What RFK Jr.'s conspiracy-driven quest to find a "cause" for autism misses, and expert Simon Baron-Cohen on what autistic people actually contribute to, shape, and need from society
A distinction has to be made between people on the autism spectrum who are profoundly developmentally delayed - non-verbal, self-harming, not toilet-trained,- and people on the autism spectrum who are highly functional and intelligent. I think it's destructive to speak as if autism encompasses only the high end of the spectrum and ignore a the heart -rending pain of the profoundly disabled and their parents or care-takers, and their need for help. It would be interesting to know if the increase in autism diagnoses applies to the profoundly disabled as well the functional. If it's the latter, then the diagnostic increase may very well be based on a newer understanding that autism spans a spectrum and therefore the diagnostic criteria are broader.
I believe the increase has come from a better understanding that there is a wide spectrum of autism. It is not just the profoundly disabled. It includes the higher functioning who are neurodivergent.
When Asperger’s was taken away and merged to widen the autism spectrum, it created more difficulties for the higher functioning to receive services.
My son is considered to be on the higher functioning side. He managed to graduate from high school but not without a ton of support. I had to fight every step of the way.
He’s now in an apprenticeship to become a plumber. He’s functioning but does have limitations that don’t stop him from doing his best.
Autism is not a bucket. It is not environmental. It is not something to be hidden away or to be ashamed.
Yet eliminate the Department of Education, allow the Department of Health to demean and waste time proving disproven causes of autism, and you’re condemning and discriminating against individuals that serve a purpose in the world.
Yesterday I saw a comment on the general comment feed stating that there was a scientific study that irrefutably established a causal relationship between vaccinations and onset of autism. The commenter provided a link to that study. I read the abstract of that study: it doesn’t support the argument promoted by this anti-vac commenter; and the authors of that scientific study caution anyone claiming any conclusive link between autism and childhood vaccination. Besides the population in that study group was less than 300 (out of how many 100,000’s to 1,000,000+ in the USA)
Is there a way that once a comment is debunked that it can be immediately removed from Substack?
My 46 years as a Speech Pathologist gave me the opportunity to care for and support children during their early education! Neurological differences, typically from birth, went through a process of evolution in labels, diagnostics as well as ever improving techniques and strategies. I was fortunate to know individuals and families who demonstrated compassion, intelligence, creativity and humanity offering the world their great gifts. No one deserves the fictional accounts and disparagement that RFK is dishing out. Just disgusting and in my book criminal!
I have a 17 year old son who is autistic. He’s expressed fear of his own existence being questioned! I told him I’d never let anything happen to him- which is absurd b/c I’m referring to our government. I am so worried.
No one who has been in contact with autists is under any illusion of the benefits, and costs of it all. But as we should all say about Palestinians, they are ours. We have a duty to try to make it possible for them to live, and bloom. Refugees from climate change? That's the next tsunami we are going to have to deal with, and there are more to come. Thanks (?) to the brorockracy.
A distinction has to be made between people on the autism spectrum who are profoundly developmentally delayed - non-verbal, self-harming, not toilet-trained,- and people on the autism spectrum who are highly functional and intelligent. I think it's destructive to speak as if autism encompasses only the high end of the spectrum and ignore a the heart -rending pain of the profoundly disabled and their parents or care-takers, and their need for help. It would be interesting to know if the increase in autism diagnoses applies to the profoundly disabled as well the functional. If it's the latter, then the diagnostic increase may very well be based on a newer understanding that autism spans a spectrum and therefore the diagnostic criteria are broader.
I believe the increase has come from a better understanding that there is a wide spectrum of autism. It is not just the profoundly disabled. It includes the higher functioning who are neurodivergent.
When Asperger’s was taken away and merged to widen the autism spectrum, it created more difficulties for the higher functioning to receive services.
My son is considered to be on the higher functioning side. He managed to graduate from high school but not without a ton of support. I had to fight every step of the way.
He’s now in an apprenticeship to become a plumber. He’s functioning but does have limitations that don’t stop him from doing his best.
Autism is not a bucket. It is not environmental. It is not something to be hidden away or to be ashamed.
Yet eliminate the Department of Education, allow the Department of Health to demean and waste time proving disproven causes of autism, and you’re condemning and discriminating against individuals that serve a purpose in the world.
Yesterday I saw a comment on the general comment feed stating that there was a scientific study that irrefutably established a causal relationship between vaccinations and onset of autism. The commenter provided a link to that study. I read the abstract of that study: it doesn’t support the argument promoted by this anti-vac commenter; and the authors of that scientific study caution anyone claiming any conclusive link between autism and childhood vaccination. Besides the population in that study group was less than 300 (out of how many 100,000’s to 1,000,000+ in the USA)
Is there a way that once a comment is debunked that it can be immediately removed from Substack?
My 46 years as a Speech Pathologist gave me the opportunity to care for and support children during their early education! Neurological differences, typically from birth, went through a process of evolution in labels, diagnostics as well as ever improving techniques and strategies. I was fortunate to know individuals and families who demonstrated compassion, intelligence, creativity and humanity offering the world their great gifts. No one deserves the fictional accounts and disparagement that RFK is dishing out. Just disgusting and in my book criminal!
I have an Austistic granddaughter, I am so worried for her!!🥹
I have a 17 year old son who is autistic. He’s expressed fear of his own existence being questioned! I told him I’d never let anything happen to him- which is absurd b/c I’m referring to our government. I am so worried.
🥹
First steps toward Euthanasia for those with Autism?
No one who has been in contact with autists is under any illusion of the benefits, and costs of it all. But as we should all say about Palestinians, they are ours. We have a duty to try to make it possible for them to live, and bloom. Refugees from climate change? That's the next tsunami we are going to have to deal with, and there are more to come. Thanks (?) to the brorockracy.