Comments on: Shame and Stigma http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:04:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Alejandro Flores http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-565256 Alejandro Flores Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:04:43 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-565256 Stigma, the best way understand this is by reading the theories written by Goffman. A sociologist who has put stigma in a perspective. I have a 6 year old child who has autism and it wasn't until a few years ago that I learned to accept it. Since his diagnoses I have seen that stigma as people would look at my wife and I as if we were different when my son woulld not behave in a social setting. With my educational background I hope to help my son coupe with this disorder so he can life a normal life without any prejudice. Stigma, the best way understand this is by reading the theories written by Goffman. A sociologist who has put stigma in a perspective. I have a 6 year old child who has autism and it wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned to accept it. Since his diagnoses I have seen that stigma as people would look at my wife and I as if we were different when my son woulld not behave in a social setting. With my educational background I hope to help my son coupe with this disorder so he can life a normal life without any prejudice.

]]> By: Stigma and Pride http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-554753 Stigma and Pride Tue, 13 May 2008 16:09:30 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-554753 [...] the stigma attached to mental illness that rings true. There’s been more than a few people whom [...] [...] the stigma attached to mental illness that rings true. There’s been more than a few people whom [...]

]]> By: Autism Vox » What’s Your Label? Your Diagnosis? http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-531272 Autism Vox » What’s Your Label? Your Diagnosis? Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:18:41 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-531272 [...] Gifted? Autistic? Or Just Quirky?: As More Children Receive Diagnoses, Effects of These Labels Seem Mixed reads the headline for a February 27th Washington Post article by Maia Szalavitz. The article describes the rising number of American children who are given labels that range “from psychiatric and neurological diagnoses such as Asperger’s and attention-deficit disorder to educational descriptors including “gifted” and “learning disabled.” Indeed, parents—once fearful of the stigma associated with such labels, are now (according to the article) seeking them out, in order for their children “to get them extra time on tests, to receive insurance reimbursement for treatment, to qualify for extra educational services or simply to have a name (and treatment) for a problem.” [...] [...] Gifted? Autistic? Or Just Quirky?: As More Children Receive Diagnoses, Effects of These Labels Seem Mixed reads the headline for a February 27th Washington Post article by Maia Szalavitz. The article describes the rising number of American children who are given labels that range “from psychiatric and neurological diagnoses such as Asperger’s and attention-deficit disorder to educational descriptors including “gifted” and “learning disabled.” Indeed, parents—once fearful of the stigma associated with such labels, are now (according to the article) seeking them out, in order for their children “to get them extra time on tests, to receive insurance reimbursement for treatment, to qualify for extra educational services or simply to have a name (and treatment) for a problem.” [...]

]]> By: Autism Vox http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-530445 Autism Vox Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:06:22 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-530445 [...] On January 17th, I wrote about the “shame and sigma” still associated with mental illness, autism, ADHD, and other psychiatric disorders. A book, The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change, by Stephen Hinshaw, chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, argues that, until there is a “civil rights movement” for those with mental illness—as long as there is prejudice and stereotyping and, indeed, fear of the mentally ill—they will continue to (in Hinshaw’s words) “‘lose out on major life opportunities,’” from obtaining a driver’s license to job discrimination—-and even to attending school among their peers. Another quote from Hinshaw is relevant here, I think: “Neglect and exclusion impede adequate research funding and clinical care, fueling the myth that mental illness is lifelong, hopeless and deserving of revulsion.” [...] [...] On January 17th, I wrote about the “shame and sigma” still associated with mental illness, autism, ADHD, and other psychiatric disorders. A book, The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change, by Stephen Hinshaw, chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, argues that, until there is a “civil rights movement” for those with mental illness—as long as there is prejudice and stereotyping and, indeed, fear of the mentally ill—they will continue to (in Hinshaw’s words) “‘lose out on major life opportunities,’” from obtaining a driver’s license to job discrimination—-and even to attending school among their peers. Another quote from Hinshaw is relevant here, I think: “Neglect and exclusion impede adequate research funding and clinical care, fueling the myth that mental illness is lifelong, hopeless and deserving of revulsion.” [...]

]]> By: Autism Vox » Shame and Stigma: On what happened on January 19th http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-530444 Autism Vox » Shame and Stigma: On what happened on January 19th Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:03:40 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-530444 [...] On January 17th, I wrote about the “shame and sigma” still associated with mental illness, autism, ADHD, and other psychiatric disorders. A book, The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change, by Stephen Hinshaw, chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, argues that, until there is a “civil rights movement” for those with mental illness—as long as there is prejudice and stereotyping and, indeed, fear of the mentally ill—they will continue to (in Hinshaw’s words) “‘lose out on major life opportunities,’” from obtaining a driver’s license to job discrimination—-and even to attending school among their peers. Another quote from Hinshaw is relevant here, I think: “Neglect and exclusion impede adequate research funding and clinical care, fueling the myth that mental illness is lifelong, hopeless and deserving of revulsion.” [...] [...] On January 17th, I wrote about the “shame and sigma” still associated with mental illness, autism, ADHD, and other psychiatric disorders. A book, The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change, by Stephen Hinshaw, chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, argues that, until there is a “civil rights movement” for those with mental illness—as long as there is prejudice and stereotyping and, indeed, fear of the mentally ill—they will continue to (in Hinshaw’s words) “‘lose out on major life opportunities,’” from obtaining a driver’s license to job discrimination—-and even to attending school among their peers. Another quote from Hinshaw is relevant here, I think: “Neglect and exclusion impede adequate research funding and clinical care, fueling the myth that mental illness is lifelong, hopeless and deserving of revulsion.” [...]

