Asperger's is a rare condition of autistic spectrum disorder that of late years is becoming more frequently diagnosed since the United States of America only started recognizing it since 1994. It's been recognized in Austria since 1944, when Hans Asperger first studied it in mostly young male boys. I will not go through all the years of questions and concerns of my son's behavior, but it was a jungle out there with ignorant and arrogant medical and educational "professionals" that usually implied that it was parental child-rearing and lack of proper socialization. Eventually, my husband and I turned on each other and claimed the other was to blame when our son reached adulthood. My husband abandoned us 4 years ago in frustration.
Luckily, my son's high IQ and obsessive interest in Art got him through high school, but I always wondered why I had to focus all my energies to make sure my son 'stayed on task'. I will not list all the symptons of clinically diagnosed Asperger's ... there are at least 50.
My son had been misdiagnosed with schizophrenia when the shuttle tragically fell out of the sky in 2003. I bought the Sunday paper to remember the event, an unusual thing for me to do since I do not ordinarily buy the paper because I do not like it hanging around the house. In the "Parade magazine" section an article at the bottom caught my eye as I was tossing the paper out "Does Your Child Have Asperger's Syndrome?" I do not know what compelled me to read it, it was not even the lead article. But I nearly fell out of my chair as I was reading it... my son was obviously textbook clinical Asperger's!
Without going into too much detail about my quest after that, I dumped his psychiatrist at the time and found knowledgeable doctors instead- a neuropsychologist that CORRECTLY evaluated my son (at age 22) for 3 days , and the new psychiatrist that he recommended . My son's new psychiatrist prescribed a NEW med - Abilify, which works miraculously well on autistic "meltdowns". These two men discarded the schizophrenia /bi-polar diagnosis completely, and basically saved my son's life by finding correct med and groups of OTHER Asperger's adults for my son to socialize with.
Again, in 2004, I inadvertantly found out information about the CAUSE of my son's autistic spectrum disorder. I was in Whole Foods Market, the all natural grocery store, when a LCV (League of Conservation Voters) handout caught my eye . It was about mercury and power plants and developmental disabilities and Bush's views on "Clean Air Act". Again, I do not know what compelled me, but I Googled "paper mills and mercury" on the internet. Oodles of googles came up... again I nearly fell out of my chair and my eyes welled up in tears.
I was pregnant in 1980 near Gilman/Durango Paper Co. in St. Mary's Georgia. More of my internet research brought to light that it used to be one of the worst mercury emitters in the state of Georgia. It is now bankrupt after violating OSHA.
Full Version: Mercury caused My Son's Asperger's
Common Ground Common Sense > National & International News > Original Essays, Research and Op-ed Pieces by Our members
Have I have also heard that some innoculations for children had elevated levels of mercury and this may also be a cause for Asperger's, autism, and other related problems.
QUOTE(AndyforJustice @ Feb 10 2005, 03:00 PM)
Have I have also heard that some innoculations for children had elevated levels of mercury and this may also be a cause for Asperger's, autism, and other related problems.
Yes, Autistic Society of America is adamantly against any MMR vaccine containing mercury.
Yes, there's been lots of publicity about neurological disorders and mercury, thermisol, chemicals in food, in the air, water. Autism, ADD, ADHD etc. So far, the medical field is not making any conclusive statements about a causitive connection. Lots of conflicting reports out there. However, from the information I've gathered over the years, this is my thinking. I believe that certain individuals, a majority being boys, may have a genetic vulnerability to neurological disorders BUT, when these people are exposed to certain chemicals, the genes are activated to express the pathological symtoms. In other words, neurotoxins activate the genes to express symptoms that would normally lay dormant-they don't necessarily cause the vulnerability but they activate the symptoms in vulnerable individuals. We know this is true for any number of inherited tendencies; type II diabetes, some cancers, etc.- lifestyle and exposure to chemicals can activate the diseases.
I'm very glad to know that your son has finally received the kind of care that is helping him!
I'm very glad to know that your son has finally received the kind of care that is helping him!
Interestin site on the internet which describes my 13 year old son to a tee.
http://www.crazymeds.org/Blog/AspergersSyndrome.htm
What is Asperger's Syndrome?
By Jerod Poore
What is it? Do I have it?
Asperger's Syndrome is a form of high-functioning autism, first identified in 1944 by Dr. Hans Asperger in Vienna and later refined in1981 by UK psychologist Lorna Wing. Asperger's is part of the autistic spectrum, and is in itself a spectrum syndrome. As such the effects range from severe to mild, although in autistic terms severe Asperger's is relatively benign. You may not fit into society very well, but you can still take care of your basic needs, more or less. Mild Asperger's is just seen as eccentric, except when those rages strike, then you're a first-class jerk with no self-control. Anyway, here are some of the characteristics found in Asperger's:
We just can't accept criticism or correction.
Yet when we offer criticism it invariably comes across as harsh and pedantic.
We just don't get the unwritten social rules, subtext and the unspoken communication such as stance, posture and facial expressions.
We often fail to distinguish between private and public personal care habits: e.g. nose picking, teeth picking, ear canal cleaning.
We often have a naïve trust in others.
We're painfully shy.
We have constant anxiety about performance and acceptance, despite frequent recognition and commendation.
We're brutally honest.
We're blunt in emotional expression.
We have the infamous flat affect.
We have either no apparent sense of humor or a bizarre sense of humor that stems from complex references that would be far too annoying to explain.
We have great difficulty with reciprocal displays of pleasantries, greetings and small talk.
