Clipmarks | Autistic spectrum Clips

Its not just boys who are autistic

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:21:15 GMT

Clip Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk

When it was first discovered more than 60 years ago, Asperger's syndrome was thought to be a male-only condition. But now that more and more girls are being diagnosed with it, why do we hear so little about them, wonders Joanna Moorhead

Ten years ago, when she was 11, Robyn Steward was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism that made that already challenging time particularly difficult

As Steward says, her situation was complicated by the invisibility of girls on the autistic spectrum and by the association of autistic traits - social awkwardness, for instance - with masculinity

In fact, when Hans Asperger first described autism in 1944, he initially believed that he had discovered a condition that only affected boys. As Asperger himself went on to realise, there are girls and women with autism, and more recently their numbers have been growing, along with the incidence of autism in general.

Tags: autism .aspergers

The dark side of autism awareness

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:13:57 GMT

clipped by: graphictruth
clipper's remarks: Even the best medicine has side effects...

Clip Source: www.graphictruth.com

I consider myself immensely lucky to have not "benefited" to the extent many persons on the AS spectrum have - and the rates of both suicide and homicide of autistic spectrum persons tends to grimly underline the dark side of "awareness."

For some, "awareness" promotes xenophobia, rather than compassion. When you see that reaction - dissociate yourself. Fear is contagious - and it does more to debase and destroy families and civilization than any degree of autism could. And I factor the cost of care into that equation.

Tags: autism awareness, autistic, aspie, apsergers, april, autism awareness month, autistic spectrum, cuba, hope

Cue the Acme Anvil

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:58:30 GMT

clipped by: graphictruth
clipper's remarks: Apparently all this came about due to Seidel revealing how much money Shoemaker makes from bringing losing cases before the court - and what percentage of them ARE losers.

Clip Source: www.graphictruth.com

In the matter of Shoemaker v. Seidel; Court of public opinion; The Hon. Bugs Bunny Presiding.

In the inimitable words and tones of Tweety Bird:

"He don't KNOW me vewwy well, DO he?"

Siedel's response is a masterpiece of classic aspergean reasoning - and demonstrates a far better grasp of both the relevant law and the relevant political climate than that of the supposed professional

Compare the subpoena to Sidel's pro se "motion to quash." It's the difference between an elegant and spare recorder solo - and a TAPE recorder solo.

Tags: autism awareness month, autistic spectrum, blogging, blog, ethics

Let's be REALLY Aware of Autism

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:27:29 GMT

clipped by: graphictruth
clipper's remarks: This article, written in 2005, includes graphic images that speak of the roots and underlying assumptions of Applied Behavior Analysis. And yes, at one "snakepit school," autistics are still being shocked for being... autistic.

Clip Source: autisticconjectureoftheday.blogspot.com

Child Abuse as Therapy

For those of you "In the Know" discrete trials, or the Lovaas Method, is the only "approved and proven" method of achieving "progress" with autistic individuals. Approved by the state for funding, that is. And proven because, by the very mechanistic nature of the process, data is easily collected, plotted, and crunched.

The following article, 40 years old, hails the arrival of this therapy in typical 60s style - science is God, and man can overcome anything that nature gives us. And how, you might ask, do we overcome? With electric shock, yelling, and physical violence. Of course.

A quick click on the above title will take you to the site with not only this article, but the disturbing pictures that accompany it. The rage and venom portrayed in the faces of the "therapists" speaks for itself.

Tags: autism awareness month, april, autistic spectrum, aba, lovaas method

Autism: More evidence suggests a link to Lyme disease

14 February 2008

Up to a third of all cases of autism may be the result of Lyme disease and other chronic infections, new research suggests.

Researcher Robert Bransfield believes that tick-borne infections, such as Lyme disease, can weaken the immune system during infancy and make the sufferer more vulnerable to autistic-spectrum diseases.

He estimates that between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of all autistic children may be infected by Lyme disease or other similar infections.

If so, it means that 140,000 autistic children in the USA alone have the problem as a direct result of an infection. If they were treated with high-dose antibiotics – considered to be the most effective therapy, especially in the early stages of infection – the savings in healthcare and education costs would amount to around $358bn, he estimates.

(Source: Medical Hypotheses, published online: November 5, 2007. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.09.006).

Tags: lyme, autism

Einstein, Newton displayed autistic traits

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:10:01 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: "Psychiatry tends to focus almost exclusively on the negative side of different forms of mental illness," Fitzgerald said in statement. "I want to show that psychiatric disorders can also have positive dimensions."

