Editorial #218: New Hope for Autistics???

Autism Politico has discovered a new study says the following:

Recently, it was discovered that autistic children whose parents accept them just the way they are have higher self-esteem and increased motivation to love, honor and respect their parents.

“On the other hand” says Joe Scientist “If you try to lock them in enclosed chambers and blast them with air, or jam coffee up their butts, or feed them horrible tasting food which claims not to have gluten in it but actually has more gluten in it than foods that admit to having gluten in them, or hit them when they do something wrong, or subject them to electroshock therapy, autistics have a tendency to act out even more than ever, although we haven’t been able to draw any conclusions about why that may be seeing as we have less intelligence than most autistics as tested by the Ravens Progressive Matrices Test, but we suspect it’s just because they are little more than dumb animals with crap for brains.”

Actually, no such study exists. But if it did, would you believe it?

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #217: Observation #9

Autism Politico observes that parents of autistics are willing to default to any theory but one about what caused autism in their children.

They’ll say:

-Vaccines caused my child’s autism, or

-Mercury toxicity caused my child’s autism, or

-Heavy metal poisoning caused my child’s autism, or

-Gluten caused my child’s autism, or

-Food additives caused my child’s autism, or

-Conspirators caused my child’s autism, or

-Genetics caused my child’s autism, or

-Etc.

But to Autism Politico’s knowledge, there isn’t a group on the internet where a bunch of parents, especially mothers, have congregated together to say they are in agreement with Bruno Bettelheim’s theories. I’ve known of no mother who has said “My poor parenting caused my child’s autism!!!”

Isn’t that interesting? Everyone wants to finger something else as being the cause of autism in their loved ones, but no one wants to think about whether or not their own behavior might exacerbate autism in their loved ones.

How egotistical.

Now of course Autism Politico knows Bruno Bettelheim’s theory doesn’t hold water these days given that the genes which cause autism have been identified. These scientists have begun to (politely) discount other theories as being so much patter. But it’s funny how quick people are to dismiss their own parenting skills as being the cause of autism, but cling to the idea that vaccines cause autism, or that there is an international conspiracy to make people autistic, or that coffee enemas can cure autism, isn’t it? At the very least, their egos, and also their fear of self-examination are cause for concern. Perhaps by being so closed-minded, they are endangering their autistic children?

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #216: Marriage Solutions?

Autism Politico came across an article in which this question was asked:

My husband was recently diagnosed as having Asperger syndrome, a high functioning type of autism. He graduated from an Ivy League school, but his self-absorption, social awkwardness and rigid behaviours have affected our marriage with devastating emotional impact. Is there hope for improvement?

Two People answered: Robert Naseef, Ph.D., and Cindy Ariel, Ph.D.,  the co-editors of “Voices from the Spectrum: Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, People with Autism, and Professionals Share Their Wisdom” (2006). 

Unfortunately, they didn’t bother to ask an autistic’s opinion on this on this subject. Autism Politico would have said that  while marriage to autistics may look bleak for the current generation of NTs, if they continue to raise their children the way they are raising them, their children should have an easier time dealing with autistic spouses in the future. This is because the more technologically connected they get, the worse their social skills get, according to this and other studies.

 

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/304/15/1662.full

 

“Excessive exposure of infants to television and videos is associated with impaired cognitive, language, and emotional development and with irregular sleep schedules.”^​

The way to prevent bad marriages between NTs and autistics going forward is simple. Make sure children are more connected to technology than ever before so that they no longer know how to connect in the real world. When these NT children grow up, they will be no different than the autistics NTs choose to cure.

 

Parents have been striving to make sure this is the case already, and even the parents themselves are making great strides in this direction, becoming just like the autistics they wish to cure even though they themselves avoid eye contact and speaking to other people as they check their palm pilots, blackberries, and social media. With each passing year, more partners are found online or through online websites than every before because people are no longer going out and socializing. 

 

You see, it is only a matter of time before autistic behavior becomes the norm, and NT behavior becomes anti-social.

 

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

 

Editorial #215: Wasting Your Money?

Autism Politico noticed an article out there which suggested that

“Early intervention starting with children as young as age 2 can be effective in heading off some of the problems of autism.”

Hmm. Autism Politico wonders how much money people could save if they did a little research into how to work with their own autistic children.

“Barnhill, professor at University of North Carolina School of Medicine, said one example of intervention involves encouraging young children with autism to make eye contact. Positive reinforcement could include praise, a favorite toy or whatever else works.”

Autism Politico wonders if the people advocating this therapy every asked autistics how they feel about it. Autism Politico wonders if you could train NTs NOT to make eye contact through petty ploys like cheap, meaningless, insincere praise and toys.

Circulate within the autism community and you will discover that some autistics find eye contact painful, and it increases their feelings of aggression. Giving them praise for making eye contact causes some of them to feel resentment, and holding them hostage to their own toys breeds hate. Aside from that, bribery seldom works when the payoff is aversive. Psychologically speaking, for some its like associating punishment with a loved object.