We have a lot of problems expressing empathy, such as condolence or congratulations.
We can't obscure real feelings, moods, and reactions. It's either nothing or overwhelming, there is no emotional middle ground.
We will abruptly and strongly express our likes and dislikes.
In an attempt to deal with all that small talk, empathy, jokes and the like we will adopt rigid adherence to rules and social conventions per Miss Manners. Ooops.
We'll often fixate on and excessively talk about one, or a limited number of interests.
We have a flash temper & occasional tantrums.
We have incredible difficulty forming friendships and intimate relationships. Yet being desperate for emotional intimacy we have problems in distinguishing between acquaintance and friendship. We suffer from "one real friend at a time" syndrome, but can't really tell if the other person is reciprocating, and don't understand why they don't feel the same way.
We're socially isolated and often have an intense concern for privacy, despite not being able to understand "personal space" all that well.
We have limited clothing preference and will wear the same clothes for days at a time. We'll cut off all the tags on the inside of clothes and cannot wear certain fabrics.
Which goes along with various sensory sensitivities. Certain sensations, such as particular sounds, colors, tastes, smells, will just set us off.
We are the uberklutzen. We are clumsy. We have problems with balance and judging distances, height and depth. We have gross or fine motor coordination problems. And we frequently have an unusual gait, stance, and/or posture.
We have great difficulty in recognizing others’ faces (prosopagnosia) and the emotional expressions that play across your faces.
We have difficulty initiating or maintaining eye contact.
During periods of stress and frustration we'll raise our voices all right. But it won't be yelling. Call it "yelling" and you'll hear yelling. Then you'll know the difference.
We have some strong and unusual food preferences and aversions, and equally unusual and rigid eating behaviors.
Our personal hygiene is sometimes odd or leaves much to be desired.
We will just shutdown in response to conflicting demands or high stress.
We have a low understanding of the reciprocal rules of conversation. From person-to-person, day-to-day or conversation-to-conversation you'll find us interrupting and dominating, or not participating at all. We often have difficulty with shifting topics and will keep trying to steer things back on subject. It's just painful that we don't know how or when to start or stop a conversation.
We take literalism to new frontiers.
Our rage, tantrum, shutdown, and self-isolating reactions may appear "out of nowhere" but they really do have meaningful triggers. First there's a lot of self-anger, anger towards others and the world in general, and basic resentment. But where normal people are picking up non-verbal cues, we're picking up precise meanings and shades of meanings of the words that were chosen and how they relate to what may have been said months or years ago. Some clever turn of phrase may carry a lot of personal meaning that you just couldn't possibly understand.
We have extreme reaction to changes in routine, surroundings and people. This, like some of the others, is a general autistic trait. It's summed up by the autistic credo, "All change is bad."
Our conversational style is pedantic, as if we learned to speak English from watching Masterpiece Theatre. Which, in a way, a lot of us did.
Needless to say, we don't play well with others. To quote the Aspies' TV role model, Daria Morgendorfer, "The team is the last refuge of the mediocre individual."
We're often perceived as "being in our own world."
What causes it?
The generally accepted theory is that Asperger's, and all forms of autism are caused by genetic wackiness. Does that mean that if you have one autistic child that you'll have another one? Maybe. Does that mean if you have Asperger's that your children will have Asperger's or another form of autism? Who knows? There's no genetic test right now. In his article The Geek Syndrome in the December 2001 issue of Wired, Steve Silberman raises the question of the likelihood of autism being passed on with the explosion of Asperger's and more severe forms of autism happening in Silicon Valley and other areas where Aspies have been congregating and settling down.
An odd fact that has turned up in my brain scan and in studies of other autistic individuals across the spectrum is that our cerebellums are smaller than normal while other parts of our brains, and our total brain sizes, are larger than normal. This helps to explain some of the behavior explained above and to focus on which genes to hunt for abnormalities.
One troubling piece of what I consider to be misinformation that is spreading unchecked amongst parents of recently diagnosed autistic children is vaccines as a cause of autism. First it was the mercury component of the vaccines. Now it is the MMR (measles, mumps & rubella) vaccine in particular that is causing Asperger's or other forms of autism. I think this to be highly unlikely. It's a situation of the cart before the horse. Children in the autistic spectrum will have freaky immune responses and unusual levels of metalathione in their blood that will respectively cause unexpected reactions to the dead viruses and the mercury component. As the symptoms of autism, especially the milder forms like Asperger's, first become apparent about the time the MMR is given, it seems easier for parents to blame something external like a vaccine than to consider it could be something internal like genetics.
That written, investigations into the possibilities that the vaccines are aggravating existing conditions should not be suppressed. Some odd things have turned up regarding the measles component of MMR. Only good science can say for sure if there really is something to it after all or if it is just a bunch of hooey.
What can I do about it?
Because of its recent identification, the overwhelming majority of Asperger's diagnosis, treatment, and support are geared towards children. I guess the assumption is made for us adult Aspies is that by now we either sank or swam. That can be a deadly assumption, as borne out by an acquaintance of mine who was firmly in the Asperger's spectrum in his behavior, although not formally diagnosed. Despite working in the Aspie-friendly environment of Microsoft, he opted for a messy early exit, in part because the friction of dealing with normal people day in and day out was just too much.
There is no cure for Asperger's, nor is there likely to be one anytime in the near future. Should we want one is even questionable. To quote Dr. Temple Grandin (author of "Thinking in Pictures" and designer of humane animal agriculture facilities), "Civilization would probably pay a terrible price if the genes that cause autism and Asperger's Syndrome were eradicated. The world might become a place full of highly social yakkity-yaks who would never do anything new or creative."