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-530415 Kristina Chew, PhD Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:26:08 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-530415 It does fit and I really appreciate your sharing it-----I guess your friend's question reinforces in me how pervasive negative perceptions of autism are. It does fit and I really appreciate your sharing it—–I guess your friend’s question reinforces in me how pervasive negative perceptions of autism are.

]]> By: catherine http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-530412 catherine Fri, 26 Jan 2007 16:16:38 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-530412 i'm not sure how this fits exactly -- but upon learning of my son's recently diagnosed bone/endocrine disease a friend actually asked me, "well, you'd rather a bone/endocrine disease than autism, wouldn't you?" personally, i haven't ranked these sorts of things and find any disease or syndrome or whatever undesirable for my son, if i actually had any control over it. also, already wearing out trying to explain something chronic and incurable . . . i’m not sure how this fits exactly — but upon learning of my son’s recently diagnosed bone/endocrine disease a friend actually asked me, “well, you’d rather a bone/endocrine disease than autism, wouldn’t you?” personally, i haven’t ranked these sorts of things and find any disease or syndrome or whatever undesirable for my son, if i actually had any control over it. also, already wearing out trying to explain something chronic and incurable . . .

]]> By: Autism Vox » What else can we talk about if there’s no autism epidemic? http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-530301 Autism Vox » What else can we talk about if there’s no autism epidemic? Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:15:22 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-530301 [...] “Sometimes in the panic of the ‘epidemic,’ however, we forget how lucky we are in North America—lucky to have a label that doesn’t stigmatize the way it used to,” writes Grinker in his book’s last chapter, “Beyond the Curve.” He mentions Jason McElwain, the autistic teenager who scored seven baskets in the closing four minutes of his high school team’s basketball game in February 2006, and who has been the reason for both celebration among the autism community and also the source of critique, as some have noted that the media coverage is great, but there are still those children with “severe autism” who are “low-functioning” and who point to why a cure for autism ought to be found. We’re lucky that we are finally getting more accurate prevalence rates, that we have medication and treatments that help people with autism, and that we can now imagine positive and productive futures for them. The chidren diagnosed with autism throughout the 1980s and 1990s have already grown up and are being treated more humanely than autistic adults were in the past. (p. 290) [...] [...] “Sometimes in the panic of the ‘epidemic,’ however, we forget how lucky we are in North America—lucky to have a label that doesn’t stigmatize the way it used to,” writes Grinker in his book’s last chapter, “Beyond the Curve.” He mentions Jason McElwain, the autistic teenager who scored seven baskets in the closing four minutes of his high school team’s basketball game in February 2006, and who has been the reason for both celebration among the autism community and also the source of critique, as some have noted that the media coverage is great, but there are still those children with “severe autism” who are “low-functioning” and who point to why a cure for autism ought to be found. We’re lucky that we are finally getting more accurate prevalence rates, that we have medication and treatments that help people with autism, and that we can now imagine positive and productive futures for them. The chidren diagnosed with autism throughout the 1980s and 1990s have already grown up and are being treated more humanely than autistic adults were in the past. (p. 290) [...]

]]> By: ashley http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-530291 ashley Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:19:51 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-530291 Good point McEwen. And lovely poignant response Lisa/Jedi! Your name always catches my attention when you comment. I see many children at the preschool and elementary school level that have a "rap" just for being a handful by other teachers and parents of potential play dates. ex: A story about a "wild" boy that spit on a friend's birthday cake at his party lived on two years later. Can't this boy catch a break? Hasn't he grown up a bit since kindergarten? How many parents spreading the story even witnessed the incident? Young children at their alleged most intuitive points in their lives pick up on this rap as well. Autism aside, a child with a behavior plan, an IEP, very tough in the mainstream world to be seen beyond the rap. So where does a "major" disability like Autism leave those kids? It's not easy. Good point McEwen. And lovely poignant response Lisa/Jedi! Your name always catches my attention when you comment.

I see many children at the preschool and elementary school level that have a “rap” just for being a handful by other teachers and parents of potential play dates.

ex: A story about a “wild” boy that spit on a friend’s birthday cake at his party lived on two years later. Can’t this boy catch a break? Hasn’t he grown up a bit since kindergarten? How many parents spreading the story even witnessed the incident?

Young children at their alleged most intuitive points in their lives pick up on this rap as well. Autism aside, a child with a behavior plan, an IEP, very tough in the mainstream world to be seen beyond the rap. So where does a “major” disability like Autism leave those kids? It’s not easy.

]]> By: mcewen http://www.blisstree.com/articles/shame-and-stigma/comment-page-1/#comment-530287 mcewen Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:13:36 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/shame-and-stigma/#comment-530287 I'm surprised that prejudice is worse now that 100 years ago. Perhaps it's because we're able to communicate better today that we're more aware of ours and other people's prejudices? Cheers I’m surprised that prejudice is worse now that 100 years ago. Perhaps it’s because we’re able to communicate better today that we’re more aware of ours and other people’s prejudices?
Cheers

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