Scientology's treatment of autism and aspergers

Post Reply New Topic

I was doing reasearch on project chanology the other day (i tend to surf wikipedia rather aimlessly) and i came upon something interesting. The target of chanology, the church of scientology, believes that psycologists and the like are part of some mass consipiracy, and thus evil. Members of the church who have any form of mental issue are systematically refused access to any sort of professional help.
Where i'm going with this is simple: What happens to any children of scientologists who have autism or aspergers?

Scientologists usually have money. Their kids are good for a handout.

Um, averick, not to be rude, but what does that have to do with someones psycological health?

Well Scientology does have a record for child abuse, things worse than just refusing treatment for someone as well. (Which in itself is quite serious). More or less though, Scientology is a business. It's their job to make as much money as possible while keeping their customers (The parents in this case) somewhat happy. So really they can do whatever they like with the children, their lives or mental conditions are not of concern to them. I read somewhere the parents see their children between years in some situations with scientology, so that really shows you precisely why it's easy to keep the abuse quiet.

The scientologists are the ones who need to be treated.

I do not see how Scientology views toward psychological diagnosis and medicine are any different from people who deny their children immunizations and medical treatment. A person's religious views are their own. The kids are along for the ride until they are old enough to get away from it.

Famous Scientologists John Travolta and Kelly Preston denied their son Jett's autism. It was in the news after Jett died of a seizure.

Is there really any reason to discuss the ideas of a Corproate Entity with a Military Heirachy that, through dubious practices extracts vast sums of money from gulibile people while getting them to believe that all of their problems are created by lice-like infestations of Space Aliens called "Body Theatans"?

Hell, makes Christianity & Voodo sound sane...

In a way, Scientology is more artificial and false than other organised religions anyway - I think it was originally invented by a science fiction writer. But if the Church of Scientology denies the existence of autism, why would their favourite poster boy Tom Cruise agree to act in "Rain Man", one of the most famous films to feature the subject of autism? Or do his religious beliefs have no bearing on his choice of film roles?

Seconded.

i just believe that travolta acknowledged his son's condition, but he didn't choose to seek the usual treatment regiments under some kind of influence or advice.
wether that was religious advice, medical advice, or legal advice, or a pseudo-belief in all three, they just have to take responsibility for that.

i.e. he's not stupid, or ignorant, he's just badly misinformed.

i have my own view of the cult of scientology, you'd have to be a fan of dualism to fully appreciate that hating yourself is a big part of the process of 'adjusting', and it's a powerful thing to tune into.

especially the deflection of self identity into 'you' and 'thetan-you', rather than the id/ego supposition, which proposes the opposite view, that we are naturally chaotic and unstable, and the brain supresses that instinct, the thetan, then becomes the devil, a foreign entity, an object rather than a person. it.

scientology ties well into the mythology of perfection, i.e. the idea of perfection/normality being the original state, and that you can be disinfected/cleaned/cured/adjusted/absolved/fixed/saved. in that respect, it's a lot like fundamentalist christian movements and a lot of other religious beliefs, the potential for salvation means you can perform any action without consequence or comprehension, because the reward is so desirable, becoming perfect, normal, etc. and because you're damaged, you can't respond rationally, 'we' have to do your thinking for you.

you can see why psychology would be a threat to an institution like that. or, even to the institution of psychology itself. but, given at the time, electroshock therapy, frontal lobotomies without anaesthesia and trepanning were common treatments, it probably was saner for L Ron Hubbard to advise people to shun treatment. 50 years on, it's a bit tougher to take that view.

and, from all accounts, its quite possible L Ron Hubbard was an aspie. maybe. see if it fits, i guess.

You're joking, right? Famous scientologists have money, the vast majority are sh*t-broke (they spend all of their money on the scientology seminars). And when they can't afford the seminars, they send their kids to work camps (a close friend of mine spent time in one when she was younger).

Are you serious DN?
Ugh.. i can't imagine how bad that must be for someone with AS, I'd have lost it in 2 days if i'd been in that position as a kid

And I may even lose my life, as I can't stand anything severe:(

ahh sea org, it's amazing really how insane those churchies are with rituals, even the ones that really, really don't make sense. to me it sounds like those navy days really had an impact on LRH, and not a positive one..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Org

there's also some other retreats where people go for 'extended' sessions, without having to pay the thousands of dollars up front.
i won't link those ones, wikipedia is a lot more PC about describing the murkier side of scientology, the other sites are downright hostile and somewhat unreliable.

Actually I was raised a Scientologist. And they missed my diagnosis, I don't even know if they knew anything was out of place. I only just started to learn about AS myself, and so coming from that background hasn't helped me because there was no way my parents would have gotten me looked at by a therapist. My parents are well meaning, great people, but they were under the illusion of the "church" as well, that anything serious like this was a product of the spirit and not the brain. Therefore no treatment outside of what scientology could give would have helped. I think the only reason why Travolta got away with having an autistic child is his position in the church. Jett was very autistic, and could never have played it normal like I did.