Autism thoughts


Irishcolleen
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I recently read that Utah and New Jersey have the highest rates of autism. I have a son on the mild end of the spectrum and one of my dearest friends has a son at the most severe end. I know many families with at least one child with autism. When I was growing up I didn't know anyone with autism. I only knew about it because I spent a summer volunteering at a school for developmentally disabled children. Now it seems common. Do I just think it's more common because of people I know? I don't think it can be that because the statistics seem to back up my experience.

I wish there was a cure- or at least a known cause. Some think it's vaccines. I've read there is a link if the mom has an autoimmune disease (like my lupus). I've also heard and believe there can be a diet connection, as gluten and casein free seems to benefit many. Some people think it is overload of toxins.

There is even controversy over which type of treatment is best. Insurance seems to only cover ABA, but I know people who have had success with other treatments.

I'm wondering what your thoughts are on cause and effective treatments.

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I often talk about cures with friends (aspergers being related and...obviously the subject comes up when you all have it)

I feel torn about the idea, since I would be "normal" but I wouldn't be me...

I don't know any "treatment" nor did I ever think of one. I am what I am, for better or for worse, and it frightens me in a way, that I could change and what i would become...

Though the idea swings again since I understand I won't have a normal life, and I have come to terms with that, but it dosn't make it any less troubiling.

Take from that what you will I guess.

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I think it's caused by a combination of things:

-if mom isn't healthy during pregnancy (candida overgrowth, etc)

-if mom doesn't leave enough space between kids (3 years) to replenish nutrients

-if mom doesn't eat healthy during pregnancy

then baby is born with lower immune system

-add too many vaccines

-add unhealthy foods

and you trigger the issue

I've heard and read that changing the diet can help immensely - with this and just about everything else.

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I often talk about cures with friends (aspergers being related and...obviously the subject comes up when you all have it)

I feel torn about the idea, since I would be "normal" but I wouldn't be me...

I don't know any "treatment" nor did I ever think of one. I am what I am, for better or for worse, and it frightens me in a way, that I could change and what i would become...

Though the idea swings again since I understand I won't have a normal life, and I have come to terms with that, but it dosn't make it any less troubiling.

Take from that what you will I guess.

I wouldn't want my son's personality to change, but I would like his life to be easier. I am thrilled that he went to college and is a successful programmer who lives independently. But I am sad that girls aren't interested in him even though he is sweet, caring and always puts others first. And I am sad that it took him so long to find a job because of discrimination.

I think all mom's with kids in the spectrum wish their kids lives would be easier and free from a lot of the pain that comes along with autism. If it could be in the form of a cure it would be great- but only if the cure didn't change their child's personality. You do bring up an interesting point as our experience can shape our personality. It is similar to the argument over cochlear implants in the deaf community.

Edited by Irishcolleen
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I wouldn't want my son's personality to change, but I would like his life to be easier. I am thrilled that he went to college and is a successful programmer. But I am sad that girls aren't interested in him even though he is sweet, caring and always puts others first.

I think all mom's with kids in the spectrum wish their kids lives would be easier and free from a lot of the pain that comes along with autism. If it could be in the form of a cure it would be great- but only if the cure didn't change their child's personality. You do bring up an interesting point as our experience can shape our personality. It is similar to the argument over cochlear implants in the deaf community.

yeah girls ain't interested in me either... and that won't ever change lol

(oh I quit my last job, more because it was so lousy, and I got terrible hours but since work is so hard to find, I am going for that sweet Government money the Canadian Government offers those like me)

All I have is my books...and dolls :lol:

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I worry about my 10 year old grandson. He has Aspberger's and is vey high functioning. But he definitely focuses on certain things almost to the exclusion of all else. I would like to see him marry and lead a normal life. All I can do is help him to the best of my ability and trust in God's mercy.

His mother has/had fibromyalgia. Her symptoms lessened while she was pregnant with him. But, the symptoms were starting to come back after his birth. She died in a car accident when my grandson was two months old, so I don't know what her continued prognosis would have been. My grandson was in the same car accident and had several skull fractures. I wonder if that could have contributed to his Aspberger's.

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I think it's caused by a combination of things:

-if mom isn't healthy during pregnancy (candida overgrowth, etc)

-if mom doesn't leave enough space between kids (3 years) to replenish nutrients

-if mom doesn't eat healthy during pregnancy

then baby is born with lower immune system

-add too many vaccines

-add unhealthy foods

and you trigger the issue

I've heard and read that changing the diet can help immensely - with this and just about everything else.

Since I can remember just how heated the mercury in vaccines discussion could get at times I hesitate to share my OPINION as requested because I feel like there will surely be attacks on it.

