The Syndrome that Became an Epidemic

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'Don't call me that word!" says a furious six-year-old, sitting between worried parents and NHS psychologists in a drab, suburban family centre. She is in the middle of what is becoming a familiar scene in modern Britain: the ritual of the official diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome, or mild autism. It's the word Asperger's that has been whispered between her parents and professionals in her hearing once too often. Some specialists in this complex area of paediatrics believe that, if a child challenges the diagnosis, it is wrong by definition.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200310060013

hmn. .

I believe every child deserves a fitting education.

If it proves useful to this subset of "naughty children" to have their common characteristics recognized and their common needs cared for, then sure, make it a diagnosis.

If the symptoms are displayed by competent adults in power. . . or incompetent adults in power. . . well, it's probably because they had some version of those resources that got them there. . .



Of course, this would be a whole lot less double-edged if we learned to be less discriminatory in general. . .

I don't think of AS so much as a disorder so much as a subset of the population. I think this would be a much healthier view. Of course, those with particularly severe versions of the symptoms will be impared by them in some ways- but so are those with excessive desire to socialize impared by their inclinations. . . .

What I like about the article is this bit:

"David Boyle asks whether autism, diagnosed 1,000 per cent more than a decade ago, has become a new term for naughty children and wonders if the drugs companies are behind it all"

This is certainly the case with ADHD too. Doctors don't really look at allergies, sensitivities, nutrition, parenting skills, and coping mechanisms, they just give drugs.

While I agree that children deserve fitting educations, what I have issue with is the vilification of a child. Who by peer taunting, who by parent belittling, who by shrink labeling. Instead of approaching this from a positive light - and reinforcing the child's inherent gifts and raising their self-esteem to higher levels. Instead just the opposite is achieved with stigma.

Then they wonder why the kid *doesn't fit in*. Duh?

Last edited by jjstar on 28 Oct 2007, 12:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well, they will attempt corrective behavioral therapy in conjunction in some cases - not that it will cure the child - just so they become *more manageable* and less likely to bounce off the walls, get into trouble and they're able to finish high school at least. So if that ritalin spells relief for all involved (including the shrink) and for the medical/pharmaceutical and governmental industries - it means more money all around and that = power.

Well what do you expect in a society that claims a spanking is abuse, and a time-out is neglect? How can parents expect to control their kids when their only line of defence is saying 'honey, no!'? Parents who still believe in a swat on the butt are considered brutish and are looked down on, even if their child is the only one behaving. So what are they to do? They can't admit they can't control their son/daughter, if they did then they'd admit that this new no-spanking policy isn't working. What's the solution? A mental diagnosis, if their kid has AS or ADHD or ADD they can't be held responcible. After all, it's not the parents fault their child isn't nuerotypical, they're just wired differently. You can't punish a kid for being different, and the problem is solved.

Once again this is to some parents, because I have the greatest sympathy for those who actauly do have AS children.

I believe you're right. If a kid misbehaves, let's not blame the teacher for being incompetant. Let's not blame the parents for being incompetant. Let's blame the kid for having messed up brain chemistry and then dole out the drugs.

There's a cool book written before it became trendy for "naughty" kids to get a label and drugs. It's called "Raising Your Spirited Child." When I read it, I kept saying YES! YES! YES! It was celebrating "difficult" kids on their own terms and discovering that your "naughty" kid has a lot of good creative, wonderful potential when you have the right attitude.

Hey, I actually have that book. Thought it might be enlightening to know how consciousness can enter motherhood when it's really needed. I liked her approach from the bits and pieces I read.

Something disturbing here

I completely agree with the OP but there doesn't seem much we can do about it.

I am uncomfortable with how this author presents AS - he is implying it's a phony dx. The problem is he's taking things out of context and making fallacious comparisons - the "we all are like that sometimes" argument I hear too often. Yet there is a difference between a NT who doesn't want to socialize because he/she doesn't feel like it at the time and an Aspie who doesn't want to socialize because socializing is a consistant source of stress, anxiety and trauma. Ther'es a difference between a politician who assumes that more words make him more persausive and a child who talks endlessly about dinosaurs, rollercoasters or volcanoes in a manner befitting a college textbook. There'sa difference between an emotionally repressed or emotionally "unavailable" NT and an Aspie who feels emotions interiorally, yet does not know how express or articulate exteriorally, or simply does not have "normal" emotional responses.

I don't feel the author really did his homework before writing this article. It feels like he sense some fraud (note the title of his book at teh end) and jumped on it, drawing some very fast and superficial conclusions so to strike while the "hot topic: iron was still hot (actually, he's a little in the game to join in on this anyways, IMO). Sure there's a problem with how AS is dx'd as some sort of umbrella condition, and how it's usd for an eay out for parentsand doctors who don't want to invest themselves in the child's well-being. But that doesn't invalidate the dx for people who actually have AS.

I just read an interesting article on The Pfeiffer Treatment Center near Chicago that does look at those things and develops an individualized integrative treatment plan for persons with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and many other dx's that sometimes MD's just throw drugs at. It seems to be run by nurses though- different philosophy to care. Here is a link to the article.
http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Editorial ... 10-15-2007

Very interesting article on ADVANCE. The approach is refreshing and I'm happy to have read pretty successful too. Was also surprised to learn about autism linked with gastrointenstinal absorption issues. Thanks for this info :)

Amen.