Monday, February 9, 2015 is the first International Epilepsy Day, a joint initiative created by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) scheduled to occur annually hereafter on the second Monday in February to promote epilepsy awareness around the world. Epileptic seizures are
Continue readingAuthor: H L Doherty
Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Our Happy Conor is Back! And Dad Is Happy Too!
The top photo above was taken a year and a half ago, shortly after Conor recoved from a very serious adverse reaction to his seizure med at the time, Lamtrogine, which resulted in two weeks in the hospital including an emergency room visit and 6 days in the ICU where
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Jabberwocky, Excellent Autism Blogger, Signs Off
There are lots of autism blogs on the internet. One of the best autism blogs, possibly the very best, has been the Autism Jabberwocky blog which features the thoughtful, reality based, well informed and well written commentaries of “MJ” who has now indicated, in his comment, The End of the
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Manitoba Autism Crisis Demonstrates Need For A REAL Canadian National Autism Strategy
Canada, despite a private members motion championed by the late Fredericton MP Andy Scott and Nova Scotia MP Peter Stoffer which called for one, does not have a REAL National Autism Strategy. The failure to enact a REAL National Autism Strategy means that in some provinces very few autistic children
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Is 2015 The Year New Brunswick Finally Addresses Serious NB Adult Autism Residential Care and Treatment Needs?
During the 2010 New Brunswick election Dr. McDonnell, as noted above, was interviewed by CBC on the subject of adult autism care. The interview and analysis posted on the site are no longer available online but he stated at that time (bold highlighting added by me): Paul McDonnell, September, 2010
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Society Canada Misrepresents Autism On Its Web Site Makeover By Hiding The Many with Autism AND Intellectual Disability
The Autism Society Canada web site was down briefly and I had hoped, notwithstanding past experience, that the ASC would have started presenting an accurate picture of autism disorders to the Canadian public and families with autism disorders. My hopes, faint as they might have been, were dashed again. ASC,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Self Injurious Behavior, Seizures, Reduced Life Expectancy Are My Son’s Severe Autism Disorder Challenges Not Concern Over The Expression #MSSNG
Self Injurious Behavior, a common occurrence in some with severe autism, can appear in a flash and transform a happy, fun filled moment into pain and suffering as it does above with my son Conor. The very high functioning autistics who do not share my son’s disorder and challenges have no right to
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: "Professor" John Elder Robison’s Limited Understanding of Autism and Autism Research
MIT Technology Review: John Elder Robison is a professor at the College of William & Mary and the author of Look Me in the Eye. John Elder Robison is a former “free ranging “Aspie”, a successful businessman, writer and now apparently a professor as indicated in the MIT Technology Review article Fixing
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: SUDEP The Global Conversation Combating The Myth That Seizures Do Not Kill
Many with autism disorders also suffer from epileptic seizures and should be aware of the risk of SUDEP, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. The following is a News Release about SUDEP the global conversation a joint effort of several epilepsy and SUDEP awareness ogranizations in the US, Canada and Australia:Families,
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: So Called Autism Brain Study Excluded 50% of the Autism Spectrum, Those With Intellectual Disability
Credit (or Discredit) Carnegie Mellon University What’s Wrong With This Picture? It Omits 50% of The Autism Spectrum, Those with Intellectual Disability The picture above, credit (or discredit) to Carnegie Mellon University, is from a Science Daily review article Brain representations of social thoughts accurately predict autism diagnosis which reviews an
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Dear Elected Representatives: New Brunswick Needs Adult Autism Residential Care and Treatment
Dear Hon. Premier Gallant, Deputy Premier Horsman,Speaker Collins, Ministers, Party Leaders and Government Advisers: Re New Brunswick’s Lack of Adult Autism Care: I am sure that you are all grappling with important issues in these weeks following a provincial election. Many issues have generated intense discussion and serious attention from all
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Joy of Conor 2014
I will not pretend, I will never pretend, that autism is just a different way of thinking. Heather and I love our son too much to lie to the world about the nature of his autism realities, his severe autism, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Like many parents of autistic
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: DSM5 ASD Criterion D: No Clinically Signifcant Impairment in Current Functioning = No Autism
The DSM5 is certainly open to criticism; particularly in its combining of the pervasive developmental disorders into one Autism Spectrum Disorder ignoring the very large numbers of persons with DSM-IV Autistic Disorder who also suffer from Intellectual Disability. One point which did make sense in the Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnostic
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: The Seinfeld-Descartes Autism Diagnostic Tool: "I think I am Autistic therefore I am Autistic"
The Seinfeld-Descartes Autism Diagnostic Tool: I Think I Am Autistic Therefore I Am Autistic Many, especially many with very, very high functioning autism diagnoses have embraced Jerry Seinfeld’s new test for autism “conditions” one that the great comic borrowed from philosopher Rene Descartes: “I think I am autistic, therefore I
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: My Son With Autism Disorder And Jerry Seinfeld Have Nothing In Common; Not Even An Autism Disorder Diagnosis
(Grainy) Composite Photo 0f Jerry Seinfeld by Harold L Doherty, Moncton Coliseum, February 2012, 2 Years Before His Revelation That He “Might” Be “On “The Autism Spectrum” Picture by Harold L Doherty of My Son Conor Doherty On His 2nd Birthday, The Day Before His Autism Disorder Diagnosis Was Received
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: New Jersey Dad: "Reality Of Autism Is Often Very Grim"
I chose the name of my email account “AutismRealityNB@gmail.com” because, from my perspective, the harsh realities of autism disorders are usually ignored or worse, intentionally misrepresented, by the mainstream media, autism awareness organizations, some high functioning autism “self”advocates and even some parents and autism professionals. An online friend of mine
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: SUDEP Awareness Day and Autism Disorders
A much higher percentage of people with autism spectrum disorders suffer from epileptic seizures than among persons in the general population. At the severe end of the autism “spectrum” it has been estimated that as many as 39% also suffer from seizures. My severely autistic, intellectually challenged son Conor suffers
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Canada’s Autism Awareness Month? Not Much Awareness Going On … Once Again
October, for what its worth, is Autism Awareness Month in Canada. You will probably see performances by persons with Asperger’s or high functioning Autism. There will be wonderful success stories and accomplishments shared to give parents hope, in many cases false hope, about their child’s future. There will be little
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Canada’s Autism Awareness Month Message: Autistic Children Become Autistic Adults
Autism Awareness Month: Autistic Children Become Autistic Adults October is Autism Awareness Month in Canada. As a father of an 18 year old son with severe autism disorder, profound developmental delays (like 50% of the autism spectrum according to the World Health Organization) and seizures which also affect many with
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