Re: The Sunday Times..........Some 'autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

[Guest guest]

She thinks it’s

fashionable to have autism? Bloody hell, of all the things my son’s autism has

brought us, I don’t think I’d put being trendy on the list anywhere!

The Sunday Times..........Some ‘autistic’ children

aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday

Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week

have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise

in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The

statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in

Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools

over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But

while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against

Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent

statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most

sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an

“epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The

plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly

after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by

Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for

measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this

newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a

teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more

fashionable.

To

the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic

spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on

behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is

described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she

throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children

know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things

result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety

from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s

impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious

condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And

it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism”

might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has

to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are

families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children

who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also

families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the

autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for

a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says.

“Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in

place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health

professionals.”

Indeed

they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be

synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad

news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments,

without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will

become a 1,200% rise.

Some

say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between

18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in

the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children,

but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are

unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family

breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more

controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of

six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go.

If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is

not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is

habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making

conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However,

although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some

may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a

peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There

are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage

to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except

that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can

often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the

hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For

the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism

statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

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[Guest guest]

She thinks it’s

fashionable to have autism? Bloody hell, of all the things my son’s autism has

brought us, I don’t think I’d put being trendy on the list anywhere!

The Sunday Times..........Some ‘autistic’ children

aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday

Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week

have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise

in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The

statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in

Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools

over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But

while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against

Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent

statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most

sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an

“epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The

plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly

after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by

Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for

measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this

newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a

teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more

fashionable.

To

the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic

spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on

behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is

described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she

throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children

know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things

result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety

from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s

impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious

condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And

it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism”

might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has

to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are

families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children

who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also

families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the

autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for

a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says.

“Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in

place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health

professionals.”

Indeed

they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be

synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad

news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments,

without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will

become a 1,200% rise.

Some

say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between

18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in

the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children,

but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are

unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family

breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more

controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of

six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go.

If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is

not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is

habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making

conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However,

although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some

may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a

peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There

are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage

to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except

that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can

often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the

hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For

the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism

statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--

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[Guest guest]

Who is Grant ????? No, honestly we genuinely would like to know who she is, journalist, reporter, teacher, spin doctor ?

Jane

RE: The Sunday Times..........Some 'autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

She thinks it’s fashionable to have autism? Bloody hell, of all the things my son’s autism has brought us, I don’t think I’d put being trendy on the list anywhere!

-----Original Message-----From: Autism Treatment [mailto:Autism Treatment ] On Behalf Of Mum231ASD@...Sent: 14 May 2006 19:00Autism Treatment Cc: LynHel@...; UnitedThroughAutism Subject: The Sunday Times..........Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism” might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a 1,200% rise.

Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

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[Guest guest]

Who is Grant ????? No, honestly we genuinely would like to know who she is, journalist, reporter, teacher, spin doctor ?

Jane

RE: The Sunday Times..........Some 'autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

She thinks it’s fashionable to have autism? Bloody hell, of all the things my son’s autism has brought us, I don’t think I’d put being trendy on the list anywhere!

-----Original Message-----From: Autism Treatment [mailto:Autism Treatment ] On Behalf Of Mum231ASD@...Sent: 14 May 2006 19:00Autism Treatment Cc: LynHel@...; UnitedThroughAutism Subject: The Sunday Times..........Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism” might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a 1,200% rise.

Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

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[Guest guest]

I wander who is really

behind the article? Big pharmaceuticals preparing for the effects of mercury

withdrawal from the vaccines?

Remis

The Sunday Times..........Some

‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday

Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill,

they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines

this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported

600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The

statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in

Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary

schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736.

But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action

Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent

statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in

the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports

of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The

plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety,

particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the

study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple

vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly

discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark

Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the

Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s

syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To

the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic

spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on

behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is

described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more

rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the

neighbours.

Children

know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”,

good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of

punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of

a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry

“abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being

exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And

it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour

“ism” might result in £80 a week disability living

allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I

stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve

the state’s help with children who really do suffer from

neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are

not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the

autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for

a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,”

she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right

level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also

from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed

they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be

synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving

bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments,

without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will

become a 1,200% rise.

Some

say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between

18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in

the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering

“isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they

are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out

of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless

parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a

large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one

communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot

concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that

makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children

unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does

not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However,

although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some

may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a

peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There

are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage

to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing

wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing.

With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place

your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows

where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s

treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme

care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--

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[Guest guest]

I wander who is really

behind the article? Big pharmaceuticals preparing for the effects of mercury

withdrawal from the vaccines?

