19 replies to this topic

[maineman]

If you want to have the balls to come out and say you think Ted Kennedy is an idiot, than say so. Scientific research is hard. Its hard enough for responsible scientists to figure stuff out. Then when something that "might" be dangerous for kids is presented to elected representatives, it is their responsiblity to see if there is something wrong for which they need to stand up for the rights of the little guy. Good intentions are good intentions. Political bashing is political bashing. Life is short. You can add to good life on the planet or you can stand on the sidelines and bash it. Your life. Your choice. mm

[stocks]

Call me cynical, but I smell a rat when it comes to "autism" as well as "ADD".

I'm thinking that there's too many excuses to be made with both "diagnoses" and there are too many folks willing to buy into them...and maybe SELL into them too, if you get my drift.

Kids have quite a lot of variability in their behaviors as they go through various developmental phases. What used to be considered normal variation now gets diagnosed as a "disorder".

Well, as a mild dyslexic myself, I know how incompetent the educational system can be at even recognizing simple problems (even bad eyesight---took my wife over a year to realize that she wasn't bad at math, just couldn't see the black board). A proper diagnosis of these fuzzy "behavioral problems" is hard, but prescribing and labeling is easy.

I've seen a number of ADD kids and in most cases they seem much more in need of some good parenting, exercise, and consistency than drugs. As for autism...I dunno. I had visions of rocking non-functional kids, but I often see what appears to be mildly shy but healthy and happy kids instead.

Mark

….. the dangers of false diagnoses of toddlers and preschoolers have been pointed out by Professor Stephen Camarata of Vanderbilt University, who has tested and treated children with autism for more than 20 years and has encountered many cases of inaccurate diagnoses.

A prudent trade-off, as distinguished from a crusade, would weigh the dangers of false diagnoses against the benefits of “early intervention.”

There is already considerable evidence of false diagnoses of preschool children as autistic, and the treatments inflicted on them can be abusive, with incalculable negative effects on their development.

….. Much has been made of statistics showing a sharp increase in diagnoses of autism in recent years.

What has gotten much less attention is the changing definition of autism, which raises the question whether there has been an actual change in the real world or simply a change in the way words are used when collecting statistics.

People today are often spoken of as being “on the autistic spectrum,” rather than as having autism.

While there are some conditions which are much like autism, there are other conditions, such as having a very high IQ or simply being late in talking, which often include characteristics listed on checklists for autism. These are open invitations to false diagnoses.

We would see the dangers immediately if people who wear glasses were included on “the blindness spectrum” or people with harmless moles were included on “the cancer spectrum.”

Blindness, cancer and autism are all too serious — indeed, catastrophic — to use loose definitions that fudge the difference between accurate and inaccurate diagnoses.

Loose definitions of autism produce bigger and more newsworthy statistics, which in turn can attract more children into existing programs and attract more money from the government, foundations and other sources to support those programs.

Many parents have told me that they have been urged to let their children be labeled autistic, or on the autistic spectrum, in order to get money for speech therapy or other conditions from grants that are available to deal with autism.

Professor Camarata points out that the “less precise ‘autism spectrum’” label “has had the unintended consequence of diluting resources, research and services to those children and families who most need the support” — that is, families whose children suffer from genuine autism.

http://www.bizzyblog...as-i-suspected/

[maineman]

Your reply is ignorant. Not sure what your point is and not sure why I'm replying. Autism Spectrum is very real. There are people, including children, who score high functioning in math and extremely low in verbal. And vice versa. The high verbal low math child would appear "normal" as they chat it up, are social, and carry on conversation, but fall desperately behind in math, science, and logic/practice-related discipines (like learning or memorizing vocabulary). So they would be on the "spectrum", see? There are children who are extremely LOW functioning, like Asperger's type children who nonetheless may be geniuses in certain fields, but without extreme help wouldn't be able to cross the street. You suggest they are full of [bleeeep], or their parents are full of [bleeeep]? What kind of senseless insensitive moron are you? You seem to have a knack for randomly lifting miscellaneous odd ball stuff from odd blogs for some odd reason. Perhaps you are are Scientologist? The Scientologists, for instance, say there is no such thing as mental illness, no such thing as a "chemical imbalance". They refute all known research, simply by stating "it is not so". Is it possible for you to conceive that mental illness and emotional dysfunction is not fully elucidated yet and that in the meantime working diagnoses and sets of diagnostic criteria are needed in order to develop knowledge and understanding? Ever worked with an autistic child? Ever dealt with the dismay of a family "stuck" with a child who is off? What's your suggestion, Stocks? Screw 'em? Darwinian? Toss em out there and see if they sink or swim? sheesh.... mm