Still, it ain't easy getting along in the real world. Some meds seem to help. SSRIs tend to be the first-line approach to deal with the anxiety, self-hatred and obsessive behaviors. But SSRIs are a big no-no if you happen to have a comorbid bipolar condition. Fortunately the other set of medications that help with Asperger's are very bipolar friendly, anticonvulsants (usually Tegretol) and the antipsychotic Risperdal. Both help deal with the rage issues and the annoyance that comes from people not understanding the interconnectedness of things we see, yet why do they get pissed off when we start explaining it from the atomic level up? Therapy itself is a big hurdle. We just don't do therapy. The problem is the rest of the world, not us.
There's another reason why everything is geared towards kids. By the time you're an adult it's just too damn late. Sink or swim, right? Wrong. We can change. We can learn and grow. We can tackle some social interactions as if they had rules like a programming language. Starting on God's gift to Aspies, the Internet, where it's all written language and no body language, really helps. Here's a story from Zen Master Raven.
Black Bear said, "I'm frazzled after dealing with my cubs. What if I'm not feeling compassionate."
Zen Master Raven said, "Fake it."
Black Bear said, "That doesn't seem honest."
Zen Master Raven said, "It doesn't begin with honesty."
Or as they say in AA, "Fake it 'til you make it." Really, just fake that empathy. After awhile you start to feel something. Start doing it online and eventually it will come naturally.
Take an acting or speech class to learn to modulate your voice. You don't need to win any awards. Just show a little feeling in the middle ground.
I'm still working on the small talk, eye contact and conversation starting.
http://www.crazymeds.org/Blog/AspergersSyndrome.htm
What is Asperger's Syndrome?
By Jerod Poore
What is it? Do I have it?
Asperger's Syndrome is a form of high-functioning autism, first identified in 1944 by Dr. Hans Asperger in Vienna and later refined in1981 by UK psychologist Lorna Wing. Asperger's is part of the autistic spectrum, and is in itself a spectrum syndrome. As such the effects range from severe to mild, although in autistic terms severe Asperger's is relatively benign. You may not fit into society very well, but you can still take care of your basic needs, more or less. Mild Asperger's is just seen as eccentric, except when those rages strike, then you're a first-class jerk with no self-control. Anyway, here are some of the characteristics found in Asperger's:
We just can't accept criticism or correction.
Yet when we offer criticism it invariably comes across as harsh and pedantic.
We just don't get the unwritten social rules, subtext and the unspoken communication such as stance, posture and facial expressions.
We often fail to distinguish between private and public personal care habits: e.g. nose picking, teeth picking, ear canal cleaning.
We often have a naïve trust in others.
We're painfully shy.
We have constant anxiety about performance and acceptance, despite frequent recognition and commendation.
We're brutally honest.
We're blunt in emotional expression.
We have the infamous flat affect.
We have either no apparent sense of humor or a bizarre sense of humor that stems from complex references that would be far too annoying to explain.
We have great difficulty with reciprocal displays of pleasantries, greetings and small talk.
We have a lot of problems expressing empathy, such as condolence or congratulations.
We can't obscure real feelings, moods, and reactions. It's either nothing or overwhelming, there is no emotional middle ground.
We will abruptly and strongly express our likes and dislikes.
In an attempt to deal with all that small talk, empathy, jokes and the like we will adopt rigid adherence to rules and social conventions per Miss Manners. Ooops.
We'll often fixate on and excessively talk about one, or a limited number of interests.
We have a flash temper & occasional tantrums.
We have incredible difficulty forming friendships and intimate relationships. Yet being desperate for emotional intimacy we have problems in distinguishing between acquaintance and friendship. We suffer from "one real friend at a time" syndrome, but can't really tell if the other person is reciprocating, and don't understand why they don't feel the same way.
We're socially isolated and often have an intense concern for privacy, despite not being able to understand "personal space" all that well.
We have limited clothing preference and will wear the same clothes for days at a time. We'll cut off all the tags on the inside of clothes and cannot wear certain fabrics.
Which goes along with various sensory sensitivities. Certain sensations, such as particular sounds, colors, tastes, smells, will just set us off.
We are the uberklutzen. We are clumsy. We have problems with balance and judging distances, height and depth. We have gross or fine motor coordination problems. And we frequently have an unusual gait, stance, and/or posture.
We have great difficulty in recognizing others’ faces (prosopagnosia) and the emotional expressions that play across your faces.
We have difficulty initiating or maintaining eye contact.
During periods of stress and frustration we'll raise our voices all right. But it won't be yelling. Call it "yelling" and you'll hear yelling. Then you'll know the difference.
We have some strong and unusual food preferences and aversions, and equally unusual and rigid eating behaviors.
Our personal hygiene is sometimes odd or leaves much to be desired.
We will just shutdown in response to conflicting demands or high stress.
We have a low understanding of the reciprocal rules of conversation. From person-to-person, day-to-day or conversation-to-conversation you'll find us interrupting and dominating, or not participating at all. We often have difficulty with shifting topics and will keep trying to steer things back on subject. It's just painful that we don't know how or when to start or stop a conversation.
We take literalism to new frontiers.
