DSM5 Autism Spectrum Disorder Has Arrived: Are Ari Ne'eman and John Elder Robison Still Autistic?
The DSM5 has been released and is now beginning to impact the world of autism. Most discussion of the DSM5's New Autism Spectrum Disorder has ignored the effect of the language of mandatory criterion A which will act to exclude from autism diagnosis those with severe intellectual disability. Most of the discussion has focused on the potential exclusionary impact on those who would meet DSM-IV Asperger's criteria. That being said the DSM5 autism team leaders have assured the high functioning end of the DSM-IV autism spectrum that those currently diagnosed with Asperger's or high functioning autism will not lose ...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - May 19, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: H L Doherty Source Type: blogs
Rebooting pyschiatry: time for a new set of disorders
I can't remember when I first decided that the psychiatric classifications I'd learned in medical school had outlived their usefulness. It was probably a gradual process, but by 2005 I wrote to a colleague "DSM IV was great in its day, but new knowledge is breaking down the simplistic classifications of the 1960s and 1970s. Schizophrenia, autism, etc -- bah, humbug. Those labels are better than nothing, but humans tend to confuse labels with reality …".A few months later I took my rants public and went on for about 30 posts or so. Soon I learned I wasn't alone, and by 2010 victory was in sight. I was a solitary cra...
Source: Be the Best You can Be - May 13, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: brain and mind neurodiversity diagnostic definition research schizophrenia autism Source Type: blogs
Sad, Mad, or Bad?*
Until the last century, and really to any large extent not until somewhere around the middle of it, people were lucky if their physicians did them more good than harm. But then medicine achieved great triumphs and claimed immense cultural authority and prestige. This happened when biological science enabled physicians to identify specific disease processes and offer targeted, effective treatment.The huge win was antibiotics, which became widely available and effective around the time of World War II. People can argue about whether streptococci or mycobateria are really the ultimate cause of disease, or if it isn't the stre...
Source: Stayin' Alive - April 28, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Source Type: blogs
When you dig too deep for fossil fuels (with apologies to Bill McKibben and 350.org)
(Source: Asperger's Conversations)
Source: Asperger's Conversations - April 20, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Larry Welkowitz Source Type: blogs
Student Initiative on Asperger's and Neurodiversity at Keene State College
I was just in the audience for this one. A couple of college students who self-identify as being on the Spectrum (Asperger's, Non-Verbal Learning Disability) presented a case for "understanding" last week on campus. Forty or so students, staff, faculty (mostly students) showed up at 7pm to hear what they had to say. Eric Dicesare, an art/graphic design major lead the discussion, largely drawing from his own experience and the response was noteable (to say the least). Students shared their own stories of struggling with disabilities of all sorts and several talked about friends and ...
Source: Asperger's Conversations - April 20, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Larry Welkowitz Source Type: blogs
Autism Rising? Not According to Behavior Analyst Steve Taylor Who Proclaims That Autism Is 100% Genetic In Origin
Since my son was diagnosed with Autistic Disorder in 1998 the rates of diagnosed autism have risen dramatically from 1 in 500 to the current estimated rate of 1 in 88. There is common acknowledgement that a substantial increase resulted from the DSM-IV changes which pushed acceptance of Aspergers as part of an autism spectrum. Social factors such as increased awareness and availability of services under an autism label have also been cited. Some purported autism experts though have concluded that the dramatic autism increases are entirely attributable to diagnostic changes, increased awareness...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - April 19, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: H L Doherty Source Type: blogs
More bloviating by discredited Dr Wakefield
Outbreaks of fully-preventable diseases are increasing As reported on Thursday, April 11th in the UK paper The Independent, “Swansea measles outbreak: Confirmed cases rise to nearly 700″, which is worse than than last year’s outbreak in Merseyside, England. Over 2,600 MMR vaccines were given last week, but are still insufficient to counteract the number of unvaccinated [...] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:)
Source: Andrea's Buzzing About: - April 13, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: andrea Tags: Anti-Quackery Autism/Asperger's Doctors Epidemiology Medical Quackery Vaccines WTF?! Source Type: blogs
More bloviating by discredited Dr Wakefield
Outbreaks of fully-preventable diseases are increasing As reported on Thursday, April 11th in the UK paper The Independent, “Swansea measles outbreak: Confirmed cases rise to nearly 700″, which is worse than than last year’s outbreak in Merseyside, England. Over 2,600 MMR vaccines were given last week, but are still insufficient to counteract the number of unvaccinated […] (Source: Andrea's Buzzing About:)
Source: Andrea's Buzzing About: - April 13, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: andrea Tags: Anti-Quackery Autism/Asperger's Doctors Epidemiology Medical Quackery Vaccines WTF?! Source Type: blogs
Hyperfocus
Happy Autism Acceptance month everyone! So nice to read all of the positive posts about autism. I sometimes still have a hard time seeing the positive aspects of autism in myself, but there are at least a few that I am thankful for. I think my favorite one is hyperfocus. Hyperfocus (according to Urban Dictionary) is “a theoretical state of being or ability in which one is able to concentrate and focus on a particular subject so intensely, ultimately becoming oblivious to everything else around”. I do realize that this is not always a positive thing and has been a source of frustration for most people that have ...