I think NQP is on the right track. It is a multifactorial condition having a lot to do with inadequate abilities for the individual to deal with multiple stressors. One other factor that I have heard implicated is mercury crossing barriers into the fetus... low grade daily mercury leaching from dental fillings. Obviously mercury alone is not the sole cause, but it is a known poison that can cause a lot of trouble. Also mercury from fillings can distress the mothers intestinal flora which can mess up the balance required for proper immunity and gut health. When mom is struggling with gut health it isn't hard to imagine baby may too.

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I worry about my 10 year old grandson. He has Aspberger's and is vey high functioning. But he definitely focuses on certain things almost to the exclusion of all else. I would like to see him marry and lead a normal life. All I can do is help him to the best of my ability and trust in God's mercy.

His mother has/had fibromyalgia. Her symptoms lessened while she was pregnant with him. But, the symptoms were starting to come back after his birth. She died in a car accident when my grandson was two months old, so I don't know what her continued prognosis would have been. My grandson was in the same car accident and had several skull fractures. I wonder if that could have contributed to his Aspberger's.

Probably not, it could have given him some non AS traits but AS certainly isn't caused by a blow to the head.

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All I have is my books...and dolls :lol:

And this forum and some friends I am sure you are making here. :) Regardless of all the challenges that come along with autism, you remain so positive and optimistic about life, you express yourself very well and I think you are doing a terrific job. I just wanted to say that.

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And this forum and some friends I am sure you are making here. :) Regardless of all the challenges that come along with autism, you remain so positive and optimistic about life, you express yourself very well and I think you are doing a terrific job. I just wanted to say that.

We all have our weak moments, I know I do, but by and large I am pretty alright with my life... saving up to do some traveling to asia, so there's that!

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thats great Lakumi !! It will be great to hear of your adventures.

still deciding on the doll to come with me, the doll Lakumi has magnet wings I don't wanna loose, though I could just leave them at home...

but yes there will be a thread dedicated to them, when the time comes.

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The big problem with a lot of mental disorders, whether they are neurological, chemical, hormonal, or simply behavioral is that we simply take the behaviors and responses people make and call it a disorder. Unless there is a big tumor or other rather obvious physical defect, there's still not much we understand about the brain. What we call Autism COULD be a single disorder, or it could be 50 or 100 different disorders each with a different cause and treatment.

Remember when formal medicine was as old as psychology/psychiatry is now, people were still talking about humors. Our modern mental health knowledge is almost certainly almost as wrong. That's not to say it's bunk, only that we're sill learning, and have a long way to go. Even back in the days of humors, what medicine did was generally a little better than nothing, and the knowledge that was learned has led to our current medical advances.

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200 years ago my cousin would have been the village idiot.

100 years ago, he would have been "slow", and either institutionalized for life or died in the mines or factories.

Today... He's LFA.

My niece.

200 years ago would have been odd. Or not. Maybe a good wife, works hard, never argues, always sweet.

100 years ago would have been odd. Or not. Maybe a good wife, works hard, never argues, always sweet.

Today... She's HFA.

Why do we see autism more these days?

Lots of reasons.

- Name has caught on

- Higher survival rates

- Less stigma

- Mainstreaming

- Insurance coverage (ADHD used to only be covered until age 18. Trust me, not everyone with ADHD all of a sudden became depressed on their 18th bday. But that's what the numbers look like. Because insurance would pay to treat depression in 18, but not ADHD. Kids who have myriad other disorders NOT autistic are falling under the autism umbrella in order to get treatment & IEPs/504s in school).

There may or may not be an actual increase.

I know ethnographers have tried to trace modern psych descriptions through history to arrive at percentages, but they have a lot of problems with it.

LFA & TBI & can look the same.

A lot of children died in infancy (younger than 2 years)

Records are sketchy

Normal things tended not to be recorded.

War, plague, & famine disrupted record keeping on a fairly regular basis.

Some disorders are self selectively useful in certain times & places (HFA is suspected to be as prevalent in monastic orders as it is now in Microsoft).*

This one is what's leading me to believe there may actually be an increase.

HFA is well known for its brilliance in certain avenues.

While that giftedness in Western Europe usually meant.a vow of celibacy, in the East (and now) the opposite is true. HFA folk are marrying each other, and neurotypical folk, in record numbers... Because thee able to support themselves & a family in ways they were unable to in the west for centuries.

Which would lead me to believe less that autism spectrum is on the rise, per say, and more reaching species norm levels.

Shrug.

I don't know.

I don't know if anyone does.

Q

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