Our rage, tantrum, shutdown, and self-isolating reactions may appear "out of nowhere" but they really do have meaningful triggers. First there's a lot of self-anger, anger towards others and the world in general, and basic resentment. But where normal people are picking up non-verbal cues, we're picking up precise meanings and shades of meanings of the words that were chosen and how they relate to what may have been said months or years ago. Some clever turn of phrase may carry a lot of personal meaning that you just couldn't possibly understand.
We have extreme reaction to changes in routine, surroundings and people. This, like some of the others, is a general autistic trait. It's summed up by the autistic credo, "All change is bad."
Our conversational style is pedantic, as if we learned to speak English from watching Masterpiece Theatre. Which, in a way, a lot of us did.
Needless to say, we don't play well with others. To quote the Aspies' TV role model, Daria Morgendorfer, "The team is the last refuge of the mediocre individual."
We're often perceived as "being in our own world."
What causes it?
The generally accepted theory is that Asperger's, and all forms of autism are caused by genetic wackiness. Does that mean that if you have one autistic child that you'll have another one? Maybe. Does that mean if you have Asperger's that your children will have Asperger's or another form of autism? Who knows? There's no genetic test right now. In his article The Geek Syndrome in the December 2001 issue of Wired, Steve Silberman raises the question of the likelihood of autism being passed on with the explosion of Asperger's and more severe forms of autism happening in Silicon Valley and other areas where Aspies have been congregating and settling down.
An odd fact that has turned up in my brain scan and in studies of other autistic individuals across the spectrum is that our cerebellums are smaller than normal while other parts of our brains, and our total brain sizes, are larger than normal. This helps to explain some of the behavior explained above and to focus on which genes to hunt for abnormalities.
One troubling piece of what I consider to be misinformation that is spreading unchecked amongst parents of recently diagnosed autistic children is vaccines as a cause of autism. First it was the mercury component of the vaccines. Now it is the MMR (measles, mumps & rubella) vaccine in particular that is causing Asperger's or other forms of autism. I think this to be highly unlikely. It's a situation of the cart before the horse. Children in the autistic spectrum will have freaky immune responses and unusual levels of metalathione in their blood that will respectively cause unexpected reactions to the dead viruses and the mercury component. As the symptoms of autism, especially the milder forms like Asperger's, first become apparent about the time the MMR is given, it seems easier for parents to blame something external like a vaccine than to consider it could be something internal like genetics.
That written, investigations into the possibilities that the vaccines are aggravating existing conditions should not be suppressed. Some odd things have turned up regarding the measles component of MMR. Only good science can say for sure if there really is something to it after all or if it is just a bunch of hooey.
What can I do about it?
Because of its recent identification, the overwhelming majority of Asperger's diagnosis, treatment, and support are geared towards children. I guess the assumption is made for us adult Aspies is that by now we either sank or swam. That can be a deadly assumption, as borne out by an acquaintance of mine who was firmly in the Asperger's spectrum in his behavior, although not formally diagnosed. Despite working in the Aspie-friendly environment of Microsoft, he opted for a messy early exit, in part because the friction of dealing with normal people day in and day out was just too much.
There is no cure for Asperger's, nor is there likely to be one anytime in the near future. Should we want one is even questionable. To quote Dr. Temple Grandin (author of "Thinking in Pictures" and designer of humane animal agriculture facilities), "Civilization would probably pay a terrible price if the genes that cause autism and Asperger's Syndrome were eradicated. The world might become a place full of highly social yakkity-yaks who would never do anything new or creative."
Still, it ain't easy getting along in the real world. Some meds seem to help. SSRIs tend to be the first-line approach to deal with the anxiety, self-hatred and obsessive behaviors. But SSRIs are a big no-no if you happen to have a comorbid bipolar condition. Fortunately the other set of medications that help with Asperger's are very bipolar friendly, anticonvulsants (usually Tegretol) and the antipsychotic Risperdal. Both help deal with the rage issues and the annoyance that comes from people not understanding the interconnectedness of things we see, yet why do they get pissed off when we start explaining it from the atomic level up? Therapy itself is a big hurdle. We just don't do therapy. The problem is the rest of the world, not us.
There's another reason why everything is geared towards kids. By the time you're an adult it's just too damn late. Sink or swim, right? Wrong. We can change. We can learn and grow. We can tackle some social interactions as if they had rules like a programming language. Starting on God's gift to Aspies, the Internet, where it's all written language and no body language, really helps. Here's a story from Zen Master Raven.
Black Bear said, "I'm frazzled after dealing with my cubs. What if I'm not feeling compassionate."
Zen Master Raven said, "Fake it."
Black Bear said, "That doesn't seem honest."
Zen Master Raven said, "It doesn't begin with honesty."
Or as they say in AA, "Fake it 'til you make it." Really, just fake that empathy. After awhile you start to feel something. Start doing it online and eventually it will come naturally.
Take an acting or speech class to learn to modulate your voice. You don't need to win any awards. Just show a little feeling in the middle ground.
I'm still working on the small talk, eye contact and conversation starting.
Thank you so much for taking the time to wrtie this up peoplesrights
Perhaps you and Andy can work together and tell others how they can help. Look for petitions on the subject, help groups, try to connect some groups together so we can have a larger voice.
We'll start our own petition here if you feel there is a need for a one.
Perhaps you and Andy can work together and tell others how they can help. Look for petitions on the subject, help groups, try to connect some groups together so we can have a larger voice.
We'll start our own petition here if you feel there is a need for a one.
QUOTE(amy @ Feb 10 2005, 03:05 PM)
...
