Severe Autism: Mandy's Blog

I recommend that anyone interested in the realities facing severely autistic persons avoid mainstream media organizations and most internet blog sites. These sources,eg. CNN, CBC, The New Yorker, Autism Hub sites, tend to focus on the realities and agendas, of an alleged autism rights movement, consisting of a few high profile high functioning persons and persons with Aspergers. One internet exception worth visiting is a blog called Mandy's Blog at mencap.org.uk.

The alleged autistic rights movement actually suppresses the rights of the more severely autistic persons, badly in need of treatment, cure and assistance at all stages of life, by asserting that autism is simply a natural variation, that Neurotypicals should not seek to cure autistic persons, even their own autistic children, even when those children are actually much more severely autistic than the media posing "autistic rights" leaders.

The autism rights leaders like to publicly identify autism with very intelligent historical figures and frown upon the very mention of severely autistic persons; a reality they deny. Even discussion of autism, a spectrum of disorders, in terms of degrees of severity is attacked. After all it is difficult to claim the right to speak on behalf of a large group of people if in fact you faced very different challenges and they have never asked you to speak on their behalf. Better to pretend that the differences do not exist.

The introduction to Mandy's Blog makes it clear that this is not the usual joy of autism stuff where the mere mention of the severely autistic is frowned upon:

Charlotte is my daughter. She is 12 years old, blonde and pretty (although I am biased of course) and has severe autism.

When I read Mandy's description of her severely autistic 12 year old daughter I am struck by the similarities with my severely autistic 12 year old son, her echolalia, her bubbly personality, and her entertainement choices are all strikingly similar to my son Conor. Mandy speaks in a straight forward, realistic manner about the challenges facing her and her daughter.

I encourage everyone interested in learning about the challenges facing those with severe autism and their family members to visit Mandy's blog.

autism

Autism and ABA - Conor Is Eager To Get Back to School and ... ABA

Today was the first day back to school after Christmas vacation in our school district. For Conor that meant return to his Teacher Aides, his structure and routine and ... his Applied Behavior Analysis, (Discrete Trial Training version). And he couldn't wait to get back to school this morning. Conor was dressed, had his back pack in hand, and was on the step eager to get to school ... a good 20 minutes before it was time to leave.

There are some very high functioning autistic adults who claim that ABA violates the human rights of autistic persons and deprives them of their personalities. Some of those who make the claim are very intelligent and articulate adults who were not even diagnosed as autistic until their late teen and adult years; some had no involvement with ABA. These anti-ABA activists, by virtue of their excellent communication skills, do not share the same realities of life as Conor. Conor is echolalic, with limited understanding and command of language, without ABA we would have had no effective way to communicate with and teach him to adapt to the world, to the best of his ability, as we all must do.

The anti-ABA activists do not speak for Conor. He speaks for himself when he waits eagerly for his ABA therapist to arrive at home. Conor speaks for himself when he dresses for school 20-30 minutes early; eager to get back to school to his Teacher Aides, his routines ... and his ABA (DTT) based education.

ABA is a violation of Conor's human rights? A theft of his personality?

Conor's happy face says otherwise.

autism