Difference between revisions of "Talk:Autism"

Revision as of 03:50, April 24, 2013

I once visited, on a business trip, a school for autistic children in England, with the local MP. You would not believe the love that MP, the teachers, and everyone we were with, had for these children. That is Christ's love truly functioning in our world.-Phoenix 21:33, 18 June 2007 (EDT)

May I ask which school this was? Flardox _________________________ I'm a mother of a mild to moderate autistic boy. I have put this on my yahoo asd list, so that they can come and edit as well. I'm hoping that those more knowledgable then I come by. I added in external links to while granted liberal sources, are also known for their knowledge in autism. moonwolf23(not sure how to put my hyperlink to my username in here)

Expert needed?

I think this page is in serious need of an expert on the subject. I have been correcting spelling, bias, and grammar in this article since I saw it.

I have no experience in the subject, so there's no way of checking the content for accuracy as well.

Maestro pointed out that there's a difference between autism and idiot savants, which I was unaware of.

Also, I think we need a balanced view regarding the vaccine issue; not everyone believes that vaccines cause autism. Wasn't one of the scientists behind the research recently criticized for something in the news? I'm rather skeptical, since cavity fillings contain mercury as well (as far as I know).

Are there any Conservapedian psychiatrists here? :) -danq 18:33, 8 December 2007 (EST)

Hi RedBlade7, I am not a phsychiatrist, but I know that Autism is NOT a disorder, and neither is Asperger syndrom. People who have Autism and Asperger syndrom both have diferent ways of thinking, and often have strengths that other people don't have. only when someone has low functioning Autism (instead of High functioning Autism or Asperger syndrom) would he/she have a disorder. MartialArtist 20:52, 1 November 2008 (EDT)

Dear Martial Artist, I have Autism, and I believe that classifying autism as a mental disorder is necessary for treatment. Some people in the autistic community is categorizing autistic people as a minority group instead of having a mental disorder. If people begin to remove autism from psychology books, which I'm hoping that will never happen, many people who have a severe form of autism will have trouble receiving the treatment that is crucial for their adaptation in society. I hope you can understand this. Neither should high functioning autism nor low functioning autism be removed from the DSM. Just a quick thought of mine. Peace. Nashhinton 12:42, 14 August 2011 (EDT)

This is my first edit on Conservapedia (I just joined), so I'm not sure if this is the way you'd like edits done. Anyhow, here is my reply to the above question:

I'm not a psychiatrist, but I am: a psychologist; a Conservapedian; a mother (retired from homeschooling) with one child on the autism spectrum (now grown up) and my other child is neurotypical (also going to homeschool); a grandmother with Asperger's syndrome; and an advocate for people on the autism spectrum.

I've also lived most of my life with my mouth filled with amalgam fillings (all the teeth left in my mouth, that weren't pulled out, had cavities develop all through my childhood), so I can offer the before and after effects of removing all the mercury out of my mouth.

For those who might not know, Asperger's syndrome is allegedly a form of autism refered to as "high-functioning autism." Because there is much more to learn yet about autism and Aspergers, this debate most likely will continue for some time. --Faithfilly 06:39, 30 May 2008 (EDT)

Hi Faithfully, Asperger's syndrom and High Fuctioning Autism are two seperate syndroms. There are differences, although they are similar. A kid with asperger's syndrom has no speech delays, and has a average to above average intellegence level. MartialArtist 20:46, 1 November 2008 (EDT)

_________

- It's called savant syndrome, and it's not a "type" of autism. Also, the vaccine/autism hypothesis has zero credible support among bona fide scientists. A diagnoses of autism is based on behaviors that were present by the age of three. Asperger's is technically "autism spectrum disorder".

- The increase in autism prevalence is most certainly due to changes in the diagnostic criteria, increased public awareness, increased social services, and better diagnoses by physicians.

- In addition, autistic-like behaviors can be present in a number of neurological conditions without an actual autism diagnosis. A closed head injury, for example, can mimic autism, as can a brain inflammation.

Material moved for purpose of discussion

I am moving this here for discussion:

Warning: Autism Speaks is a multi-million dollar scam created to take advantage of autism for the purpose of making money. It is the largest organization for autism and is highly controlled. Autism Speaks many lies and does not allow adults on the autism spectrum to speak at their conventions. The only adults on the autism spectrum who they permit visibility are those who will not challenge their agenda (profits). Likewise, Generation Rescue is a non-evidence based fringe organization that promotes the debunked hypothesis that autism is caused by vaccines.

The ABA therapy of "retraining the brain" is merely a fancy way of saying "brainwashing." Autism is not a disease that gets "cured" by "treatments." Because this is so highly complex and time-consuming to grasp an understanding of, most people eagerly go for what looks good. Admittedly it does appear on the surface to seem very good, but the long-term consequences provide a lot of risk. The "therapy" society needs, in regards to autism, is education to eliminate the ignorance and misleading information about autism; plus, to eliminate the bigotry and intolerance of those who are neuro-A-typical.

