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Myths about autism

bbc.com

21–30 of 36 posts

Re: Myths about autism

#21
post #5

Myth #4: We’re just over-diagnosing quirky kids with a trendy disorder. I'm sorry but this is true. I know plenty of (diagnosed) autistic people and they seem to cope okayish with their daily lives. The real deal - and I've read heartbreaking articles about it - is when the (even grown up) autist cannot take a shower on his own, and when he is asked a question he is merely capable of repeating fragments of things he…

Mental disorders are often internal, not external. What to others looks like someone coping okayish or just a bit quirky can have a huge negative impact on that persons quality of life.

Re: Myths about autism

#22
post #15
post #10

The issue with articles that try to discuss "autism" as a whole tend to ignore that the wide spectrum of people diagnosed makes it impossible to generalize. The child in class who is considered quirky and exhibits a few rather harmless traits shares the same diagnosis as my child who is entirely non-verbal and exhibits self-injurious behavior. The difference between someone considered "high-functioning" and "low-func…

I know it's the huffingtonpost but this article speaks to that pretty well. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-zampino/is-autism-the-r...

Part 2: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-zampino/my-son-has-the-...

Re: Myths about autism

#23
post #11
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You also probably know plenty of depressed people who cope with their daily lives; that there are people who suffer from catatonic depression does not invalidate their depression. I don't think you know what you're talking about, which is confusing because you have expressed a very strong opinion about the subject.

All I'm saying is that we pathologize people who could lead a normal, happy life. By pathologizing them, we reinforce the perception in them that something is wrong with them. Which in turn reinforces worries and social paralysis. A vicious cycle. Please be aware that almost all diagnoses of psychological disorders are entirely symptom-based and thus extremely subjective. The trend of giving young kids strong psychoa…

Many people lead normal happy lives with a mental health diagnosis. Something is wrong with everyone. Putting a name to the common class of struggles you struggle with most can be empowering. It makes it easier to find resources more tailored to you, and connect with others that have similar experiences.

Re: Myths about autism

#24
post #2

I only had time to skim, but is the first myth really false? When I was a kid in the 70s - 80s, I had never met another child with autistic like behavior. Yet, of my son's friends, two of them are clearly autistic (and diagnosed), and several of them seem on the spectrum (including my son). I also have several friends with autistic children. How could it be that it was just under diagnosed previously? On the other ha…

Well, if you have autistic traits, then however good you are at assessing other people's demeanor nowadays, you would probably not have been good at it as a child. So maybe you DID meet other children with the same traits.

Re: Myths about autism

#25
post #2

I only had time to skim, but is the first myth really false? When I was a kid in the 70s - 80s, I had never met another child with autistic like behavior. Yet, of my son's friends, two of them are clearly autistic (and diagnosed), and several of them seem on the spectrum (including my son). I also have several friends with autistic children. How could it be that it was just under diagnosed previously? On the other ha…

Well, if you have autistic traits, then however good you are at assessing other people's demeanor nowadays, you would probably not have been good at it as a child. So maybe you DID meet other children with the same traits.

Re: Myths about autism

#26
post #15
post #10

The issue with articles that try to discuss "autism" as a whole tend to ignore that the wide spectrum of people diagnosed makes it impossible to generalize. The child in class who is considered quirky and exhibits a few rather harmless traits shares the same diagnosis as my child who is entirely non-verbal and exhibits self-injurious behavior. The difference between someone considered "high-functioning" and "low-func…

I know it's the huffingtonpost but this article speaks to that pretty well. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-zampino/is-autism-the-r...

That article and a recent social media debate prompted the comment. The debate was with a well-educated adult woman saying she'd "rather have autism than $CURABLEDISEASE", and she referenced the adorable children of her friends that had an autism diagnosis that were delightful to be around. She recounted a recent conversation via communication device where a little girl expressed how she felt (and liked) her own autism and being different.

I explained that autism didn't look like that in all cases, and if she wanted autism she'd have to take the autism of my child who at 11 isn't capable of these types of interactions and generally has a rough go of it.

I think most people now realize how different the ends of the spectrum can be, but the high-functioning end of the spectrum sometimes engage with those advocating for the low-functioning end. If you like your autism, keep it - but those of us impacted by the "other" autism will keep advocating for our children. Separate diagnoses would help this tremendously.

Re: Myths about autism

#27
post #11
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You also probably know plenty of depressed people who cope with their daily lives; that there are people who suffer from catatonic depression does not invalidate their depression. I don't think you know what you're talking about, which is confusing because you have expressed a very strong opinion about the subject.

