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CreativeDominant -> RE: The Corral (7/23/2008 7:14:07 AM)
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Good morning, everyone. I am sure most people with autistic child have read this (or something similar):
Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as Asperger syndrome.[2]
Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations.[3] In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects.[4] Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial; the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence.[5]
(sidebar here: Right now, at several colleges (Including my alma mater, I believe), there is research going on that is ever-more damaging in terms of linking vaccinations to autism. One reason I fought having my kids vaccinated)
Most recent reviews estimate a prevalence of one to two cases per 1,000 people for autism, and about six per 1,000 for ASD, with ASD averaging a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.[6]
Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is poorly understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. There is no cure.[7] Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful,[8] and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.[9]
For the rest of the article, go here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism
Savage likes to stir up controversy but I think he may have reallllllllllllly put his foot in it. I've treated patients who have children. I have two families with autistic children. I've raised two children of my own and have been around countless children. With some understanding and observation and some careful questioning, you begin to learn which kids were born "brats", which kids are "brats" because their parents exert little control or the wrong kind, and which kids' behaviors have nothing to do with bad parenting or being born a "bad" child.
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