Comments on: The Enduring Heart of the Autism Mother and Other Metaphors http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:13:26 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534545 Kristina Chew, PhD Mon, 14 May 2007 01:09:53 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534545 Thanks, Club166----this need to find the "original" case, the first documentable "moment" of when autism <i>happened</i> seems to be a project Olmsted has been focusing on his latest "Age of Autism" pieces, in particular with his continued emphasis on the parents of the children whom Kanner first studied. With Olmsted's more general presentation of the "terrible, devastating"-ness of autism, I also sense the other associations of "ground zero"-----it is a potent metaphor....... Thanks, Club166—-this need to find the “original” case, the first documentable “moment” of when autism happened seems to be a project Olmsted has been focusing on his latest “Age of Autism” pieces, in particular with his continued emphasis on the parents of the children whom Kanner first studied. With Olmsted’s more general presentation of the “terrible, devastating”-ness of autism, I also sense the other associations of “ground zero”—–it is a potent metaphor…….

]]> By: Club 166 http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534543 Club 166 Mon, 14 May 2007 00:58:59 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534543 First of all, Happy Mother's Day! The metaphor that came to my mind when I read the "The Age of Autism:Ground Zero" article is that of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_case">"Patient Zero"</a>, which is a synonym for the index case, or the first patient in a population to contract a disease in an epidemic. The concept of "Patient Zero" was perhaps most famously used in the Randy Shilts' book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Band-Played-Politics-People-Epidemic/dp/0312241356"><i>And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic</i></a>, where a gay flight attendant who reportedly had as many as 250 different sexual partners per year was identified as the index case of the modern AIDS epidemic (later epidemiologists cast some doubt on this theory). In any event, this is the imagery that is called up to me by that article, one that references epidemics and definitive starting points. Methinks that that was what the author was going for. First of all, Happy Mother’s Day!

The metaphor that came to my mind when I read the “The Age of Autism:Ground Zero” article is that of “Patient Zero”, which is a synonym for the index case, or the first patient in a population to contract a disease in an epidemic.

The concept of “Patient Zero” was perhaps most famously used in the Randy Shilts’ book And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic, where a gay flight attendant who reportedly had as many as 250 different sexual partners per year was identified as the index case of the modern AIDS epidemic (later epidemiologists cast some doubt on this theory).

In any event, this is the imagery that is called up to me by that article, one that references epidemics and definitive starting points. Methinks that that was what the author was going for.

]]> By: Niksmom http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534542 Niksmom Mon, 14 May 2007 00:56:39 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534542 Happy Mothers Day, Kristina! You inspire me to live up to that heoric image, for sure! :-) Happy Mothers Day, Kristina! You inspire me to live up to that heoric image, for sure! :-)

]]> By: Leila http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534537 Leila Sun, 13 May 2007 23:42:13 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534537 This was very inspiring. Happy Mother's Day! This was very inspiring.

Happy Mother’s Day!

]]> By: Julie http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534531 Julie Sun, 13 May 2007 22:49:57 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534531 Happy Mother's DAy to all the mothers out their, and Kristina thank you for your thoughtful post everyday. Happy Mother’s DAy to all the mothers out their, and Kristina thank you for your thoughtful post everyday.

]]> By: Mamaroo http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534524 Mamaroo Sun, 13 May 2007 20:41:53 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534524 Happy Mother's Day!!! Happy Mother’s Day!!!

]]> By: mcewen http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534523 mcewen Sun, 13 May 2007 19:08:27 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534523 I love it when you go all 'classical' - transports me back to when I was 11 at school. Charlie the ox! Apart from the Zodiac / Chinese animal connotations, I'll have to spend some time working out which animals are the best representation of my family. [all of them] Yours, the amoeba I love it when you go all ‘classical’ – transports me back to when I was 11 at school.
Charlie the ox! Apart from the Zodiac / Chinese animal connotations, I’ll have to spend some time working out which animals are the best representation of my family. [all of them]
Yours,
the amoeba

]]> By: Em http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/comment-page-1/#comment-534518 Em Sun, 13 May 2007 16:49:49 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-enduring-heart-of-the-autism-mother-and-other-metaphors/#comment-534518 Happy Mother's Day to you, too! :) Happy Mother’s Day to you, too! :)

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