Then again, maybe I didn't get the whole story?

He made great improvement.

I could still tell he was different but hard to explain. Just the look on his face but he functioned normally and had friends. He could be at the AS level now. Something for the parents to be very proud of and proud of him too for how far he has come to be where he is at now.

I don't wish to be saved.

I agree. I could still tell he was a spectrum child; there is a mannerism there that NT kids don't have.

But it is important to understand what happens in cases like this, because knowing how a child can or will go from not speaking to being capable of indepdence is important. The goal is make individuals able to function in society and be independent. That isn't a "cure." And I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the term and concept of recovery ... terminology could use some work, too.