Yes, there's been lots of publicity about neurological disorders and mercury, thermisol, chemicals in food, in the air, water. Autism, ADD, ADHD etc. So far, the medical field is not making any conclusive statements about a causitive connection. Lots of conflicting reports out there. However, from the information I've gathered over the years, this is my thinking. I believe that certain individuals, a majority being boys, may have a genetic vulnerability to neurological disorders BUT, when these people are exposed to certain chemicals, the genes are activated to express the pathological symtoms. In other words, neurotoxins activate the genes to express symptoms that would normally lay dormant-they don't necessarily cause the vulnerability but they activate the symptoms in vulnerable individuals. We know this is true for any number of inherited tendencies; type II diabetes, some cancers, etc.- lifestyle and exposure to chemicals can activate the diseases.
I'm very glad to know that your son has finally received the kind of care that is helping him!
Yes, there's been lots of publicity about neurological disorders and mercury, thermisol, chemicals in food, in the air, water. Autism, ADD, ADHD etc. So far, the medical field is not making any conclusive statements about a causitive connection. Lots of conflicting reports out there. However, from the information I've gathered over the years, this is my thinking. I believe that certain individuals, a majority being boys, may have a genetic vulnerability to neurological disorders BUT, when these people are exposed to certain chemicals, the genes are activated to express the pathological symtoms. In other words, neurotoxins activate the genes to express symptoms that would normally lay dormant-they don't necessarily cause the vulnerability but they activate the symptoms in vulnerable individuals. We know this is true for any number of inherited tendencies; type II diabetes, some cancers, etc.- lifestyle and exposure to chemicals can activate the diseases.
I'm very glad to know that your son has finally received the kind of care that is helping him!
Yes, your theory is EXACTLY my conclusion, word for word! It seems that the "male" thing is what made me think that there is a genetic vulnerability and that the mercury (and other neurotoxins) triggers the autism , just like you said. So many autistic babies and unborn have been exposed to mercury in one form or another from all indication that I have heard from families with autistic children. In my case I not only smelled the paper mill while I was pregnant, I also ate a LOT of local rock-shrimp and catfish from the waterways near the paper mill. It's not just a coincidence , I believe, that Hans Asperger discovered Asperger's Syndrome in Austria... please note the statement about mercury miners in Austria in the 1600's in the following website:
http://www.dentistrybiological.net/mercury.htm
I just got done checking the website for a link, but it's not online yet. Discover Magazine's March issue (Mar 2005) has an article talking about toxicity of mercury and all the above issues.
QUOTE(Noonan @ Feb 12 2005, 12:09 AM)
I just got done checking the website for a link, but it's not online yet. Discover Magazine's March issue (Mar 2005) has an article talking about toxicity of mercury and all the above issues.
Wow... great tip Noonan...I'm going to Barnes and Nobles today to buy it ! :D
(Frankly, I'll need it for the judge ... my husband filed divorce against me after abandoning us 4 years ago. He is claiming our son is no longer a "minor" , therefore claims he does not need to give support! Talk about your DENIAL... estranged husband still refuses to accept that our adult son is permanently dependent due to developmental disability. Apparently refusing support is his way of "handling" it. My husband needs your prayers also
... it's not easy being told to accept a rare condition in your child after so many years of mystery! )Also, thank you for your list AndyforJustice
.... those describe my son too and I can add a few more:1) false deafness- Twice when my son was much younger, his pre-school AND elementary school asked me to take him to hearing doctors for deaf tests. Twice his hearing came back PERFECT! Many years later, his neuro-psychologist told me that Asperger's brains are wired differently in the auditory part of the brain and that causes them to appear deaf when they are not.
2) arm flapping- this occurred when my son was much younger
3) rocking - this occurs now that my son is older
4) high IQ- Asperger's are blessed with average to above average IQ's , which helps them excel in a STRUCTURED environment. He excelled in the K-12 STRUCTURE with me consistently making sure he GOT to school and DID his homework (even though he was always in trouble for different behaviors and REACTING to bullies). When they are younger, Asperger's seem like "little professors". Some teachers get mad that Asperger's children know ALL the answers, because Asperger's children will correct even adults!
5) savant in Art- Asperger's appear to be savant in Art (unlike other autistics that are savant in Math). He has been an Art student at the local community college for 5 years now. He has been obsessed with Art since 2nd grade.
6) false schizophrenia- tragically, psychiatrists frequently mis-diagnos young adult Asperger's with mental illness, when it is not. It is a developmental disability on the autistic spectrum, NOT schizophrenia. Luckily, I found that Asperger's article in time to get my son away from that awful psychiatrist (he had my son on Depakote which was giving son tremors!) The new psychiatrist has my son on Abilify which miraculously stablizes his autistic "meltdowns".
7.)depression - Asperger's adults frequently suffer from the side-issue of depression, due to their inability to socialize on their own (this causes isolation when they really want human contact). ONE of the main differences between Asperger's and classical autistics is that Asperger's and autistics BOTH are disabled socially, but Asperger's CRAVE human contact and classical autistics do not. For this reason Asperger's adults are frequently prescribed anti-depressants.
8.) obsessive-complusive disorder - this is frequesntly a side-issue with autistic spectrum disorders and my son manifested OCD as a teen ... my son was on Zoloft as a teen to clear up OCD's. I know some people are against Zoloft, but I do not know what else would have stopped my son's OCD's back then.
