MPs rally around autism

A truly worthwhile cause. This disease is quite simply awful and my heart goes out to other families that know the sting of it. Years ago doctors were of little help and worse would pooh pooh away the milder versions sometimes even blaming the parents and I sometimes wonder how much harm that caused. Way to go CPC’ers and anyone else involved. Keep up the good work!

Being one of 6 children and challenged siblings and parents that did not fit your criterea, I think it’s BS.

I read this differently. if there is no medical detection of Autism, then how is it defined? Rather loosely is the answer, which is why it is the fastest growing developmental disability in the world.

This has become a cause celebre, and I don’t see good things coming from this. ADD was the rage a few years ago, and all we got for that was buckets of Ritalin being given out.

I don’t dispute the motives of those involved, but I am skeptical when I see these kinds of statements used.

Really? Someone should inform the dictionaries.

Personally, I am quite pleased with France’s historical contributions to the English language. Your pro-Greek, anti-French bias is myopic. Your Grecophilia has blinded you! Repent!

There’s no chemical or genetic indicators of autistic spectrum disorders – they can only be diagnosed behaviourally. Which I think is what they mean by “no medical detection”.

As the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (a mild variety of autism), I share your skepticism. Psychological disorders are sometimes cultural artifacts as much as they are bona fide problems that need remediation. The criteria for depression used by many family docs to prescribe Prozac-type drugs are remarkably vague and could apply to many of us simply encountering a bad period in our lives.

That said, while I’m not one to generalize on the basis of my own experience, the Asperger’s diagnosis “fits” in his case, and provides a very useful paradigm to help him with his various struggles (which are most certainly outside the range of those most non-Asperger kids would face – and include social skills, coping with stress and decisions, a tendency towards obsessive focus, etc.). There is something to it. Even if we’re groping with an inability to fully understand the causes and appropriate actions implied by such diagnoses.

No, I just like to interact with him on his terms once in a while.