Comments on: Autism in the Eye of the Beholder (and the Special Master) http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:13:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-544733 Kristina Chew, PhD Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:37:08 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-544733 @laurentius-rex, thanks for the new term for more vocabulary. How "different" does one have to be to get spared at----or to qualify for "compensation." @laurentius-rex, thanks for the new term for more vocabulary.

How “different” does one have to be to get spared at—-or to qualify for “compensation.”

]]> By: Norah http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-544666 Norah Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:16:13 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-544666 I'm probably pretty easily recognisable as autistic by people who already know a bit about it. People who don't have characterised me (wrongly) as all sorts of things. The most common were shy, aloof, rude, egocentric, arrogant, a geek, antisocial, or just weird. Less common was attention-seeking, lonely or depressed. I tend to freeze up when out in public. I do stim, but it might not be very obvious, but mostly I just keep very still. It would be easy to see when I'm walking though, it tends to be rather stiff, especially my arms. I don't think I'd recognise all other autistic people, and maybe I'd (think I) recognise some that actually aren't too. I often wonder if someone I see is autistic too, or just kinda nerdy or shy and not caring what people think. A shame you can't just go up and ask. I’m probably pretty easily recognisable as autistic by people who already know a bit about it. People who don’t have characterised me (wrongly) as all sorts of things. The most common were shy, aloof, rude, egocentric, arrogant, a geek, antisocial, or just weird. Less common was attention-seeking, lonely or depressed. I tend to freeze up when out in public. I do stim, but it might not be very obvious, but mostly I just keep very still. It would be easy to see when I’m walking though, it tends to be rather stiff, especially my arms.

I don’t think I’d recognise all other autistic people, and maybe I’d (think I) recognise some that actually aren’t too. I often wonder if someone I see is autistic too, or just kinda nerdy or shy and not caring what people think. A shame you can’t just go up and ask.

]]> By: Marla http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-547628 Marla Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:30:46 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-547628 My family has accused me of always trying to diagnose. When you spend so much time reading and studying and working with your Autistic child it can be hard not to see the red flags in another child or adult. I have since learned though to keep quiet about these red flags. My family has accused me of always trying to diagnose. When you spend so much time reading and studying and working with your Autistic child it can be hard not to see the red flags in another child or adult. I have since learned though to keep quiet about these red flags.

]]> By: M http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-544714 M Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:34:42 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-544714 I usually just make up my own diagnoses and label people with those. It's particularly fun to do this for folks with no discernible issues. Recently, diagnoses have included: Absurdly Normal. Freakishly Normal. Normalcy Not Otherwise Specified. Normalcy Quite Definitively Specified. (and so on)... If someone has more than one quirky trait or habit, they are Bi-strangely...Disusual...the Conformingly Disinclined (new words are applied as needed). I usually just make up my own diagnoses and label people with those. It’s particularly fun to do this for folks with no discernible issues. Recently, diagnoses have included:

Absurdly Normal.

Freakishly Normal.

Normalcy Not Otherwise Specified.

Normalcy Quite Definitively Specified.

(and so on)…

If someone has more than one quirky trait or habit, they are Bi-strangely…Disusual…the Conformingly Disinclined (new words are applied as needed).

]]> By: Bad mommy http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-550092 Bad mommy Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:46:41 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-550092 I often see other children behaving in ways that cause me to suspect the spectrum (or bearing physical markers that suggest a genetic problem), but I figure I could always be wrong and figure I'm missing a lot of what is out there. But the thing is, particularly when children are small, getting out of the house with your moderate to severe kid is very, very hard. Therefore, I don't think that we see those kids out as much as one might otherwise. I know that my youngest is really quite mild, but when he was small -- well, we would have to enlist a third adult to go places with us, because I had to physically have a hand on him at all times. It has gotten steadily easier, and of course, these days people tend to tell me that they don't think he's autistic at all, or that I'm being overdramatic in saying that there is anything wrong with him. People only do this when they first meet him. An excellent example would be his teacher, who at first said that he didn't stand out at all in the class. As he's adjusted to the changes, however, and calmed down enough to relax and let himself be himself? She sees it. And now she's in awe of how well he self-regulates and adjusts to his environment. He does, really, but there is a certain amount of eating mulch off the playground and walking in circles humming (instead of playing with the other children) that goes into that. He is de-stressing in his own way on the playground, but his way doesn't look normal when you see it persistently. On any given day? You might not notice him at all. Unless you were really looking, and you listened to him talk for a good long time - then you might clue in. Neurological damage manifests with symptoms that are very similar across the origin of the problem. Neurologically different people, whether there is what we'd call "damage" present or merely wiring that is not the standard issue, tend to have certain behaviors in common - and they tend to be present in the "normal" population to some degree, too. Anytime you define a diagnosis by a set of symptoms, it could apply to a vast array of underlying conditions. Remember amphetamine psychosis? How my son seems in public is a long-term question for us, and we're often negatively judged for being disruptive, but not "autistic enough" to be obviously different. I often wonder what it is others see, and what it is that they expect "autistic" looks like. I often see other children behaving in ways that cause me to suspect the spectrum (or bearing physical markers that suggest a genetic problem), but I figure I could always be wrong and figure I’m missing a lot of what is out there. But the thing is, particularly when children are small, getting out of the house with your moderate to severe kid is very, very hard. Therefore, I don’t think that we see those kids out as much as one might otherwise. I know that my youngest is really quite mild, but when he was small — well, we would have to enlist a third adult to go places with us, because I had to physically have a hand on him at all times. It has gotten steadily easier, and of course, these days people tend to tell me that they don’t think he’s autistic at all, or that I’m being overdramatic in saying that there is anything wrong with him. People only do this when they first meet him. An excellent example would be his teacher, who at first said that he didn’t stand out at all in the class. As he’s adjusted to the changes, however, and calmed down enough to relax and let himself be himself? She sees it. And now she’s in awe of how well he self-regulates and adjusts to his environment. He does, really, but there is a certain amount of eating mulch off the playground and walking in circles humming (instead of playing with the other children) that goes into that. He is de-stressing in his own way on the playground, but his way doesn’t look normal when you see it persistently. On any given day? You might not notice him at all. Unless you were really looking, and you listened to him talk for a good long time – then you might clue in.

