Because my son has asperger’s, I struggle with how I can relate that article to him. I guess it’s because he’s on the cusp of NT.

I loved hearing this woman’s voice on her video. I’m so thankful that I got to hear it because BA (before asperger’s) I would never have thought about it or considered her language.

For instance scientists used carbon dating to claim Earth is 5 Billion years old, but did any of them ever do the math to think of how many thousands go into Million and how many Millions go into Billion? I myself do not believe this Planet is aged in the Millions or Billions at all, but in the Thousands, plus the carbon dating used on volcanic rocks from Mt. St. Helens claimed those rocks were Billions of years old when those rocks are really only nearly 28 years old, so that should question carbon dating right there.

Likewise, as an individual with Autism who has taken the time to research my own disorder and other disorders as well (i’ll use the term disorder or disability, but I don’t use illness or disease as it’s not killing me), I have noticed that stats claim 75% of auties are retarded, but I have to ask myself, where do the scientists come up with these figures?

Now I am not anti-science itself, good things have come out of science of course, Albert Einstein who was probably on the autism spectrum himself, had come up with the Theory of Relativity, and he was actually upset when his theories were used for anti-God purposes (Einstein believed in God, as do I myself).

Autism use to be referenced as Childhood Schizophrenia, although it is known that Autism is not even a form of Schizophrenia at all.

Bruno Bettleheim claimed that bad parenting caused Autism, but guess what, this man was proven wrong and he commited suicide (gee I wonder why).

I hate it when ignorant idiots claim Autism is a form of Mental Retardation, I remember a few years ago some Doctor I chatted with tried to tell me Autism is a form of ADHD, and I said “no it’s not.” then he proceeded to tell me he has a Degree, and I think I told him I don’t care.

Ok I do also have ADHD as well but I know that Autism is not a form of ADHD itself as I have a friend who also has Autism but he does not have ADHD at all.

I also have Seasonal Affective Disorder but Autism certainly is not a form of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Got to check out the Wired story. Here is a link to an excellent article on this subject by a professor at Willamette University, called “Are the Majority of Children With Autism Mentally Retarded? A Systematic Evaluation of the Data”:

http://www.willamette.edu/dept/comm/reprint/edelson/

If we’re lucky, someone knows or figures out what’s going on with us. If we’re not, we end up either ignored completely, or passed around by various systems that aren’t equipped to support us or even understand us.

Because, the assorted appearances that people believe mean will somehow result in “independence” as we get older… don’t necessarily have anything to do with it, and not all of us can keep up. And for some reason, even if the skills are obviously not developing, people don’t get what that’s going to mean later on.

(I just made this post about some of this stuff, because I’d been discussing it lately.)

I am a teacher, and discussed this very thing last year when our school psychologist wanted to give one of my students a label of “moderate to severe MR” and emphasized she was “closer to ’severe.’”

(In familiar situations, the girl could add, subtract, count by 5s, learn 4 to 6 spelling words a week…I could go on and on.)

She used verbal-based intelligence tests, and I argued vehemently that this was unfair to E.

I think, too, people should realize that psychological testing also involves new people, new situations, novel tasks, sometimes new requests and cues, new materials, and unfamiliar language all around.

All of which, of course, are difficult for many children with a variety of disabilities.

(The label stuck, by the way, but I was “allowed” to add an addendum to the report saying what E could do in class under what circumstances.)