Discussion was dominated by two stories, that of 13-year-old Adam Race, against whose parents a priest filed a restraining order, and of 5-year-old Alex Barton, who was voted out of his kindergarden class by his classmates, at the suggestion of his teacher, Wendy Portillo. These two incidents sparked some very heated and often acrimonious exchanges and remind me of why there’s a need to think about autistic persons and the community, in faith communities and all others.
Also: It was reported that there had been 72 cases of measles so far in the US, the highest number since 2001—-and the number …read more

After a priest filed a restraining order against the parents of 13-year-old Adam Race back in May, there was a lot of (often very heated) discussion about the exclusion and inclusion of autistic individuals in public spaces. The August 22nd Morning News reports on The Point at Bella Vista, a church meant for families with a relative who has special needs. Ginny Thornburgh, director of the American Association of People with Disabilities Interfaith Initiative in Washington, notes that
“the trend is to acknowledge the gifts and challenges children and adults with disabilities bring to the congregation…….. All people of all faiths …read more

This Associated Press story about autistic children and disruptive behavior has been making the rounds of news outlets and websites—-Jen Miller of Tacoma, whose daughter is autistic, writes this in the News Tribune:
….it’s funny how easy it is for some to complain when they haven’t walked a day in an autistic parent’s shoes.
Miller refers to a number of instances of autistic children whose “disruptive behavior” has been the subject of more than a little public discussion and judgment and reminds us, you just never know what might be going on.

In the ocean this morning with Charlie, I noted a boy about his age looking more than a few times in our direction. Charlie’s a super swimmer, and clearly comfortable in the water, and still has to have someone out there with him. This morning it was me. The waves were perfect—big but soft and just a bit cold—and Charlie was vocalizing his excitement, though not in words. After the other boy had looked in out direction a few times, I smiled and said, “Charlie’s autistic.”
“Yes, my friend has a brother who has that,” said the boy. I asked how …read more

As advertisers and networks have been dropping Michael Savage’s show in the wake of his infamous comments (here’s a list of 20 audio clips), here’s an email he sent to The Hook (Virginia):
The drug companies are very powerful and have worked very hard to silence any voice critical of the misdiagnosis of our children and the drugging of vulnerable minds. Sad the station manager is such an ignorant man.
Seems Savage is trying to portray himself as the misunderstood defender of so many poor misdiagnosed, “vulnerable [minded]” children and so offers up this defiant attempt parting shot. Guess a simple …read more

Talk Radio Network has announced that it will not be firing Michael Savage in the wake of his incendiary comments about autism. From the press release:
Dr. Savage has clarified that his July 16th statements concerning autism were not directed at those who are in fact challenged by this horrible affliction, but were instead addressing efforts to broaden the concept of autism beyond those who truly are autistic to a broader “autistic spectrum” of behavioral symptoms which are also manifested by persons who do not suffer from autism, and his concern that many children are being misdiagnosed as autistic due …read more

So I finally got around to reading Michael Savage on the Autism Controversy after grading papers, going swimming with Charlie and explaining to the water aerobics teacher why the boombox was contributing to him looking mighty distressed and since the class was over maybe it could be turned off?, making Charlie’s lunch, overseeing him practice cello, searching for the Leapster (not necessarily in that order). Yes, I know you’ve all read it, blogged it, rolled your eyes over it, read too many websites inveighing over the mean-spiritedness of remarks. Here’s Savage being called the most hated man in America (what …read more

It seems no wonder that right wing talker Michael Savage’s last name is, well, “Savage” after reading what he said about autism on his radio show. I’ll list the words he uses to refer to autism:
moron, putz, idiot, fool, dummy, a girl, losers, beaten men
More of Savage’s savagery is quoted on Left Brain/Right Brain.
If Savage’s intent was to shock, using such words about autistic children is a no-brainer way to do it and perhaps ratings will spike as rightfully indignant autistic self-advocates and parents of autistic children respond. What troubles me in particular is Savage’s contention that autistic children …read more

Being different; being disruptive; looking different; smelling funny (according to those who think they don’t); yowling………
What do these apply to?
Are these perhaps a few reasons why a 2 year old and his mother were kicked off an American Eagle plane, or a 13-year-old’s parents had a restraining order filed against them, or a 5 year old was voted out of his class?
Well yes, but actually, nope.
The different-looking-and-being, disruptive-behaving, smelling-funny, yowly individual I am referring to is……………..Po aka Kung Fu Panda.
Charlie and I saw the movie Kung Fu Panda Tuesday evening. We haven’t seen a movie in a while and we …read more

Now that it is the first of June, my son is down to his last two weeks of being at the school he’s been at for the past two years. He starts Extended School Year in the middle of June; it’ll be at the middle school and with the teacher who’ll be Charlie’s teacher in the fall. Moving up and on.
Here’s what got talked about here last week:

Neurodiversity in New York Magazine
New York Magazine has a long article by writer Andrew Solomon about, indeed, neurodiversity, the view that autism is not an illness, but a difference and a different …read more