Neurological damage manifests with symptoms that are very similar across the origin of the problem. Neurologically different people, whether there is what we’d call “damage” present or merely wiring that is not the standard issue, tend to have certain behaviors in common – and they tend to be present in the “normal” population to some degree, too. Anytime you define a diagnosis by a set of symptoms, it could apply to a vast array of underlying conditions. Remember amphetamine psychosis?

How my son seems in public is a long-term question for us, and we’re often negatively judged for being disruptive, but not “autistic enough” to be obviously different. I often wonder what it is others see, and what it is that they expect “autistic” looks like.

]]> By: Emily http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-550086 Emily Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:10:00 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-550086 Tuberous sclerosis is, I think, a disease of trinucleotide expansion, like fragile X or Huntington's. Hit a certain critical mass of nucleotide repeats, and you cross the borderline into symptoms. It makes "tuber-like" tumors in the brain. I know one person who's child had that. He developed "normally" until he was a few months old, then had a seizure. That's how they found out about it. Obviously, this is hereditary, too. About noting the kids/adults on the spectrum: My husband is a programmer. In my opinion, we know several adults who fit those criteria. One is a man who will walk up to women and just stand there, staring, with a little grin on his face because he's just so happy to be standing next to a woman. Women do not find this to be socially appealing behavior. But he's also a very bright, great programmer. Just extremely socially awkward, not aware of boundaries. Has a unifocal obsession. Etc. We know many people like this. I know an attorney in his 40s who was just diagnosed as having Asperger's. We knew that about him already, but had never mentioned it. My husband and I will often make eye contact over something we've observed in a child we don't know, a silent communication that means, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? This child is like *our* children." And like Kristina, I do sometimes wonder if TH's public behavior stands out. We're so used to it, I don't even know if other people notice it or not. Tuberous sclerosis is, I think, a disease of trinucleotide expansion, like fragile X or Huntington’s. Hit a certain critical mass of nucleotide repeats, and you cross the borderline into symptoms. It makes “tuber-like” tumors in the brain. I know one person who’s child had that. He developed “normally” until he was a few months old, then had a seizure. That’s how they found out about it. Obviously, this is hereditary, too.

About noting the kids/adults on the spectrum: My husband is a programmer. In my opinion, we know several adults who fit those criteria. One is a man who will walk up to women and just stand there, staring, with a little grin on his face because he’s just so happy to be standing next to a woman. Women do not find this to be socially appealing behavior. But he’s also a very bright, great programmer. Just extremely socially awkward, not aware of boundaries. Has a unifocal obsession. Etc. We know many people like this. I know an attorney in his 40s who was just diagnosed as having Asperger’s. We knew that about him already, but had never mentioned it.

My husband and I will often make eye contact over something we’ve observed in a child we don’t know, a silent communication that means, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking? This child is like *our* children.” And like Kristina, I do sometimes wonder if TH’s public behavior stands out. We’re so used to it, I don’t even know if other people notice it or not.

]]> By: dkmnow http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-547444 dkmnow Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:16:55 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-547444 Justthisguy, I just get pegged as a rude "ne'er-do-well," and if I try to explain myself, I get scolded for "making excuses." Or worse. The only people who take my spectrum-style development seriously are those who know me very, very well. Fortunately, two of them are my parents. Otherwise, I'd be toast. Justthisguy,

I just get pegged as a rude “ne’er-do-well,” and if I try to explain myself, I get scolded for “making excuses.” Or worse.

The only people who take my spectrum-style development seriously are those who know me very, very well. Fortunately, two of them are my parents. Otherwise, I’d be toast.

]]> By: laurentius-rex http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-547565 laurentius-rex Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:20:15 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-547565 It's the old availability heuristic in action http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic A kind of primed memory effect where one is more receptive to and vigilant in seeing what one is familiar with. Kind of like the way I notice old land rovers everywhere, when other motorists wouldn't give them a second glance. It’s the old availability heuristic in action

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic

A kind of primed memory effect where one is more receptive to and vigilant in seeing what one is familiar with. Kind of like the way I notice old land rovers everywhere, when other motorists wouldn’t give them a second glance.

]]> By: Justthisguy http://www.blisstree.com/articles/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/comment-page-1/#comment-550060 Justthisguy Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:11:10 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/autism-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-and-the-special-master/#comment-550060 Before 1994, I reckon people like me would have been described (if accurately described) as "a bit strange and socially awkward, but normal, and he needs to straighten up and fly right!" Autism does seem to come in degrees. I do believe that a little of it is always good for you, and a lot of it is not necessarily bad for you. As I think I've written before, if it weren't for my autistic traits, I'd be a really good'fer'nuthin slacker. Before 1994, I reckon people like me would have been described (if accurately described) as “a bit strange and socially awkward, but normal, and he needs to straighten up and fly right!”

Autism does seem to come in degrees. I do believe that a little of it is always good for you, and a lot of it is not necessarily bad for you.

As I think I’ve written before, if it weren’t for my autistic traits, I’d be a really good’fer’nuthin slacker.

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