Source: LBnuke - April 11, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Lori Tags: Autism / Asperger's ramble Source Type: blogs
CNN's Very High Functioning Autism Awareness Efforts Misrepresent Autism Disorders
CNN's Portrayal of Autism In the Days Surrounding WAAD 2013
Middle - Jack and John Elder Robison - High Functioning Aspergers
Bottom -Trevor Pacelli High Functioning PDD-NOS (Holli Dunn Photography)
To no big surprise successful, very high functioning Asperger's businsessman, author and family man John Elder Robison's new book Bringing Up Cubby has benefited from two high profile interview promotions on CNN. A promotional appearance with his son on Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Sunday show was followed with a gushing interview on the CNN morning show Early Start. CNN, and its in house neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta, have long ...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - April 7, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Autism Speaks Reluctantly Confesses: 40% Of Persons On Autism Spectrum Have Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability remains the Elephant in the Autism
Living Room;no one wants to admit it's there or to talk about it
It is politically incorrect in today's autism world to acknowledge the existence of the invisible autistics, the one's unlike Ari Ne'eman, John Elder Robison, Alex Plank and Michelle Dawson all of who whom have enjoyed great success and demonstrate considerable intelligence and most of whom have never met a television camera or gathering of journalists that offends them. Some of the extremely high functioning superstars of autism "self" advocacy have literally built careers tellin...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - April 3, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Autism Acceptance means…
By Karen Hillman
Fully accepting that my partner’s autism shapes her world, but does not define all of who she is – she is autistic and also a web developer, a gamer, a cat lover, a music lover, a brown-belt in karate, a geek, a great listener, a vegetarian, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend. Her autism does not mean that she has no empathy; in fact, she is one of the kindest, most sensitive people I know. It means that I have to rethink the way I relate to and express myself to her – I have to be clear, open and honest more than I ever had to – or wanted to – before we were together. This has been one of th...
Source: LBnuke - April 2, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Lori Tags: Autism / Asperger's Source Type: blogs
WHO Reluctant to Suspend Vaccine After 26 Children Die in the Developing World
Conclusion
It has become second nature for the likes of WHO and UNICEF to offer free trial and banned vaccinations to the poor and vulnerable populations in the developing world. These are God’s children, too, and they are very precious. They are not lab rats or guinea pigs to be tested at leisure. They are like any other children; they have brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and grandparents who love them dearly.
Their innocent parents believe the propaganda being fed to them by the likes of UNICEF. They believe that these vaccines are safe and will protect their precious babies. Instead, their child...
Source: vactruth.com - April 2, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Christina England Tags: Christina England Top Stories Quinvaxem United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Vaccine Death Vaccine Failure World Health Organization (WHO) Source Type: blogs
Doing the Outsource Dance
Yeah you can always find ways to do things cheaper by outsourcing. Automatic machines at the post office or the supermarket, groups that provide services for groups that provide services for other groups. I'm sure there are young MBA's out of business school who got it down on how to cut. But what is lost?
I'm thinking a lot about quality of education mostly but the creep is all around us, isn't it? I'm catharting a bit because I'm just off the phone for the fourth or fifth time with....well I don't know. My kid's iPhone broke and I'm moving thr...
Source: Asperger's Conversations - March 29, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Larry Welkowitz Source Type: blogs
New Brunswick Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Autism Advocate Recipients: Some Missing Names
I am not spurning the recognition nor arguing with the list of autism advocates recognized by the Autism Society Canada in partnership with the Governor General of Canada with Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals. I do not seek medals of any kind or financial reward for my autism advocacy, I seek better treatment, better services, better lives for my son and others for whom autism is a serious disorder that limits their daily functioning (DSM5) and limits their lives. But it is nice to be recommended by the Autism Society Canada which is also itself comprised of autism advocates. I have to point out though...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 29, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
