Savage Calls Autistic Children 'Brats-

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

Cassandra, I thought so too originally, but I've heard lots of stories the past few days about them being given medication for other things, let's say focusing for example. It seems they are medicated for side issues.
And I would believe it because I've heard of kids being medicated for selective-mutism!!! which I've researched extensively, and there are some behavioral similarities such as not making eye-contact, not speaking, not playing at an age-appropriate level, etc.
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Platinum Member Joined: Dec 27 2007 Posts: 7372

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 09 2005 Posts: 11840

There is a world of a difference between a misdiagnosis of a heart attack and a misdiagnosis of autism. The former has very few problems, the latter can cause a whole slew of issues for the child, his family, etc.
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Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 15014

If little kids are are erroneously thought to be on the spectrum, they receive services (OT, PT, ST, SI), and at some point, the therapists determine that the child isn't autistic. At some point in the process the child sees a developmental pediatrician for a more thorough evaluation. If the child isn't autistic or even on the spectrum, he or she might still receive services for speech and other delays. If the child is on the spectrum, he or she will receive more intensive services. They're not immediately thrown in a special school, tagged, medicated, with a big red A on their foreheads. If the diagnosis is lifted, they still very well might need services to catch up to their peers, since whatever the concerns were, they're connected with issues of some kind.

The therapists my child sees say that it doesn't take long to see that a kid is on the spectrum, but they're not permitted to diagnose. At some point, the agency or pediatrician suggests a more thorough evaluation. If the child is already in school, hopefully the school will recognize signs and recommend evaluation by a qualified expert.

The services aren't wasted. When they're no longer needed, if the child is fine, they're discontinued.

I think it's silly that we're even given credence to this creep by discussing his claims, which were lamely pulled forth to defend his idiotic rant.

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

What I posted:

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 15014

Thanks to this guy, many autistic children, whether diagnosed officially or not, may be facing a very different experience. As I said before, it really frightens me that one idiotic parent out there may actually take this stuff out on his poor autistic child. As painful as it is to have an autistic child, being one sounds like agony.

Active Poster Joined: Jul 01 2008 Posts: 73 Location: USA

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

Therapists push for therapy.
Drug companies push for the marketing of their drugs.
It's all about money.

I'm glad for you if it hasn't been your experience. I'm sorry to report it's been mine but I was smart enough to see through it.

Savage should be thanked for bringing these scams to national attention. Hopefully the scam artists can be taken down and the children who really truly need help will get it.

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 15014

The most common litany that I hear from my son's therapists is that they don't want to treat children who don't really need therapy. For whatever reason, usually anxious parents or parents who might want a free babysitter, they wind up being assigned to some children who don't really need it. My OT was telling me the other day that he's happy to evaluate children and tell their parents that the kids are fine and really don't need any therapy. They don't need the work -- for every child that doesn't go into the system, there are plenty ready for help.

Some of the stories that I hear from them are heartbreaking. Children obviously on the spectrum, whose parents can't face it, which is something very understandable. I know of a woman who works in early childhood education, who absolutely refused to see that her daughter had something wrong. They went to have a meeting at a prospective preschool, and the admissions person had to tell her the school wouldn't work for the child, and the girl needed to be evaluated immediately. Sure enough, an evaluation confirmed the person's suspicions -- the child is autistic. She's seven years old now, and it's a difficult situation for all involved, but she's in a fantastic program and getting many hours of intensive therapy.

Another friend of mine had a kid who appeared to be deaf, but they couldn't find a hearing loss. Turns out to have been autism (he was evaluated by someone who is considered one of the most prominent in the field), and the family moved to enroll him in a suitable program. He was eventually mainstreamed into a regular school, although he has many behavioral issues, which they deal with and will continue to have to for the rest of their lives.

I think, for some autistic children, the first hurdle is getting their parents to accept that there's a problem so that the kid can get very early intervention. If I had to thank this guy Savage for anything, it's for not being around when my friends with autistic children were forced to face their difficult reality.

Platinum Member Joined: Dec 27 2007 Posts: 7372

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 20 2004 Posts: 17151

Have you heard or read of any cases of heart surgery being done in which the surgeons discovered that the heart was fine?

Active Poster Joined: Jul 01 2008 Posts: 73 Location: USA

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

Tzipporah, although I disagree with your post, I respect your differing opinion since you actually went to the link I posted and came to a thought-out conclusion.

Active Poster Joined: Jul 01 2008 Posts: 73 Location: USA

That's nice of you, GR Smile

We may disagree about Savage and autism, but I think we would probably find a lot of common ground between us on the general issue of over-diagnosis and over-medication.

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 19241

Platinum Member Joined: Dec 27 2007 Posts: 7372

Posted: Tue, Jul 29 2008, 11:38 pm Post subject:

It's funny because I just a call from a social worker to take in a certain autistic kid to my program. She said "I don't know why she's diagnosed as autism because she doesn't seem like it but does have some autistic tendencies". But this was a rare case. About 99 percent of the ones I met are clearly autistic. Regarding the meds. I know that they don't just stuff em up with drugs. They all have such bad side effects that the parents have to weigh if it's worth giving the meds or not. They are constantly by the neourologist(sp) or on the phone with him trying to find the right med and right dose.
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Platinum Member Joined: Sep 20 2004 Posts: 17151