What is the most ridiculous theory you've heard?
What is the most ridiculous theory you've heard from someone (who actually believed the craziness coming from their mouths!) as to the cause of autism. Not the theories that everyone has heard, like vaccines or refrigerator mothers, oddball things.
I'll start.
"Autism is caused by having a dirty house. If you dusted more your child wouldn't be autistic."
Autism is our karma for past wrongs. But I think the dusting thing is more stupid than that.
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Kate Uher
Author of "The Gifts of Autism, an A-Z" (A children's book)
and "Disappearing Girl" (Another ASD memoir) https://thesensitivityspectrum.com/writing/
What is the most ridiculous theory I've heard?
Any untestable speculation or false science that is presented as a proven theory. Examples:
- Any religion's creation stories.
- Accupuncture
- Ancient Astronauts
- Aromatherapy
- Astrology
- Auras
- Blood-Type Diet (Japan)
- Blood-Type Matchmaking (Japan)
- Chiropractic
- Chromotherapy
- Colon Cleansing
- Conspiracy Theories
- Conversion Therapy
- Crop Circles
- Cryptozoology
- Crystal Healing
- Dianetics
- Doomsday Predictions & Prophesies
- Dowsing
- Ear Candling
- Esoteric Anthropogenesis
- Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP)
- Fan Death
- Flat Earth Theory
- Gaia
- Ghosts
- Hieronymus Machine
- Hollow Earth Theory
- Homeopathy
- Indigo People
- Intelligent Design
- Karma
- Kirlian Photography
- Lunar Effect ("Lunacy")
- Magnetic Water
- New Age Practices
- Nibiru Apocalypse
- Numerology
- Orgone Energy
- Otherkin
- Paranormal Abilities & Events
- Parapsychology
- Phrenology
- Polygraph Machines
- Psychics & Psychic Phenomena
- Pyramidology
- Non-Quantum "Quantum" Devices & Principles
- Radioactive Quackery
- Reincarnation
- Scientific Racism
- Scientology
- Synchronicity
- UFOs as Extra-Terrestrial Spacecraft
- Velikovsky's Electric Universe
- Vitalism
- Water Fuel
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Last edited by Fnord on 03 Apr 2013, 2:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
my husband says I'm not praying the right kind of prayers, hard enough, or with the right intent and that is why my son is still autistic otherwise he'd have had a healing and life would be better. That said I do pray for him day and night and work with him with traditional therapy and a little bit of alternative medicine.
Apparently, my kids' neurology is because I am too warm and nurturing, because I nursed my daughter too long, because I allowed my children to sleep in my bed, and because I make too many accommodations for things like fine motor deficits, motor planning issues, sensory issues, rigidity, and communication deficits. Some people seem to think if I just left them to "fend for themselves" they would somehow toughen up and "get over it." It's all because of me and my "over-protectiveness."
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Mom to 2 exceptional atypical kids
Long BAP lineage
Isn't it crazy how people have flip flopped from well, obviously it is the mother's fault for not loving her child enough to it's the mother's fault for loving her child too much?
I get a muted version of this. If you didn't accommodate him so much he'd learn to mind better and not act like that. If you don't stop coddling him he's never going to turn out okay. It's crazy.
Isn't it crazy how people have flip flopped from well, obviously it is the mother's fault for not loving her child enough to it's the mother's fault for loving her child too much?
I get a muted version of this. If you didn't accommodate him so much he'd learn to mind better and not act like that. If you don't stop coddling him he's never going to turn out okay. It's crazy.
Personal pet peeve. I especially love it when they say both things in the same sentence - I seem to get that a lot.
Speaking as someone who grew up in a very religious environment, I hope you can recognize how ignorant that is. If praying the right kind of prayers hard enough and with the right intent was the sure ticket to an easy life, surely everyone would do it, and no praying person would ever suffer. Clearly this is not the case. Plus, following his own logic, then your husband is not saying the right kind of prayers, hard enough, or with the right intent either, so even if he truly believes that, he shouldn't be passing judgement on you, lest he passes it on himself as well. As an aside to this thread topic, I believe my children are as God intended them to be, and not out of any kind of punishment. They have a purpose on this earth, just like anyone else. I find the belief that they are somehow damaged and should be required to change arrogant.
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Mom to 2 exceptional atypical kids
Long BAP lineage
whirlingmind
Veteran
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,130
Location: 3rd rock from the sun
Just before my youngest daughter was diagnosed, when my husband was still in full-on denial, and her single biggest behaviour issue was her meltdowns...he told me that she wasn't autistic, she was just copying me!
Then after she was diagnosed, he said "it's OK, she will grow out of it".
A recent one, by professionals who should know better..."Having a sibling with autism doesn't give you a higher risk of having autism" and "children can outgrow ASDs" (even worse than my husband!) and the other day "if she's diagnosed, we can retest her in a year's time as she might lose her diagnosis"
I could probably find more, but I'm having a bad day and I don't want to remind myself of others or else I will become even more sour!
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*Truth fears no trial*
DX AS & both daughters on the autistic spectrum
Speaking as someone who grew up in a very religious environment, I hope you can recognize how ignorant that is. If praying the right kind of prayers hard enough and with the right intent was the sure ticket to an easy life, surely everyone would do it, and no praying person would ever suffer. Clearly this is not the case. Plus, following his own logic, then your husband is not saying the right kind of prayers, hard enough, or with the right intent either, so even if he truly believes that, he shouldn't be passing judgement on you, lest he passes it on himself as well. As an aside to this thread topic, I believe my children are as God intended them to be, and not out of any kind of punishment. They have a purpose on this earth, just like anyone else. I find the belief that they are somehow damaged and should be required to change arrogant.
Using that husband's logic, I guess Job of the Bible or even Jesus himself did not pray "right".
I'm thankful that my faith doesn't depend on whether or not someone I pray for gets a healing. That said I do pray everyday for my children and consider my faith an important part of who I am. My husband doesn't consider me much of a Christian......though. He says I should pray God rewires my brain b/c it's wrong that I don't think like others. Honestly it's hard living with husband and his very rigid beliefs....he's also not found a church where he thinks they have right beliefs b/c there is no church in our city where the dead are being raised, miracles are happening, and the sick are being instantly and totally healed. I've opted for the methodist church w/a special needs ministry. I've also done everything to help our non verbal child and my other child.