I certainly see the criticism. And the whole factor of anonymity (or just the general nature of the surrounding space) is one to consider, to be sure, when factoring in how it informs communities. I have found myself recently not keeping up with some things for the sake of sanity and going deeper into different individual work (though that’s in part necessity). It certainly isn’t the medium of clarity.

Cliff

And it depends on who you are talking to or getting advice from. Reminds me of the comment of the Emperor Joseph in Amadeus–”too many notes”.

To be honest, I have found the internet to be a real liability in this regard, although I appreciate the advantages as a medium of almost instant information exchange.
It has created communities, but are they communities that have the ability to really have thoughtful dialogs, find common ground and work together on issues of mutual interest or are they tribes? Right or wrong–to stay centered at all, I have had to filter out alot of what I read on the ‘net…because of the reactivity, incivility and information overload.

Sorry about the tangent, but that’s been on my mind for awhile.

I’m not sure you will find someone in the “autism community” (whatever that was supposed to mean now. Quite frankly, I don’t see anything unifying about the concept), or in the larger “disability community” who would disagree with “anti-discrimination” or “basic civil rights”. Worth noting when everyone is so engaged and close to the subject matter, and the divides are so apparent… the binding forces become ignored.

That’s not to belittle the differences (let’s just say I’m not one to preach unity for the sake of unity). But it’s an interesting day to take stock of that, at least.

Cliff

I was at a workshop last night given by Michelle Garcia Winner who made the comment that in her experience, there are a lot (she wasn’t saying all, mind) of Down’s kids who also have autism and that it’s more common than people realize.

That comment struck me as interesting. With my youngest child, Gillian, my AFP test came back showing a slight risk for Down’s (according to the geneticist, I was barely over the threshold). We did an amnio and everything came back fine but I find it interesting, given that she, along with her brothers and sister, has high functioning autism. Does anyone know if they’ve done any studies regarding Down’s and Autism and if there’s a relationship?

If a suspect were in the same place as a crime was committed it does not prove they were any more than a passer by does it.

Correlations sometimes occur because there is a third but invisible factor influencing both outcomes, but that is no excuse to claim a smoking gun (fill in your cause of choice, flourescent light, carpet cleaner, wallpaper, sunday supplements on the coffee table, laundry basket, cat litter, electricity socket, the colour purple, barney the dinosaur, the cat in the hat.

The conspiracy therists want it all ways, there has to be some one or something to blame, because nature in the raw is just too scary and complex to be believed in.

If a bear eats you in the woods, it is because someone should have put a sign up to warn you, or the ranger forgot to remove the bears teeth.

You said “The possible causes of autism are highly varied, from the latest (rain) to the (too familiar) list of genes, the environment, vaccines, pollution. ultrasounds, TV”

Doesn’t the latest information about rain suggest that it is the consequences of heavy rainfall areas .. less outdoor exposure to sunlight, more indoor exposure to chemical cleaners etc. … that are possible causal factors associated with areas of greater rainfall?

One thing that I find maddening about autism, particularly regressive or late onset autism, is that your kid seemed “fine” and then not. With Down synrome, you know pretty much from birth.

I haven’t been in the autism world that long, but the number of “factions” is very frustrating. Those who want to cure their kids. Those who accept their kids as just not being NT. Those who feel their kids have been damaged by “something”. All the different approaches to therapies — ABA, RDI, Floortime, etc. It can make your head spin. And people seem to get so entrenched in their positions that it’s really overwhelming to a parent facing this new diagnosis.

It’s Greshams law for research isn’t it. The bad research drives out the good.