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
World Autism Awareness Day 2014
If past is prologue very little awareness of the harsher realities of autism symptoms will be generated on this WAAD, April 2, 2013. Next year, in 2014, and for years thereafter, the streamlined DSM5 autism will also eliminate many on the very high functioning and low functioning ends of the autism spectrum.
It is unfortunate that in the DSM5 Autism Spectrum Disorder definition the American Psychiatric Association is revising the medical definition of autism spectrum disorder in ways that are expected to change its diagnostic characteristics. There is no good reason to wreck havoc on autism research a...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - April 2, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Canada's World Autism Awareness Day Act: Great Preamble, Zero Action
On November 1, 2012 Canada passed An Act respecting World Autism Awareness Day an Act with a great preamble which provides for absolutely no action to ensure that effective evidence based early intervention for autism would be provided to all Canadian families affected by autism spectrum disorders.
Talk, and rhetoric, is cheap. Intervention is not. Failure to provide intervention and services is not cheap. The human and financial costs of failing to take effective autism action continue to rise across Canada.
60-61 ELIZABETH II
——————
CHAPTER 21
An Act respecting World A...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - April 1, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Conor's Autism Advocacy Awards
The primary front line autism service providers, regardless of where one lives, are parents. In Canada at least parents have also been the first and most effective advocates for services for autistic children from BC to Ontario to New Brunswick to Newfoundland and all points between. For most parents recognition of that fact is important only to prevent others with less understanding of the impacts of autism on our children from purporting to speak on their behalf when they do so contrary to our children's best interests. The only award most of us really need though are the hugs and smiles we receive from our c...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 31, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr Opens a Dialogue with the Autism Society New Brunswick
L: Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr
R: Autism Society New Brunswick Acting President Harold Doherty
The Autism Society New Brunswick meeting last Saturday March 23, 2013 was scheduled to be a regular meeting with election of a new Board of Directors and routine business. That plan was changed, the election was adjourned, at my request, and after passage of a motion to that effect, and the routine business, for very good reason did not take place. Instead ASNB took full advantage of the presence at our meeting of Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr.
...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 30, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB 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
Jaden Lake's Autism on the Hill Rally - Well Done Jaden!
Edmonton MP Mike Lake, whom I have met (at IMFAR 2012 in Toronto) and communicated with a few times about autism in Canada, have different perspectives on the proper role for Canada's national government in addressing Canada's autism crisis. The government of Stephen Harper, of which Mike Lake is a member, is not a strong supporter of Canada's national medicare system generally and has done nothing to advance in a meaningful way the National Autism Strategy advocated for by former and present opposition MP's Andy Scott, Peter Stoffer, Shawn Murphy and Glenn Thibeault and by Senator Jim Munson. I kn...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 28, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Autism Society NB Special Guests
Anyone with an interest in autism in NB is invited to tomorrow's meeting at MacLaggan Hall, UNB Fredericton Campus, doors open at 12:00 noon, meeting starts at 12:30 pm. Special guests expected to attend include:
Minister of Education and Early Development Jody Carr
Bill Innes, Director of Child Welfare & Youth Services
Annette Bourque, Clinical Director, Office of the Ombudsman & Youth Advocate
Nick Duivenvoorden, Liberal Party, New Brunswick
Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.
Harold Doherty
Acting President ASNB (Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick)
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 22, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Horrific Abuse of California Man With Severe Autism
CBSLA photo as Shown on the NY Daily News
Shows Horrifying Abuse of Man with Severe Autism
KCBS-TV Los Angeles "Mom Sickened" and the New York Daily News "Tantamount to Torture" report a story of horrific, torturous abuse by professional caregivers of a 31 year old autistic man with the reported mental age of a 3 year old. The incredible abuse was discovered after the man's mother noted bruising on his body and installed cameras which recorded the abuse. The CBS video report follows but as CBS cautions this is disturbing especially if you are the parent, as I am, of a son or daughter w...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 20, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Autism Now 1 in 50? Round Up the Usual Suspects AGAIN
From last years increase of autism prevalence rates from 1 in 110 to 1 in 88 a new report, based on parental reporting now indicates a rate of 1 in 50. Time once again to call out Inspector Renault (looking much like Insel, Grinker and other autism can not really be rising true believers) to round up the usual suspects of increased awareness, ascertainment and any other non environmental excuse they can manufacture to rationalize the failure to conduct the necessary environmental research into autism causation. Following is last years comment on the tired and pathetic posturing of the autism epidemic apologists:
"The...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 20, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Autism Parent Advocacy and the ASNB AGM March 23 - Our Voices Must Be Heard!
Parents and others affected by autism disorders in New Brunswick are invited, and asked, to attend the ASNB 2013 AGM this Saturday March 2013 at MacLaggan Hall UNB Fredericton formally beginning at 12:30, but open for discussion at 11:00 am. Autism families have been excluded from government autism decisions, we are no longer stakeholders in the eyes of the Alward-Carr-Porter administration in matters affecting persons with autism, and if we do not prepare, once again, to speak up and be heard our children and loved ones with autism will suffer the consequences. Come to the meeting this Saturday and prepa...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 18, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
World Autism Awareness Day 2013 Should Include Some Autism Reality
April 2, 2013 will feature another World Autism Awareness Day around the world. Many blue lights will shine, politicians will pose and take credit for helping advance the cause of autistic persons and their families, countless media reports will talk about the gifts of autism and television series and movies alike will feature gifted individuals and autism, once again, will be portrayed for public consumption as the domain of brilliant if socially quirky personalities. Little if anything will be said about the vast majority of those with autistic disorder who are limited by intellectual disability, or about &nb...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 15, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
Dad's In the Hospital? Conor to the Rescue!
Last Thursday I was in substantial difficulty with a possible lung infection and an asthma attack. While waiting for my turn at the after hour's clinic I rose from my seat and walked the few feat to the counter to check my place on the waiting list. As I did so I could not breathe, or it did not feel like I was getting any air anyway. I tried to pump air into my body by leaning forward and straightening up quickly while I was standing at the counter. The on call doctor came out and spotted me and waived me emphatically to a side room and an oxygen tank. The good doctor told me I should go to the loc...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 13, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
New Brunswick's Extreme Inclusion Fantasy Harms Some Children With Severe Autism Challenges
Conclusion:
As a lawyer I have represented some students on the autism spectrum who have not been accommodated in the everybody in the classroom fantasy of the current Department of Education/NBACL administration. Some have suffered meltdowns for which they were blamed notwithstanding their known autism challenges. Some have been sent home under police escort and some have faced criminal charges.
The Autism Society of New Brunswick advocated during the MacKay and Ministerial Committee inclusion reviews for an evidence based approach to inclusive education which would see alternative learning arrangements fo...
Source: Facing Autism in New Brunswick - March 3, 2013 Category: Autism Authors: Autism Reality NB Source Type: blogs