But none of us on the Autism Politico staff are psychologists, only autistics, and so we don’t know what we are talking about when we offer the opinion that this method of theray is akin to potty training. See your psychologist or other medical professional for advice…or brainwashing.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #214: UK’s ‘youngest ever alcoholic’

It’s always a pleasure when we see someone with a vice who does NOT have autism. In this case, it’s a three-year old who has a drinking problem. Now don’t get the idea that Autism Politico is joking about the situation. We’re not.

We’re just wondering where the caregivers were, and who gave the three-year old alcohol in the first place, and who kept giving the three-year old alcohol and who thought doing such a thing would be funny or cute, or a good idea.

Let’s hope the PARENTS or caregivers weren’t on the spectrum either. Autism Politico is tired of seeing people use “Autism made me do it” as an excuse.

The youngster was one of 13 people under the age of 12 who were diagnosed as alcoholics by the state-run National Health Service (NHS) in central England between 2008 and 2010.

Absolutely pitiful.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #213: Pavlov’s Dogs and Technology

Autism Politico is not going to explain who Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is because it’s common knowledge. If it isn’t common knowledge to you, ask yourself where you were when Pavlov was mentioned in school, or spoken about on some science show or other on TV, or mentioned on the radio, and ask yourself how naked you must feel knowing that there are so many other people in the world who know who Pavlov is while you do not.

The point of this entry is to state that with people having to wait a few weeks to get their new iPad2s, it would seem like some of them have turned into Pavlov’s dogs, salivating at the expectation of receiving something good when in fact what they will be receiving is just another electronic toy that will probably be only marginally better than the pile of electronic toys they already have. One person said:

“I tend not to learn life’s important lessons. The last time Apple released an iPad, I pre-ordered it, and then slowly descended into madness as I waited for it to arrive. With the iPad 2′s launch Friday, I’m again subjecting myself to the waiting game that is online shipment tracking.”

The editors of Autism Politico shake their heads when people actively wish and hope to part with too much money for a toy they will get bored with by the time planned obsolescence introduces a nearly identical product a short time later. Yes, while all of you spend money on your new toys, we stay a little wealthier by NOT spending that money – although we don’t get the toy.

Still, we usually wait a while, until the dogs have gotten their food, and then we may buy what you bought…for half price, and so come out of it richer than you, and still satisfied.

Replies to this editorial are welcome .

Editorial #212: NTs Socializing May Kill You

Autism Politico is aware that an NT caregiver talked on a cell phone for hours while an autistic she left in a van “baked” to death:

A former health aide is behind bars for leaving a helpless autistic man to ‘ literally bake’ in a hot van as she spent hours on her cell phone.

Stacey Strauss,41, showed no emotion as she was jailed for two to five years for the  involuntary manslaughter of 20-year-old Bryan Nevins.

Autism Politico thought it was autistics who don’t show emotion. That’s the stereotype anyway.

He was in the van in 97 degree heat for five hours, but could not unlock the door because he had the mental age of a two-year-old, the court at Bucks County, Pennsylvania, heard.

That’s a shame.

Before we close,  Autism Politico just wants to make sure that no one takes it as though we have suggested that Strauss was behaving in an autistic manner.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial 211: It’s Garbage!

Autism Politico is aware of a newspaper article that  talks about how a couple is accused of caging and endangering their autistic sons.

James Yates said authorities accused the couple of keeping their youngest son, 17, caged inside the home — which he said was actually three soccer nets stitched together and a gate to close off a portion of their living room.

Of course, Autism Politico cannot comment one way or the other on this. We were not there to see what transpired. However, this bit here is interesting:

James Yates said there was garbage piled up inside the home because a dumpster outside was buried in snow and he was forced to keep the trash inside the house.

Be that as it may, if there is snow outside, why not take the garbage out there and leave it in the snow anyway? What’s the worst that will happen to it?  It cannot spoil anymore because of the cold temperatures. Animals might get into it, sure. But better that happens than people inside the house get infected with bacteria from decaying and rotting garbage.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #210: Thank Goodness!

Autism Politico has learned that a 41 year old virgin has been convicted for downloading child porn.

“Buddle suffers from the autism spectrum disorder Asperger’s syndrome and has struggled for 25 years to suppress his feelings for young boys.”

Thank goodness this man does not have to be extradited anywhere, or else we’d have some autism activists fighting for him tooth and nail.

Replies to this editorial are welcome.

Editorial #209: Who Is More Guilty?

Autism Politico wants to know what was going through the heads of the women who believed that sexually molesting their own children was a good psychological treatment for autism and other disorders.

Apparently, a used car salesman  who said he was a single father and psychologist  managed to “persuade mothers across the country to commit unspeakable acts on their children.”

Since authorities arrested him in October, seven children were rescued and at least three mothers have been arrested. Prosecutors say all of the children are now safe.

Authorities say Demink chatted with mothers from New Hampshire, Florida, Idaho and elsewhere, persuading them to engage in sexual acts with their children and send images via e-mail or through a live web stream. The children ranged in age from 3 to 15.

Well, thank goodness he was caught, and thank goodness many of these mothers were also caught.

What mother in her right mind thinks to herself,  ”You know, in my estimation, sexually molesting my own child seems like a good idea”?

Replies to this editorial are welcome.