All I'm saying is that we pathologize people who could lead a normal, happy life. By pathologizing them, we reinforce the perception in them that something is wrong with them. Which in turn reinforces worries and social paralysis. A vicious cycle. Please be aware that almost all diagnoses of psychological disorders are entirely symptom-based and thus extremely subjective. The trend of giving young kids strong psychoa…

It isn't pathologizing people, it is diagnosing. With diagnosis comes acceptance and coping stratagies (read as: "Yes I'm different, and that is ok"). The coping stratagies are there to help someone with those issues lead a happy, healthy life. But what it really takes is people like you to stop thinking that being different is bad. Being different is good.

I'm dyslexic, I have a daughter being tested for autism this month. I want the diagnosis to help better understand her and help her adjust to have a happy life. She isn't even that bad, she has cousins that are far worse, but they are still all autistic (in my daughter's case, still probable). Some autistics kids can't talk, I have a cousin who is very autistic but can drive to work. Another just gets panic attacks. The range and scope is huge.

Re: Myths about autism

#28
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All I'm saying is that we pathologize people who could lead a normal, happy life. By pathologizing them, we reinforce the perception in them that something is wrong with them. Which in turn reinforces worries and social paralysis. A vicious cycle. Please be aware that almost all diagnoses of psychological disorders are entirely symptom-based and thus extremely subjective. The trend of giving young kids strong psychoa…

Many people lead normal happy lives with a mental health diagnosis. Something is wrong with everyone. Putting a name to the common class of struggles you struggle with most can be empowering. It makes it easier to find resources more tailored to you, and connect with others that have similar experiences.

One of the most powerful moments of my life was realizing that I had binge eating disorder. Not "a lack of willpower", nothing that could be cured by just "trying harder", nothing that would respond to counting calories and bootstraps, but an actual DISORDER. A fucked-up wiring in my brain somewhere.

Once I knew what the hell was actually going on I could then take steps to fix it correctly, scientifically, using proven methodology and techniques that worked for me. Instead of just throwing whatever at the wall and seeing what stuck I was seeking treatment that was targeted at exactly my issue and I could connect with others that were going through or who had gone through therapy for BED and who could relate to what I had gone through/was going through.

Being able to name what's going on is an enormously powerful moment. Look at all the stories of people who have had some mystery illness or cancer or some rare diagnosis: they all talk about the relief they felt when they finally were diagnosed, even if the diagnosis was grim or didn't have an available treatment. There's a huge relief in knowing because then you have a starting point, somewhere to begin from, somewhere to rally yourself and set out away from, somewhere to call your personal "ground zero".

Re: Myths about autism

#29
post #26
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know it's the huffingtonpost but this article speaks to that pretty well. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-zampino/is-autism-the-r...

That article and a recent social media debate prompted the comment. The debate was with a well-educated adult woman saying she'd "rather have autism than $CURABLEDISEASE", and she referenced the adorable children of her friends that had an autism diagnosis that were delightful to be around. She recounted a recent conversation via communication device where a little girl expressed how she felt (and liked) her own auti…

"she referenced the adorable children of her friends that had an autism diagnosis that were delightful to be around"

We've gotten better at understanding where people are coming from with statements like this... the first statement ("rather have autism") is just bizarre.

It's pretty common that when someone learns our daughter has autism they say "She's so beautiful, she won't have any trouble". I'm still not sure what that means.

Re: Myths about autism

#30
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All I'm saying is that we pathologize people who could lead a normal, happy life. By pathologizing them, we reinforce the perception in them that something is wrong with them. Which in turn reinforces worries and social paralysis. A vicious cycle. Please be aware that almost all diagnoses of psychological disorders are entirely symptom-based and thus extremely subjective. The trend of giving young kids strong psychoa…

It isn't pathologizing people, it is diagnosing. With diagnosis comes acceptance and coping stratagies (read as: "Yes I'm different, and that is ok"). The coping stratagies are there to help someone with those issues lead a happy, healthy life. But what it really takes is people like you to stop thinking that being different is bad. Being different is good. I'm dyslexic, I have a daughter being tested for autism this…

Do you think there's a genetic component to Autism? As in, it's an inherited condition?

The reason I ask is because if you don't, then it would seem your family tree actually supports the over-diagnosis theory. To check on this, I did a quick lookup. One source says the prevalence is 1 in every 88 children in the US.

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