9.) stomach disorders- autistics have a different chemistry from "normal" people, not just different brains. I used to think my son was allergic to lactose in milk, because his stomach would get upset and his behavior would be affected. I learned after his correct diagnosis that the chemical "cassein" in cow's milk and also "gluten" in wheat and many other processed foods have an adverse affect on autistic spectrum disorder's DIGESTIVE HEALTH. That is why you will frequently find me purchasing soy-milk and gluten-free cereals for my son.
10) dependent as adults- adults have been rarely studied in the USA because our country has just recognized Asperger's since 1994! But it is clear to me and his neuro-psychologist that Asperger's adults are dependent on their parents and will need group homes if no family is surviving or willing to take in the Asperger's adult. ALL the Asperger's adults in the groups he meets with live with their parents.
Most are unable to drive (motor skills and thought-processing is an issue- remember when Dustin Hoffman drove the car in the movie "Rainman"
). 11) false parental blame
- this is something that the American medical and educational communities are FINALLY realizing since 1994- Aspergers Syndrome is NOT THE PARENTS FAULT!!! (Europe realized this decades ago!!!)12) other people's ignorance - My son's neuro-psychologist told me that I would be explaining Asperger's Syndrome to people every day for the rest of my life!!!
There is a desperate need in USA for support systems for ADULT Asperger's !
Now the question is , does George W. Bush give a damn, or does he want Asperger's adults to be homeless (while W's cronies, the folks making $money$ from producing neuro-toxic MERCURY from the vaccine companies and power plants/paper mill companies, rake in their fortunes on the backs of developmentally disabled people?) :o
WARNING TO PREGNANT WOMEN: DO NOT , and I mean NEVER EAT FISH WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT (DUE TO MERCURY CONTAMINATION IN USA WATERWAYS AND OFFSHORE)
QUOTE(peoplesrights @ Feb 12 2005, 11:40 AM)
...
WARNING TO PREGNANT WOMEN: DO NOT , and I mean NEVER EAT FISH WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT (DUE TO MERCURY CONTAMINATION IN USA WATERWAYS AND OFFSHORE)
WARNING TO PREGNANT WOMEN: DO NOT , and I mean NEVER EAT FISH WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT (DUE TO MERCURY CONTAMINATION IN USA WATERWAYS AND OFFSHORE)
Check out this fish-mercury article... I wish I knew in 1980 what I know now:
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/parent.../fish.pregnant/
QUOTE(peoplesrights @ Feb 12 2005, 02:09 PM)
Check out this fish-mercury article... I wish I knew in 1980 what I know now:
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/parent.../fish.pregnant/
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/parent.../fish.pregnant/
Also, I've heard in the "autistic community" that you should request that your pediatrician use SEPERATE vaccines instead of the combined MMR... and that if your pediatrician refuses to do it, GET ANOTHER PEDIATRICIAN.
QUOTE(peoplesrights @ Feb 12 2005, 10:52 AM)
Also, I've heard in the "autistic community" that you should request that your pediatrician use SEPERATE vaccines instead of the combined MMR... and that if your pediatrician refuses to do it, GET ANOTHER PEDIATRICIAN.
peoplesrights, I found this site and think it supports what you have said.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/autism/execsumm.php
I was trained by the County to mainstream autistic kindergarteners into my classroom. Hang in there my friend, and I hope that you have joined a parent group in your area. Thank you for putting out the alert to everyone!
QUOTE(kindergarten teacher @ Feb 12 2005, 04:22 PM)
...
I was trained by the County to mainstream autistic kindergarteners into my classroom. Hang in there my friend, and I hope that you have joined a parent group in your area. Thank you for putting out the alert to everyone!
I was trained by the County to mainstream autistic kindergarteners into my classroom. Hang in there my friend, and I hope that you have joined a parent group in your area. Thank you for putting out the alert to everyone!
Thank you kindergarten teacher, for mainstreaming the autistics ... many are brilliant and deserve regular ed diplomas (like my son!) I consider special teachers worthy of sainthood in my book :D It's a struggle for parents to watch their kids get bullied (Asperger's are bully-magnets) , but we fought the system and kept my son Regular Ed. (They tricked us into Emotionally Handicapped IEP, and when I realized we were lied to in son's 5th grade that it was indefinite when he would be removed, we fought HARD to get him back in Regular Ed.) It was worth it, because nobody understood that he was Asperger's back then, so he learned to put up with bullies up till the day he graduated EARLY from high school!
I have not attended adult Asperger's parents group yet, but I will someday. Luckily, son has access to several avenues of Asperger's adult groups . The problem is his Dad... his Dad has started a new fantasy life of non-acceptance. I do not know if his Dad will ever snap out of it, or if its a permanent mid-life/plus denial crisis.
But the information kindergarten teacher (great website tying mercury and autism together) and Noonan gave me will help get child support for dependent child ! Thanks for the Discover mag Noonan... I bought the March 2005 issue and read "Our Preferred Poison" all about mercury and its disabling effects. The picture of the smokestacks on page 65 will be worth 1000 words to the judge... I was downwind of smokestacks like that from Gilman Paper Co. in St. Mary's Georgia in 1980 while I was pregnant with my son when my husband was a Navy man at Kingsbay Naval Submarine Base.
An excellent site for information about autism, ADD, ADHD, Tourette's, etc. Free articles, online newsletter offering lots of info about alternative and advanced treatments without toxic drugs. Association for Comprehensive Neurotherapy: http://www.latitudes.org/index.html
As an educator, I do know that kid's with Asperger's can do very well in an inclusive setting. Parents have to know their rights under IDEA (federal law) and become advocates for their children.
