Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Homeschooling Carnival: Autism

The Homeschooling Carnival is up and focuses on Autism:

In choosing a theme for this weeks carnival, I had originally planned on doing something with fall or apples or Johnny Appleseed. But after keeping my grandchildren for the weekend, I decided to go with the theme of Autism. This could be a very long post.


If you have a child with Autism, this week's carnival is definitely worth looking at for some helpful suggestions and ideas.

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13 Comments:

Blogger Serket said...

I believe I have three 2nd cousins with varying degrees of autism. Do you know whether genetics or environment is a larger factor? I've heard that autism rates are on the rise.

5:06 PM, September 19, 2007  
Blogger Helen said...

Serket,

You can read about what causes autism at the Autism society:

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_causes

6:29 PM, September 19, 2007  
Blogger RebeccaH said...

I have a homeschooled grandson who sometimes exhibits signs of what I think are Asperger's. I'm wondering how one tells if this is real, or if he's just completely smothered by his mother (I love her, but she gives me concern over her possessiveness about the children... and her daughter is far more independent than the boy).

4:56 PM, September 20, 2007  
Blogger Helen said...

Rebecca,

Generally Asperger's is diagnosed by a psychologist or psychiatrist. A mother being posessive with her children would not cause any type of autism. It is not a matter of dependency but rather a qualitative impairment in social interaction such as a lack of social or emotional reciprocity, restricted repetitive and sterotyped patterns of behavior such as hand or finger flapping and significant impairment and clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

5:08 PM, September 20, 2007  
Blogger Troy said...

Rebecca,

We think our son is Asperger's and we are having to "battle" the school district to get him assessed. The medical profession is not very sympathetic either -- especially to Asperger's. I know there are many, if not most, wonderful, doctors, but some pediatricians can be downright hostile besides merely dismissive.

Luckily a colleague of mine is an LEP and she did a GADS so we have some info on which to hang our hats.

5:30 PM, September 20, 2007  
Blogger rudebwoy said...

(Dr. Helen) -

"A mother being posessive with her children would not cause any type of autism. It is not a matter of dependency but rather a qualitative impairment in social interaction such as a lack of social or emotional reciprocity, restricted repetitive and sterotyped patterns of behavior such as hand or finger flapping and significant impairment and clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."

So, since mothers dominate the daily realities of infants and children from birth through early schooling, are you suggesting, via your "socially-constructed" psychological scientific perspective --

that there is reason to investigate causality of autism in the early interactions between infants and their primary caregivers -- i.e. mothers?

Might you also speculate about all the other motherly behaviors that you suspect will not cause autism?

What precisely is a "qualitative impairment in social interaction...?"

Does farting in public count?

If nobody hears it, does it "qualify?"

Dr. H. -- you are my favorite blog comediatrix...

BTW - I understand that autism is no joke. My wife spent two years caring for a boy who's severe autism only allowed him to spend the entire day unravelling toilet paper rolls to get to the cardboard core. When he became aggressive it took three adults to restrain him.

He is institutionalized today.

No one could come up with a credible theory of causality, and his sister is not autistic.

If there are no accepted theories of the causality of autism, how can you discount maternal possessiveness as a possible factor?

7:35 PM, September 20, 2007  
Blogger Helen said...

Rudebwoy,


There have been studies looking at what used to be referred to as "Refrigerator mothers" who were blamed for causing autism in their kids. These theories have been discounted by most mental health professionals. If you want to read up on this body of work, look at the studies of Bruno Bettelheim.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator_mother#See_also

As far as the term qualitative impairment etc. take up your concerns with the authors of the DSM-IV, I was just listing the criteria for Rebecca for what constituted a diagnosis of Asperger's.

6:30 AM, September 21, 2007  
Blogger rudebwoy said...

(rudebwoy) -"If there are no accepted theories of the causality of autism, how can you discount maternal possessiveness as a possible factor?"

(Dr. Helen) -- "There have been studies..."

Helen, as usual, you chose purposely to avoid the critical noun.

I was asking what YOU thought.

You know? Like in a conversation?

Your OWN insights?

Not some citation to some academic journal article?

Why the intentional deflection?

Please, speak in your own voice.

Do not just "list it."

It's pretty funny to suggest that what has been "discounted by most mental health professionals" is a reason to believe anything.

Can you name ONE (just 1) psychological concept that is 100% accepted by all the members of your profession of social scientists?

(And please don't go for the easy out --- "crazy.")

;-)

7:38 PM, September 21, 2007  
Blogger rudebwoy said...

Is it only me, or does Dr. Helen have a problem with expressing and owing her own views?

She is excellent at referring to other sources. (Links to scholarly articles.)

Her faux-erotic photos; however, seem to be definitive.

Helen, maybe delete the enticing tee-shirt shot and substitute a treatise of what you actually believe in...

It's OK with me if it's merely (of course indirectly) about your boobs.

(Not fair... bab, bad,bad.)

But you put them ("your 'Net persona") out there, and don't dodge that you know it!

What is your ethical schtick?

Your bottom line?"

Your business plan?

8:24 PM, September 22, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

rudebwoy....

She's ignoring you. Just like the rest of us.

10:32 PM, September 23, 2007  
Blogger walking said...

Autism is a neurobiogical disorder involved with the brain. Parenting skills do not cause it; however, I do think parents with autistic children need to add many tools to their parenting tool box to be more effective!

I have two children: one autistic and one is not. There are families with a higher incidence of autism spectrum diffabilities, and genetics explains that better than parenting.

I put up a page to help parents making the decision to homeschool:
http://home.earthlink.net/~tammyglaser798/authome.html

9:47 AM, October 10, 2007  
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