Dr. David H. Gorski, who is NOT an autism expert, somewhat ironically, attacks parents, professionals and journalists who disagree with his autism disorders opinions as “quacks” Dear Dr. David H. Gorski. Thank you for acknowledging your total lack of autism expertise. For the benefit of readers unfamiliar with your “style:” I
Continue readingAuthor: H L Doherty
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Alex Spourdalakis Killing Exploited by Neurodiversity Extremist Emily J. Willingham.
Parents who speak honestly about the realities of autism disorders and the few journalists who dare challenge established views of autism causation are under attack …. again … by Forbes Columnist Emily J. Willingham, formerly known, a few years before her Forbes career, as blogger Daisy May Fatty Pants. Not
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: New Brunswick is a Canadian (and North American) Leader In Early Autism Intervention and School Autism Services
New Brunswick is a Canadian, and North American, leader in early autism intervention and school autism services. I do not doubt that that statement is enough to prompt a retort from many jurisdictions. New Brunswick is not one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in Canada, let alone North America, but the
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: 2 Harmful Acts: Autism Hate Letter And CHEO Removing Autistic Child With GDD From Early Intervention Program
The notorious autism hate letter that targeted an Ontario family and their autistic child has sparked horror and outrage around the world. As the father of a 17 year old son with severe autistic disorder, profound developmental delays and tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures I recoiled when I heard the news
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Hemispherectomy: Cut My Son’s Brain In Half? No Way …. Unless
I am not a neurologist, neurosurgeon or medical doctor of any kind. I am not a psychologist or a certified behavior analyst. I am a lawyer and a father of two sons one of whom has a severe autism disorder, profound developmental delays and … in recent years has suffered
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Writes Off Child With Autism AND Global Developmental Delay (Intellectual Disability)
CHEO: No Teddy Bears & No Autism Program for Severely Challenged Children The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario has been added as a respondent in a human rights proceeding, and accused of discrimination, after it kicked an autistic child with global developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, out of an early intervention
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: SFARI Highlights Serious Risk of Epilepsy for Young Children and Teens with Autism and Intellectual Disability
“Children with autism who are older than 13 years and have low intelligence are at the greatest risk of having epilepsy, says one of the largest epidemiological studies on the issue to date1. Children are typically diagnosed with epilepsy after having at least two seizures — uncontrolled surges of electrical activity in
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: You Can Help the Chalmers Hospital ICU Save Lives!
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Fredericton’s Chalmers hospital saves lives even with vitally important monitoring equipment that is more than 10 years old. We found out first hand how important the ICU is when our son Conor spent 6 days at the ICU with a life threatening adverse medication
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Breakthrough? Autism Speaks Recognizes Autism Heterogeneity!
Rethinking Autism Variation and Complexity by Lynn Waterhouse is a recent work which provides a thorough, expert and extremely well researched picture of the variation and complexity of autism spectrum disorders. Hopefully the rest of the professional and academic autism community will read Rethinking Autism and come to grips with
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: OTARC Panel: Dr. Giacomo Vivanti: Does Severe Autism Cause Intellectual Disability?
Excellent panel discussion by the La Trobe University Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) with Dr. Giacomo Vivanti, Dr. Cheryl Dissanjake and Dr. Cynthia Zierhut. The panel comments on the cultural representation of autism as genius in movies such as Rain Man and television series such as the Big Bang
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Severe Autism: Autism in the Shadows – Thank You Amy Mackin
“My son’s story is one of hope, not unlike the stories regularly broadcast on television, printed in magazines or making the rounds on YouTube. Yet the autism spectrum is wide and diverse, and many who suffer from severe autism will never reach the level of functioning that my child has
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor Countdown Continues In Support of FLEXIBLE, EVIDENCE BASED Inclusion
The Conor Countdown continues, as Conor gets up each day at 6 am and changes the number reflecting the number of days until school resumes. My son Conor, and his autism disorder disability, have been well accommodated in schools here in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He has benefited both from
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Run Jump Fly Boy Is Back – Thank You Again DECH ICU!
A few months ago, Conor was lying unconscious in a bed at the Intensive Care Unit of the Chalmers’ Hospital (the DECH) with tubes running out of his body and hooked up to 10+ year old monitoring equipment. Notwithstanding the age of the monitoring equipment the fantastic DECH ICU team
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Why I Chose Autism REALITY As My Social Media Name
The picture above, for those visiting my blog for the first time, is my son Conor now 17+ years old. I love him dearly and he brings great joy into my life every day. He is also severely autistic with severe cognitive challenges (intellectual disability) and like many with those
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism`s 40% With Intellectual Disability? Auti$m $peak$ Doesn’t See YOU, Doesn’t Speak For YOU!
Autism Speaks has done much to create publicity around the word autism, the color blue, puzzle pieces and … some very talented, high functioning individuals with autism diagnoses like Alex Plank and J. E. Robison. In terms of its public statements and presentations though it does little to nothing to
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Severe Autism Breakthrough: J. Cole Offers Sincere Apology And Acknowledges Existence of Severe Autism
Rapper J. Cole has offered what appears to this observer to be a very sincere apology, one offered without qualifications and one which actually offers a breakthrough for those who, like my son, suffer from severe autism. Unlike most prominent autism advocates rapper J. Cole actually acknowledged the existence of,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Dear Anna Kennedy: Please Stop Misrepresenting Autism, Autism Is A Health DISORDER NOT a Gift
Anyone described as “having autism” or “being autistic” would have received an autism disorder diagnosis pursuant, in all likelihood, to either the DSM or the ICD Dear Anna Kennedy My 17 year old son Conor who was diagnosed 15+ years ago with “autistic disorder” (now autism spectrum disorder) and profound developmental delays (
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Conor’s Fredericton Adventures 2013 Part I
Conor & Dad, couple of hosers enjoying the snow, eh? Conor’s Saint John River view clear day, above, not so clear below Conor helps Dad with a visit at the Chalmers Hospital Acute Care Unit Conor and Mom head out for a stroll on the North Riverfront Trail Conor changes
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Sound Advice for Autism Speaks
In yesterday’s commentary Autism Speaks Joins Drake And J.Cole In Insulting 40% With Autism AND Intellectual Disability I criticized Autism Speaks for stigmatizing persons with Intellectual Disability, particularly the 40% of persons on the autism spectrum with ID, the 40% that Autism Speaks seldom acknowledges in its promotions and literature.
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Speaks Joins Drake And J.Cole In Insulting 40% With Autism AND Intellectual Disability
Autism Speaks has joined rappers Drake and J. Cole in insulting persons with Intellectual Disability particularly the 40% of the autism spectrum with intellectual disability. The rappers had published song lyrics referring in an insulting manner to persons who are “autistic, retarded”. Autism Speaks did not simply criticize the rappers
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