Comments on: The Not-so Ominous Increase in Autism http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:30:25 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-534209 Kristina Chew, PhD Tue, 08 May 2007 03:24:26 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/#comment-534209 Clay, Your last two sentences say it all----I had a hectic day but soon as I saw Charlie getting off the bus all was right. Clay, Your last two sentences say it all—-I had a hectic day but soon as I saw Charlie getting off the bus all was right.

]]> By: Clay http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-534265 Clay Mon, 07 May 2007 14:41:57 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/#comment-534265 Cynthia, Not that you are ever going to see this, but, I'm glad to hear that your son's tantrums eventually went away. I hope that the same happens for our Edith Rose. However, having an autistic child, with all of the difficuties that come with raising him or her, and I can definately relate to some of your experience, (Edith is too little to read, and doesn't show much interest in video games, or toys for that matter), is not devastating. Having your child suffer and die of something like cancer would be devastating. If, God forbid, one of Edith's seizures was to kill her, then we would be devastated. I can live with her autism and all of its challenges. I can't live without her. Cynthia,

Not that you are ever going to see this, but, I’m glad to hear that your son’s tantrums eventually went away. I hope that the same happens for our Edith Rose.

However, having an autistic child, with all of the difficuties that come with raising him or her,
and I can definately relate to some of your experience, (Edith is too little to read, and doesn’t show much interest in video games, or toys for that matter), is not devastating. Having your child suffer and die of something like cancer would be devastating.

If, God forbid, one of Edith’s seizures was to kill her, then we would be devastated. I can live with her autism and all of its challenges. I can’t live without her.

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-529143 Kristina Chew, PhD Mon, 13 Nov 2006 03:28:43 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/#comment-529143 Cynthia, honesty has proved the best and only policy for us....in being able to talk about what Charlie actually does and how life is indeed <i>not</i> easy. And how there is suffering and how one indeed can feel.....really awful...... for myself, it has been necessary to see that there is some good, or light, or whatever one might call it, whatever happens in a day. Time and again, it is only when we have been thoroughly honest about whee Charlie is at that we have been able to begin to help him. Cynthia, honesty has proved the best and only policy for us….in being able to talk about what Charlie actually does and how life is indeed not easy. And how there is suffering and how one indeed can feel…..really awful…… for myself, it has been necessary to see that there is some good, or light, or whatever one might call it, whatever happens in a day. Time and again, it is only when we have been thoroughly honest about whee Charlie is at that we have been able to begin to help him.

]]> By: Cynthia Whitfield http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-529134 Cynthia Whitfield Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:33:48 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/#comment-529134 Well I certainly can't speak for everyone, but for my family, autism has certainly been a "devastating disorder." Maybe his diagnosis is wrong and he just has some autistic characteristics, because it sure as hell has caused extreme negative consequences for him and the family. See him struggling to talk, being upset at not being able to play video games like his brother, wanting to read something but not being able to make it out, etc. There were many times we couldn't do things as a family because he'd run away, or destroy things, etc. He's not so destructive anymore, and the tantrums have died down, but to say this experience was any less than devastating would be a lie. If I were the type I guess I could retionalize it all and say it really wasn't (isn't) that bad, but I'd be lying to myself. But sometimes rationalizing helps people to go on, so I guess that's fine for them. I tend to have a need to see things as they really are, even when it's not so pleasant. Cynthia Well I certainly can’t speak for everyone, but for my family, autism has certainly been a “devastating disorder.” Maybe his diagnosis is wrong and he just has some autistic characteristics, because it sure as hell has caused extreme negative consequences for him and the family. See him struggling to talk, being upset at not being able to play video games like his brother, wanting to read something but not being able to make it out, etc. There were many times we couldn’t do things as a family because he’d run away, or destroy things, etc. He’s not so destructive anymore, and the tantrums have died down, but to say this experience was any less than devastating would be a lie.

If I were the type I guess I could retionalize it all and say it really wasn’t (isn’t) that bad, but I’d be lying to myself. But sometimes rationalizing helps people to go on, so I guess that’s fine for them. I tend to have a need to see things as they really are, even when it’s not so pleasant.

Cynthia

]]> By: Autism Vox » The Difference a Diagnosis Makes http://www.blisstree.com/articles/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-529116 Autism Vox » The Difference a Diagnosis Makes Sat, 11 Nov 2006 17:59:56 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/the-not-so-ominous-increase-in-autism/#comment-529116 [...] Some may see the diagnostic confusion that led to an autism diagnosis for Evans’ son as the most appropriate explanation for his needs and, too, as the best way to provide him with the services he needs, as further evidence that autism has become a sort of “trendy diagnosis” to get one’s badly behaving child, as Katie Grant wrote in a much-commented-upon article on May 14th in Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved. Consider instead Grinker’s position on the autism epidemic: The prevalence of autism today is a virtue, maybe even a prize. (p. 170) [...] [...] Some may see the diagnostic confusion that led to an autism diagnosis for Evans’ son as the most appropriate explanation for his needs and, too, as the best way to provide him with the services he needs, as further evidence that autism has become a sort of “trendy diagnosis” to get one’s badly behaving child, as Katie Grant wrote in a much-commented-upon article on May 14th in Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved. Consider instead Grinker’s position on the autism epidemic: The prevalence of autism today is a virtue, maybe even a prize. (p. 170) [...]

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