[OEXCHAOS]

MM, I think your response is improper. I think it's pretty clear that the definitions of autism are being so loosened as to make it totally divorced from what the average person might think of as autism and I'm pretty darned sure that there's an industry there to exploit it just as there is with ADD and for that matter poverty and most other problems that have loosening definitions. What's more, I think that the take away is that what folks think of as autism isn't on the rise and obviously not a function of vaccinations. Mark

[maineman]

Autism is real. Children suffer. Families suffer. Childhood vaccines do not cause this. "Experts" who say they do should be shot. There will always be someone somewhere trying to profit off of someone else's agony. There are mostly good people trying to help. Misquoting crap and rubbing in cheap rhetoric is not going to help further the research or help some kid get through the day or give some overwhelmed family some relief for the afternoon. mm

[OEXCHAOS]

MM, I'm going to step out on a limb and say there are folks trying to assert agony where there is only inconvenience and then profit from such. Is your position that the incidence of Autism is dramatically rising? Are you saying that almost none of the increase in "Autism" entails kids with relatively minor behavioral/developmental issues? Tangentially, do you buy into the large number of ADD diagnoses? Or do think think that a goodly number of such are more in need of parenting and behavioral modification than chemical intervention? I in no way deny that many kids legitimately have autism and that they (and their parents) could use every break we can give them. I am also a bit skeptical when I see a dramatic incidence of "diagnoses" of anything, especially behaviorally oriented disorders. It's kind of part and parcel with the acceptance 12-step programs have gotten from the establishment and the public at large. Looser and looser definitions of "addiction" come into play so that more and more people can be forced into these worthless programs to enrich the addiction industry. After seeing that I'm inclined to look at any dramatic increase in any disorder with a very jaundiced eye. Mark

[Rogerdodger]

Don't you people realize that Oprah means well and that's all that matters these days?
Truth and facts be damned next to emotion and sick children.

Didn't she save us from "Mad Cow" just a few years ago with the same emotion and lack of facts?

What do you people want?
Leave her alone!
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:-8Nc_gCWLlmI8M:http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/crocker-in-britney-clip.jpg[/img][img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:P6P8H0YuVQ_RnM:http://www.hecklerspray.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/chris-crocker.jpg[/img][img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:U63qOZsa3BH_nM:http://media1.clipaday.com/embed/m_videos/thumbs/britney_alone_88u3.jpg[/img]

[stocks]

I'm thinking that there's too many excuses to be made with both "diagnoses" and there are too many folks willing to buy into them...and maybe SELL into them too, if you get my drift.

Mark

….. the dangers of false diagnoses of toddlers and preschoolers have been pointed out by Professor Stephen Camarata of Vanderbilt University, who has tested and treated children with autism for more than 20 years and has encountered many cases of inaccurate diagnoses.

What has gotten much less attention is the changing definition of autism, which raises the question whether there has been an actual change in the real world or simply a change in the way words are used when collecting statistics.

Loose definitions of autism produce bigger and more newsworthy statistics, which in turn can attract more children into existing programs and attract more money from the government, foundations and other sources to support those programs.

Many parents have told me that they have been urged to let their children be labeled autistic, or on the autistic spectrum, in order to get money for speech therapy or other conditions from grants that are available to deal with autism.

The ‘autism epidemic’ and diagnostic substitution

This research provides further evidence that diagnostic substitution has occurred, suggesting that children who in the past would have been diagnosed with language impairment are now being diagnosed with ASD.

It is becoming clear that changing diagnostic criteria, increased awareness of ASD, and strategic use of diagnosis to gain access to services, have had a massive effect on the numbers of children with ASD. When I started studies in this area, I thought diagnostic substitution had happened but I did not think it would be sufficient to explain the increase in numbers of ASD diagnoses. But now, on the basis of studies reviewed here, I think it could be the full story.


http://deevybee.blog...diagnostic.html

[voltaire]

I know castor oil cures bad behaviour as my mother used to give it me quite often and it worked. Washing out my mouth with soap also cured bad language. SO old wive's tales have merit :-)

[stocks]

Just remember that Oprah's only goal is to increase ratings. She's not out there to tell the truth or have guests that tell the truth.

It's Entertainment, kids, and you'llbe better off remembering that.

I wouldn't get my news from Jon Stewart, either.

CDC: Anti-vaccine campaign fueling measles outbreak


http://thehill.com/p...ign-frustrating