Here are a couple of better links:

1. http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/
2. http://ani.autistics.org/

Autism Society of America Clubs is another huge organization to beware of. The best advice for doing research to get information is to go straight to the source and skip the organizations (at least until you've become properly educated). Either go to autism blog lists like those found at Autism-hub and Blognetnews.com/autism or search online to read about what bloggers on the autism spectrum have to say. A lot of mothers of ASD children blog and have become quite knowledgeable also.

Also, be discerning when reading books published on this subject ---> especially ones written for parents of ASD (Autism Spectrum Different) children by 'professionals' (who are neurotypical and do not have any children on the autism spectrum).

One of the best books to own is by Tony Attwood called, "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome." A couple of other good ones are: "Theory of Mind and the Triad of Perspectives on Autism and Asperger Syndrome" by Olga Bogdashina and "Asperger Syndrome: Natural Steps toward a Better Life" by Suzanne C. Lawton.

---

First off, blatantly calling some organization or another a "scam" without proof is just asking for trouble. I suspect the person who added it (who has not added anything else anywhere) is not who they claimed they are. Jinxmchue 00:17, 17 August 2008 (EDT)

It does sound a bit foamy, someone seems to have some personal issues with these groups. But it's right about Generation Rescue, they do still claim that autism was caused by shots despite all the evidence to the contrary. They are a pretty dangerous group in that they cause parents to worry about their children, and maybe even to stop vaccinating them so I can see how someone would be a little angry against them, but I'm sure there is a better way to write that for an encyclopedia article so it doesn't sound just like ranting. --Rainedaye 22:28, 23 October 2008 (EDT)

Changed some things

I know this page hasn't been edited in some time, but I just wanted to add some information about different therapies, and correct a few errors such as with the variants of autism spectrum disorders. Hope this is helpful. Sthomas 21:37, 26 May 2010 (EDT)

Some things need to be updated. In particular, I think it might be wise to remove sections that seem to support the theory that the disease is caused by vaccines. The doctor who came up with the study has had his medical license revoked for a while now and the British Medical Journal has just published an article that called his work outright fraud. Seems like junk science to me and it should be removed, but I am very new at this and do not want to step on anyones toes. Should also make a tie in between junk science and trial lawyers.--PeterNant 21:00, 9 January 2011 (EST)

Autism and Atheism

Autistic people lack the ability to relate to others and are unable to mentalize - they can not understand the mental state of others. This means they are unable to have a relationship with God on a personal level and so, without this understanding, tend to be atheists. Being unable mentalize also means lacking the ability to think teleologically (to be able to see a purpose in things), so when autistic people do speak of God it is usually in terms of a set of rules rather than anything personified.

Someone please tell me this is a sick joke that some vandal slipped in... I'm deleting it in 24 hours per the Commandments unless someone can convince me other wise. If it's not a joke/vandalism, then I want to know who here would actually want to believe in a God who would create a disease which automatically excluded people from heaven by making them incapable of believing in him. That is NOT the God I believe in or was raised with in the Lutheran church. Fnarrow 23:24, 23 April 2013 (EDT)

I assume it's a parodist who's decided to self-destruct; it happens quite a lot here. No real Christian could believe - or write - such offensive nonsense.--ChapmanP 23:27, 23 April 2013 (EDT)

I've added a reference, however some of the sources it cites are a little anti-religious so I'll try and find a better one. It's certainly not made up though and I thought it would be of relevance to this article. Please do not question my faith in God or his purpose WilcoxD 23:29, 23 April 2013 (EDT)

I meant no offense WilcoxD, without the ref it looked like a very suspect statement. Upon reading the article however I have to agree with your sentiment that while it does seem legit, it tends to be "anti-religious". It almost seemed to me that the author was making a case for atheism being the more natural state as once the emotional aspects are removed from the equation, as is the case in many autistic people, the intellect essentially rejects the supernatural aspects of God. Once again, I meant no disrespect it just seemed like the type of statement some of the typical vandals around here would drop in without the citation. Thanks for the quick response. Fnarrow 23:38, 23 April 2013 (EDT)

None taken. Ironically, the section that User:ChapmanP just removed about the fraudulent Wakefield studies was something I was reading about the other day and was what lead me to these other studies! WilcoxD 23:42, 23 April 2013 (EDT)

I looked up the cite myself and it does look valid. Sorry I snapped at you; I found it quite offensive because I have borderline Asperger's.--ChapmanP 23:45, 23 April 2013 (EDT)

That is a fascinating story... If it wasn't for Wakefield and that idiot Jenny McCarthy we wouldn't be having the current resurgence of outbreaks of pertussis, polio, measles and other easily prevented diseases which were nearly eradicated over the past 50 years. And funny you mentioned Asperger's ChapmanP, I'm in the same boat and actually found myself identifying with many of the arguments laid out in that article. I think it actually provides a lot of insight toward why I've found myself in the position I've settled on regarding "organized religion". Fnarrow 23:50, 23 April 2013 (EDT)