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton displayed symptoms of psychiatric disorders that may have been a key to their genius, a Dublin psychiatrist said.

Michael Fitzgerald, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin, said characteristics linked to autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger's syndrome are the same as those associated with creative genius, The Daily Telegraph said.

Fitzgerald, author of the book, "Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents Changed the World," said Enoch Powell and Charles de Gaulle both appear to have had Asperger's syndrome.

Speaking at a meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Academic Psychiatry, Fitzgerald said De Gaulle's Asperger's syndrome was critical to his success. He was aloof, had a massive memory, lacked empathy with other people, and was extremely controlling and dominating.

Isaac Newton was known to work non-stop for days and Einstein worked in a patent office because he was too disruptive to get a university job, the newspaper said.

Tags: einstein, newton, genius, creativity

Aspergers....you are not alone

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:53:06 GMT

clipped by: Alexandre1

Clip Source: www.users.dircon.co.uk

Because those people with HFA/AS who get to university are among the most high-functioning and able on the autistic spectrum, they are also the most likely to slip through the diagnostic net. Although many are diagnosed as children, others reach university un-diagnosed or mis-diagnosed.

The key to getting an accurate diagnosis is finding a clinician who actually has experience diagnosing adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome (someone whose only experience is with "low-functioning" autism, or only with children, may be unhelpful). Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.

It may also be useful to look at the page of Associated Conditions which describes conditions which can co-exist with HFA/AS, or which are sometimes diagnostically confused with HFA/AS. In some cases, people with HFA/AS get misdiagnosed with one of these, and presumably some people with these conditions get mistakenly diagnosed with HFA/AS.

Tags: aspergers, autism

Autistic Brains Can Be Trained To Recognize Visual And Vocal Cues

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 18:29:09 GMT

clipped by: Mohir

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Autistic Brains Can Be Trained To Recognize Visual And Vocal Cues, Study Shows

Science Daily — To understand the meaning of a conversation, kids automatically do what adults do —besides processing the meaning of words, they unconsciously "read" the expression on a person's face and listen to their tone of voice, then integrate that information with the context at hand to discern meaning, be it humor, anger, irony or straightforwardness.

Individuals with autism typically don't do this. They often miss the subtle meanings conveyed by a person's face and tone of voice, and thus have trouble determining the communicative intent of others. Neuroimaging studies have backed this up, showing that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) — including autism, pervasive developmental disorder and Asperger's syndrome — show reduced activity in the regions of the brain that respond to such cues.

Tags: autism, brain, psychology, mind

Clash of the Titans

Thu, 17 May 2007 16:12:39 GMT

clipped by: mcewen
clipper's remarks: Humor - you would think that if you had two autistic children, anything you learn would do double duty but autism comes in many forms, which is why it is called a spectrum.

Clip Source: whitterer-autism.blogspot.com

Tags: autism, ocd

Autism gene breakthrough hailed!

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:46:38 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee
clipper's remarks: welcome news!

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Autism gene breakthrough hailed

Chromosome 11 was identified as one of the culprits

Scientists have found new autism genes by scanning the largest collection of families with multiple cases of autism ever assembled.

The monumental task of studying the 1,200 families took more than 120 scientists from more than 50 institutions across 19 countries.

The work, described in Nature Genetics, implicates a region of chromosome 11 and a specific gene called neurexin 1.

Experts say the findings should help with finding new autism treatments.

Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioural challenges.

Scientists have long suspected that errors in a person's genetic blueprint play a part in autism.

Genetic code, DNA, is packaged in cells in the form of chromosomes, which are made up of strings of genes.

Experts have now located a region of one chromosome - 11p - and a gene called neurexin 1.

Neurexin belongs to a family of genes that help nerve cells communicate and the scientists now believe these play a critical role in autism spectrum disorders.

The work began five years ago in 2002, when scientists pooled their research resources and expertise and formed the Autism Genome Project.

They used "gene chip" technology to look for genetic similarities in autistic people, funded by the non-profit organisation Autism Speaks and the US National Institutes of Health.

Child psychiatrist Professor Jonathan Green, who led the clinical fieldwork in Manchester, said: "Autism is a very difficult condition for families - communication is taken for granted by parents of healthy children but is so greatly missed by those with autistic children.

Professor John Burn, of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, said the news was fantastic.

Tags: autism, child, breakthrough.

Neurotypical syndrome

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 02:56:16 GMT

clipped by: satath
clipper's remarks: A friend sent me this and I thought is was oober interesting.

