Autism Awareness Day ( was April 2)
Apr. 3rd, 2009 12:07 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
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I posted this yesterday in my personal journal, and got such a great response (from people who didn't know particulars of the disorder) that I thought I would re-post here. Many of you have seen Dash-chan (username) my son in this blog before, as he's a big Gackt fan, he asked to be Genesis Rhapsodos for Halloween, is learning Japanese, and has learned the dance to GHOST. One of the things I am thankful to Gackt for, is a way to share things with my 8-year old who has Autism.
GK
Autism is a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior.
Autism is a 'spectrum disorder' meaning that each individual has a unique disorder unto themselves.
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations.
The prevalence of ASD is about 6 per 1,000 people, with about four times as many boys as girls. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice.
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills, there is no known cure.
Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful, an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.
Things you need to know
There is no scientific link between Autism and childhood vaccinations
Every one who has Autism has their own particular type of Autism
Autistic children and adults do not have the 'mental capacities of children' as often reported, they lack the skills of communication
Aggressive behavior in children and young adults is often due to stress in an enviroment where they cannot communicate effectively.
Autistic children and adults are not 'naturally anti-social' this is why early education and therapies help
Special diets may help some children, but not all children
There is no cure for autism, an emphasis in some organizations to 'cure' the disorder does not help the children and adults NOW.
If we assist autistic indivduals, we as a society become more tolerant of difference of all kinds.
International list of Autism Resources http://www.autism-india.org/worldorgs.html
Autism is a 'spectrum disorder' meaning that each individual has a unique disorder unto themselves.
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations.
The prevalence of ASD is about 6 per 1,000 people, with about four times as many boys as girls. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice.
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills, there is no known cure.
Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful, an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.
Things you need to know
There is no scientific link between Autism and childhood vaccinations
Every one who has Autism has their own particular type of Autism
Autistic children and adults do not have the 'mental capacities of children' as often reported, they lack the skills of communication
Aggressive behavior in children and young adults is often due to stress in an enviroment where they cannot communicate effectively.
Autistic children and adults are not 'naturally anti-social' this is why early education and therapies help
Special diets may help some children, but not all children
There is no cure for autism, an emphasis in some organizations to 'cure' the disorder does not help the children and adults NOW.
If we assist autistic indivduals, we as a society become more tolerant of difference of all kinds.
International list of Autism Resources http://www.autism-india.org/worldorgs.h
no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 09:37 pm (UTC)Oh, and your son looks adorable as Genesis! What a nice thing that you can share the wonders of Gackt with each other!
no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 10:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-03 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 12:08 am (UTC)I only wish I he had been seen at 2 when signs were beginning to show, but our general practictioners did not know what to look for.
Your friend should see if she can find a private physician to diagnose her son.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 12:33 am (UTC)We live in Denmark and we pride ourselves with having one of the best health care systems in the world, and still these cases gets "lost" because they're so hard to handle and it frustrates the hell out of me. Adrian is 13 now, and he's just WAITING while his mom fights and tries to reason with the doctors. There's an extensive lack of child psychiatrists (which are the ones to decide the diagnosis) both in the public and the private health care sector and the waiting lists are endless so who knows when it would even be possible for him to get the needed exams IF he ever got the needed referral?
Oh this post took a very negative turn and that was in no way my intention when I reacted to your post! I'm so sorry about that!
no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 01:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 04:17 am (UTC)I have only had limited experience with autistic children. One of my close friends in college had a younger brother with autism, and I often joined her in her fundraising activities. Through her and her mother, I learned a lot about this disorder and have a lot of respect for people who are affected by it, whether they have the disorder or a loved one with it.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 02:07 pm (UTC)In the Netherlands (where I live) Autism is even a curse like saying someone has cancer. When someone is doing something weird/different people say: 'don't be so autistic'
no subject
Date: 2009-04-04 05:09 pm (UTC)In this country it's calling someone a 'retard' or saying 'you need to ride the short-bus' (smaller school buses here that are equipped to handle wheelchairs which are most often used to transport special needs kids.
The only way to combat ignorance is with education, and sadly, with the rise in autism all over the world, everyone will know someone with the disorder.