The mercury connection is scary, for sure. We do know that there have been "pockets" of autism and related syndromes in certain areas of the country. The immunization theory is one of the possible causes, but I agree that the most likely thing is that, similar to many types of cancer, each of us is born with certain genetic proclivities, then exposure to toxins and environmental agents can "turn on" those genes. That is why we must work to have the cleanest air and water we can have for ensuing generations.
Please be willing to lend your expertise to parents of younger children, newly identified. Over the years, as a special educator, I always found that parents that had "been there" were the most effective source of emotional and practical support for those struggling parents of newly diagnosed students.
Good luck to you and your son, and thanks for sharing your story.
The mercury connection is scary, for sure. We do know that there have been "pockets" of autism and related syndromes in certain areas of the country. The immunization theory is one of the possible causes, but I agree that the most likely thing is that, similar to many types of cancer, each of us is born with certain genetic proclivities, then exposure to toxins and environmental agents can "turn on" those genes. That is why we must work to have the cleanest air and water we can have for ensuing generations.
Please be willing to lend your expertise to parents of younger children, newly identified. Over the years, as a special educator, I always found that parents that had "been there" were the most effective source of emotional and practical support for those struggling parents of newly diagnosed students.
Good luck to you and your son, and thanks for sharing your story.
Just a word of encouragement, Peoplerights- you are doing a marvelous job in helping your son. He is so very fortunate to have such a patient and loving mother.
I wish you the best of luck as you move forward and I hope, that in time, your husband will come around. It has been my experience that men often internalize feelings of guilt or failure (neither of which should rationally apply here ) and just go into denial. It is their only way of coping. In the meantime, it is wonderful that you have summoned the strength and tenacity to move on
with your life, while caring for your son's needs. You set a wonderful example for us all.
I wish you the best of luck as you move forward and I hope, that in time, your husband will come around. It has been my experience that men often internalize feelings of guilt or failure (neither of which should rationally apply here ) and just go into denial. It is their only way of coping. In the meantime, it is wonderful that you have summoned the strength and tenacity to move on
with your life, while caring for your son's needs. You set a wonderful example for us all.
QUOTE(peoplesrights @ Feb 12 2005, 10:40 AM)
Wow... great tip Noonan...I'm going to Barnes and Nobles today to buy it !
I just got done with the magazine. One thing to always check is the links in the small colored boxes within the articles and the last page of the magazine for other sources. In court, I'd rely more upon the sources for the article than "Discover" itself. I like it, but's it is really just science light.
QUOTE(Noonan @ Feb 12 2005, 11:02 PM)
I just got done with the magazine. One thing to always check is the links in the small colored boxes within the articles and the last page of the magazine for other sources. In court, I'd rely more upon the sources for the article than "Discover" itself. I like it, but's it is really just science light.
Thanks, for the "sources tip" Noonan> I bought a lot of books back at Christmas with MD and PhD authors about Asperger's Syndrome and autistic spectrum disorder. Yes, this will be a challenge explaining to a judge about such a newly recognized disorder and explaining WHY my son is dependent as an adult. I read one line in a book that said the gene they are " missing is the secretary of the brain" , not the intellect part, but the part that motivates , keeps you "on task", that tells you that you gotta do this , this , then this. He is so naive its uncanny... the world just isn't ready for such a naive young man! His art is amazing , it's the savant thing... he has an intellect ... he knows I love him!
QUOTE(Pie @ Feb 12 2005, 10:38 PM)
...
I wish you the best of luck as you move forward and I hope, that in time, your husband will come around. It has been my experience that men often internalize feelings of guilt or failure (neither of which should rationally apply here ) and just go into denial. It is their only way of coping....[/color]
I wish you the best of luck as you move forward and I hope, that in time, your husband will come around. It has been my experience that men often internalize feelings of guilt or failure (neither of which should rationally apply here ) and just go into denial. It is their only way of coping....[/color]
Men and coping skills... now there's another thread topic for discussion
Yes... I have tried to express that to the judge in the papers I have counter-filed regarding my husband's filing for divorce... I have tried to let judge know that this is an extra-ordinary set of circumstances, and while I do not like my husband's denial, I am empathetic while at the same time requesting relief in the form of support. I am trying to be as diplomatic and legal and un-emotional in my papers as possible. My anger is gone. I have since found out that 70%-80% of autistic families are divorced and am now counting my blessings that he stood by me for 21 years through such a mysterious condition such as un-diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome.
MSNBC series on autism coming up soon in February 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6844737/
I do not get cable , so I will not get to see it. But I hope everyone who has access
watches it to learn the warning signs and to avoid mercury during pregnancy in fish and in vaccines.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6844737/
I do not get cable , so I will not get to see it. But I hope everyone who has access
watches it to learn the warning signs and to avoid mercury during pregnancy in fish and in vaccines.
The following study by the EPA itself reveals the truth that the Bush/Cheney administration wishes to hide 
from millions of potential American mothers. This is an excerpt from the below website:
"...A 22-inch Northern Pike weighing two pounds can have a mercury concentration as much as 225,000 times as high as the surrounding water..."