Clip Source: www.autistics.org

What Is NT?

Neurotypical syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by preoccupation with social concerns, delusions of superiority, and obsession with conformity.

Neurotypical individuals often assume that their experience of the world is either the only one, or the only correct one. NTs find it difficult to be alone. NTs are often intolerant of seemingly minor differences in others. When in groups NTs are socially and behaviorally rigid, and frequently insist upon the performance of dysfunctional, destructive, and even impossible rituals as a way of maintaining group identity. NTs find it difficult to communicate directly, and have a much higher incidence of lying as compared to persons on the autistic spectrum.

NT is believed to be genetic in origin. Autopsies have shown the brain of the neurotypical is typically smaller than that of an autistic individual and may have overdeveloped areas related to social behavior.

Tags: syndromes, nt

Autism and Synaesthesia/Prosopagnosia

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 23:49:49 GMT

clipped by: moonchild

Clip Source: access.autistics.org

Because autism is due to unusual "brain wiring", it is not uncommon to have other neurological conditions along with it. Two little known sensory related conditions which appear to be more common in autistics are:

Synaesthesia: Sometimes called "cross-sensory perception", synaesthesia is when input from one sense is interpreted in another. (eg. seeing sound, hearing light, tasting colour). It is very rare, but more common in people with atypical neurology, including those with autistic spectrum disorders.

Prosopagnosia: Also known as "face blindness", this condition impairs a person's ability to recognize human faces. It appears to be somewhat more common in autistic spectrum disorders, but is usually a result of brain damage. It is not the same as being able to connect a name to a person. In autistic people, what appears to be prosopagnosia may actually be due to lack of eye contact or social interest.

Tags: asperger syndrom, asperger syndrome, autism, autismus, farben, synaesthesia, synästhesie, prosopagnosia, prosopagnosie, face blindness, gesichtsblindheit

MMR Vaccine

Tue, 09 May 2006 12:40:35 GMT

clipped by: uberkiwi
clipper's remarks: I thought the medical establishment and the vaccine manufacturers had silenced the media on this subject.

Seems that some people just can't be bought.

What I would like to know is why the triple vaccine has to be a triple.

The suggestion is that having the 3 seperately over time doesn't cause health problems, but the MMR triple causes Autism.

Clip Source: news.scotsman.com

Tue 9 May 2006

The number of secondary pupils with the condition soared from 114 to 825 in only six years
Picture: Getty Images

MMR campaigners demand action as autism cases soar

Massive rise in number of secondary pupils with autism in past six years

Campaigners say investigation needed into potential link with MMR vaccine

They claim parents should have the choice of single vaccinations instead

Key quote
"The number of young children who have this previously very rare diagnosis is reaching epidemic proportions and it is being ignored by the medical establishment." - Bill Welsh, chairman of Action Against Autism

Story in full
A MASSIVE surge in the number of autistic schoolchildren in Scotland has been exposed after figures showed an increase of more than 600 per cent in secondary pupils with the condition in the past six years.

Official statistics show 825 pupils were diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder in state secondaries in 2005, compared with 114 in 1999 - an increase of 623 per cent. Over the same period, the number of autistic youngsters in primary schools more than quadrupled, from 415 to 1,736.

Campaigners last night said the figures were further proof that an urgent investigation was needed into the rise in the condition and its potential link with the triple mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

"This is not a Scottish problem; it is a developed world problem, because the same thing is happening in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. One common factor affecting children throughout the developed world is the vaccination issue.

"The number of young children who have this previously very rare diagnosis is reaching epidemic proportions and it is being ignored by the medical establishment.

Tags: mmr, autism, child health

Speed reading

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:17:29 GMT

clipped by: rhymonde
clipper's remarks: The problem for me is that every time I am aware that I am trying to speed the eye movement up,I practically slow down and comprension is worse than normal.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Some speed reading courses stress that the human eye has to move very quickly. They also stress that the human eye should move in a pattern to fill in the information that was not properly perceived. The effective limit for scanning speeds based upon the limit of the human eyes resolution is approximately 10,000 words a minute. It is claimed that such speeds also require great practice, and extremely rapid eye movements, although research suggests that such training is not possible. It has been suggested by some speed reading promoters that the readers who achieve such speeds are on the autistic spectrum, such as Kim Peek. Research into reading rate suggests that study strategies, rather than speed reading, explains why expert readers, such as professors and editors, are more efficient than others.

Tags: speed-reading, productivity