Autism research has been marked by an obsession with genetic focused research as the expense of research examining potential environmental causes or triggers of autism. The frozen “it’s gotta be genetic” mindset of the autism research estab…
Continue readingAuthor: Autism Reality NB
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: With a Perfect Storm Approaching for NB Autistic Students Some Tips for Obtaining an Autism Trained Education Assistant
If your child with autism is moving into the school system you may want a trained TA to continue the progress achieved in the pre-school years. If your autistic child is already in the school system and you believe he/she would benefit from the help of…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Terrific Autism News: Missing Severely Autistic Man Found Safe in Toronto
A 29 year old Toronto man with Autism has been found safe and sound. 680 Toronto News All News Radio reports that Gyafi Payne is described as having the “mental capacity of a five year old”. He had gone missing around 7:30 pm Saturday. &nbs…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Medicare’s Orphans Trailer 1: The Hudson Family Sacrifice for their Child with Autism
This video is the first trailer for Medicare’s Orphans by Medicare for Autism Now! which will examine Canada’s shameful exclusion of autism treatment from Medicare coverage and the consequences for autistic children and their families. It provides a…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder: 3 Domains Become 2 and Exclude Intellectually Disabled
In the DSM-5 the new Autism Spectrum Disorder will, for the most part focus on those with Aspergers’ and high functioing autism. The vast majority of those with Autistic Disorder who are also intellectually disabled will be excluded. This is clear fro…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: High Functioning Autism fMRI Brain Scan Study Misrepresented to the Public
“research in ASD has tended to use overwhelmingly White, middle to upper middle class samples, and has often excluded children with multiple disabilities and/or severe to profound intellectual disabilities”. [underlining added – H…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Is Walking Autism Therapy? No, Just Fun for Conor and Dad
In the space of two days Conor and I went on several walks together. Nothing makes me feel better than going for a good walk, preferably along a trail or hiking in the woods. I love being outdoors in nature and I always have. As an added bo…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and the DSM-5’s Unintended Consequence: The Return of Dr. Allen Frances
Dr. Allen Frances is engaged in an all out revolt against the DSM-5 revision process and those conducting the revision. Underlying his revolt is an admission, at times express but always implicitly present, that if we have seen a series of fals…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism & Real Inclusion: Conor Counts the Days (40) to School
My son does not receive what many would consider an inclusive education. Those who subscribe to the philosophy that all children benefit from learning in a mainstream classroom would be horrified to learn that my son receives his individualiz…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: What is Severe Autism?
What is severe autism? Kim Oakley asks the question rhetorically before answering it in Silent Alarm. I strongly recommend anyone who wants to know what severe autism is read this latest comment by someone who has dealt with severe autism first…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: DSM-5 Autism Shell Game
WordNet Dictionary
Noun1.shell game – a swindling sleight-of-hand game; victim guesses which of three things a pellet is under
Synonyms: thimblerig
The DSM-5 treatm…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: When I Can No Longer Walk With Conor
My buddy, Conor, 15One thing about which I have no regrets is the time I have spent with my sons and, in the context of autism and this blog, my time with my 15 year old severely autistic son Conor. Many years ago I vowed to do whatever I …
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: DSM5 Exclusion? Autism Research Already Excludes Intellectually Disabled
“All children had normal IQ”
Abstract – Methods, Cheung C. et al, MRI study of minor physical
anomaly in childhood autism implicates aberrant neurodevelopment in infancy
I have written several times on the exclusi…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism, Genes & Environment: Why It Took So Long for the Genetic Autism Myth To Die
Studies of twins have established that it is not 100 per cent genetic, since even among identical twins, when one has autism, the likelihood of both twins having autism is only about 60 per cent. This means there must also be an environmental compon…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and Intellectual Disability in the DSM5: My Submission to the DSM5 Neurodevelopmental Disorders Work Group
July 17 2011
Neurodevelopmental Disorders DSM Work GroupAmerican Psychiatric Association
Dear NDD Work Group Members
I am the father of a 15 year old son diagnosed at age 2 with Autistic Disorders and assessed with profound developmental delays condi…
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: A Perfect Conor Summer Morning
No autism commentary this morning. Great weather and we headed out for a walk on the trail to the Superstore to pick up a few groceries. More than the weather though Conor was in a great mood and wanted to get out doors and stretch his legs in…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Confirmation DSM-5’s New Autism Spectrum Disorder Will Exclude Intellectually Disabled
I have written previously that persons who presently have autistic disorder or PDD-NOS and who are also intellectually disabled will be removed from the DSM-5’s New Autism Spectrum Disorder. Whereas those with intellectual disability once constituted …
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Cure Autism? Absolutely!
Autism is a disorder. We need to find a cure, or cures, for autism disorders.
These simple points seem to escape those who perversely find joy in the fact that a child has an autism disorder. Equally irrational is the notion that society need not find…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: NIHM Director Thomas Insel: Study Finding Environmental Role in Autism in Line with Other Recent Observations
“These new findings are in line with other recent observations supporting both environmental and genetic contributions to ASD, with the environmental factors likely prenatal and the genetic factors highly complex and sometimes not inherited”
NI…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Genetic Myth DEBUNKED!
Our understanding of autism has been impaired for over a decade by the myth that autism is primarily genetic, a myth that has now been debunked as set out in the accompanying news release from the University of California. The WOO peddled by th…
Continue reading