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/bnsdocs/hgsbook/p...%20mercury'
I believe ALL seafood stores and delis and restaurant menus, and ALL seafood packages and cans should contain the following warning and that these words should be placed by the Surgeon General of the USA:
"WARNING TO PREGNANT MOTHERS AND THOSE WOMEN WHO ARE THINKING OF BEING PREGNANT : SEAFOOD IS POTENTIALLY VERY HARMFUL TO A FETUS DUE TO POSSIBLY CONTAINING MERCURY POISONING AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS THAT CAN CAUSE PERMANENT BIRTH DEFECTS SUCH AS MENTAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES"
from millions of potential American mothers. This is an excerpt from the below website:"...A 22-inch Northern Pike weighing two pounds can have a mercury concentration as much as 225,000 times as high as the surrounding water..."
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/bnsdocs/hgsbook/p...%20mercury'
I believe ALL seafood stores and delis and restaurant menus, and ALL seafood packages and cans should contain the following warning and that these words should be placed by the Surgeon General of the USA:
"WARNING TO PREGNANT MOTHERS AND THOSE WOMEN WHO ARE THINKING OF BEING PREGNANT : SEAFOOD IS POTENTIALLY VERY HARMFUL TO A FETUS DUE TO POSSIBLY CONTAINING MERCURY POISONING AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS THAT CAN CAUSE PERMANENT BIRTH DEFECTS SUCH AS MENTAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES"
Peoplesrights, Andy, my son also fits the symptoms picture. He is only five and I keep on hoping it is not true but he won't perform in public, does not like to be told what to do, is painfully shy, but will give an honest loud opinion when it is not appropriate making everyone in the room laugh, he sometimes has a funny gait when he runs and walks and comes last in athletics, but he draws and draws and quite well. He gets through a drawing book in a day easily.
I am hoping it is only mild. He does not get tantrums and he does not mind changes in the routine, he copes well with being on the plane for 12 hours. However I found out that when you travel it is worth mentioning it because they will give you a seat where your child will be least problem. Like just behind a bulkhead. There he won't sit and kick the back of the chair in front and have to be told 100 times to stop. It gives you more space too. They also may give you preferential treatment when your plane is missed and you are rebooked, they will take into account that your child cannot cope with staying on the road for hours and hours longer than necessary and put you on as early a flight as they can possibly manage even when they have said previously that there is not an earlier option. That is my experience anyway.
He had the three injections for mumps, measles and rubella seperately, as that is how they do it in Japan. When I was pregnant I did not know about the high levels of mercury in fish. I think that was just beginning to come out. Possibly white fish is not as bad as red fleshed fish. I think someone told me that white fish breed and live deeper in the ocean where the water is cleaner.
I must have eaten red fish while I was pregnant, because we have it routinely as it is cheap and easy to serve. Still, my husband thinks it is genetic. Maybe, but why have the numbers of children with autism skyrocketed recently? With more international marriages and a smaller world you would think that the gene pool would get more healthy.
My cousin has two children and both have asperger's syndrome.
I am hoping it is only mild. He does not get tantrums and he does not mind changes in the routine, he copes well with being on the plane for 12 hours. However I found out that when you travel it is worth mentioning it because they will give you a seat where your child will be least problem. Like just behind a bulkhead. There he won't sit and kick the back of the chair in front and have to be told 100 times to stop. It gives you more space too. They also may give you preferential treatment when your plane is missed and you are rebooked, they will take into account that your child cannot cope with staying on the road for hours and hours longer than necessary and put you on as early a flight as they can possibly manage even when they have said previously that there is not an earlier option. That is my experience anyway.
He had the three injections for mumps, measles and rubella seperately, as that is how they do it in Japan. When I was pregnant I did not know about the high levels of mercury in fish. I think that was just beginning to come out. Possibly white fish is not as bad as red fleshed fish. I think someone told me that white fish breed and live deeper in the ocean where the water is cleaner.
I must have eaten red fish while I was pregnant, because we have it routinely as it is cheap and easy to serve. Still, my husband thinks it is genetic. Maybe, but why have the numbers of children with autism skyrocketed recently? With more international marriages and a smaller world you would think that the gene pool would get more healthy.
My cousin has two children and both have asperger's syndrome.
A couple of other things that I wonder about - having read your two essays -
Firstly, while I was pregnant I went to my parents for over a week and there was a chipboard factory nearby which blows out pollution occasionally.
Secondly, is it true that milk is bad for Aspies? My son practically lives on milk but I seem to remember reading that it is bad for them. Maybe I should go over to soya milk. But I would not recommend soya milk if anyone is wanting to get pregnant as it has just been discovered that tiny amounts of soy can stop you conceiving if they are in your body at that time of the month that you ovulate (I think).
Firstly, while I was pregnant I went to my parents for over a week and there was a chipboard factory nearby which blows out pollution occasionally.
Secondly, is it true that milk is bad for Aspies? My son practically lives on milk but I seem to remember reading that it is bad for them. Maybe I should go over to soya milk. But I would not recommend soya milk if anyone is wanting to get pregnant as it has just been discovered that tiny amounts of soy can stop you conceiving if they are in your body at that time of the month that you ovulate (I think).
A google search 'mercury in milk' is very interesting. Not only because I breastfed my son till he was over a year old, but also because of the amount of cow's milk he drinks - about 8 beakers a day. Unfortuneately my mind cannot take in all this information at once. For now I am going to cut cow's milk out of his diet and after a month or two see if I notice him behaving differently. I have bought coffeemate, condensed milk, and soya milk and see how we go.
Vegetables contain mercury that is from the pollution in the ground. Here in Tokyo veges are grown in allotments between houses and next to highways. I am always careful to take off the outer leaves, and peel veges. When he was a baby, I used to wash my son's vegetables in detergent and rinse it - as was advised in the book I had on babies.
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