Remis

The Sunday Times..........Some

‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday

Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill,

they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines

this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported

600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The

statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in

Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary

schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736.

But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action

Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent

statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in

the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports

of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The

plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety,

particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the

study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple

vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly

discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark

Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the

Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s

syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To

the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic

spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on

behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is

described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more

rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the

neighbours.

Children

know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”,

good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of

punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of

a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry

“abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being

exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And

it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour

“ism” might result in £80 a week disability living

allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I

stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve

the state’s help with children who really do suffer from

neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are

not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the

autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for

a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,”

she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right

level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also

from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed

they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be

synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving

bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments,

without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will

become a 1,200% rise.

Some

say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between

18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in

the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering

“isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they

are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out

of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless

parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a

large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one

communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot

concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that

makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children

unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does

not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However,

although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some

may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a

peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There

are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage

to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing

wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing.

With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place

your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows

where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s

treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme

care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

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[Guest guest]

She's a columnist for the Scotsman!

RE: The Sunday Times..........Some 'autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

She thinks it’s fashionable to have autism? Bloody hell, of all the things my son’s autism has brought us, I don’t think I’d put being trendy on the list anywhere!

-----Original Message-----From: Autism Treatment [mailto:Autism Treatment ] On Behalf Of Mum231ASD@...Sent: 14 May 2006 19:00Autism Treatment Cc: LynHel@...; UnitedThroughAutism Subject: The Sunday Times..........Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism” might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a 1,200% rise.

Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

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[Guest guest]

She's a columnist for the Scotsman!

RE: The Sunday Times..........Some 'autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

She thinks it’s fashionable to have autism? Bloody hell, of all the things my son’s autism has brought us, I don’t think I’d put being trendy on the list anywhere!

-----Original Message-----From: Autism Treatment [mailto:Autism Treatment ] On Behalf Of Mum231ASD@...Sent: 14 May 2006 19:00Autism Treatment Cc: LynHel@...; UnitedThroughAutism Subject: The Sunday Times..........Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism” might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a 1,200% rise.

Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

--No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

[Guest guest]

Hi

isn't the Sunday Times the home of Brain Deer - the man who has

publicly vowed to " get " Wakefield and who has been trying for

years to find evidence of fraud and/or corruption in his work. Brain

Deer has been behind most of the negative articles you have ever read

about Wakefield so perhaps it isn't a personal vendetta as i always

thought but perhaps a policy choice of the Times group? I wonder if

Murdoch/News Corp have pharmaceutical connections.......

Regards

Deborah

>

> I wander who is really behind the article? Big pharmaceuticals

preparing for

> the effects of mercury withdrawal from the vaccines?

>

>

>

> Remis

>

> The Sunday Times..........Some

> `autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

>

>

>

>

>

> The Sunday Times - Scotland

>

>

> HYPERLINK " http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/grey.gif "

>

>

>

>

>

> HYPERLINK " http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif "

>

>

> The Sunday Times

>

> May 14, 2006

>

>

>

>

> Grant: Some `autistic' children aren't ill, they're just

badly behaved

>

>

>

> HYPERLINK " http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif "

>

>

>

> `Autism cases soar. " The headlines this week have been dramatic, as

well

> they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic

spectrum

> disorder.

>

> The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic

children in

> Scotland's secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools

over the

> same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I

have no

> doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is

entirely

> well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a " public

health

> crime " , he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look

behind these

> stark figures and reports of an " epidemic " of autism are grossly

> exaggerated.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety,

particularly

> after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by

> Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for

measles,

> mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper.

Since the

> publication of Mark Haddon's excellent novel The Curious Incident

of the Dog

> in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger's

syndrome — it

> has become even more fashionable.

>

> To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the

autistic

> spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on

behalf of

> children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is

described as

> " autistic " , nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a

tantrum

> at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

>

> Children know that if they suffer from some kind of

behaviour " ism " , good

> things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of

punishment, safety

> from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher's

impatience,

> the child can rush home and cry " abuse " . Autism, a serious

condition when

> real, is being exploited by others for all it's worth.

>

> And it's worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of

behaviour " ism "

> might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent

has to

> become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are

> families who absolutely need and deserve the state's help with

children who

> really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also

families

> whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

>

> Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to

brandish the

> autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken

for a

> mug. " Autism-specific inspections have been negligible, " she

says. " Those

> pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in

place, not

> just from educational staff, but also from supporting health

professionals. "

>

>

> Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will

not be

> synonymous with accuracy. An inspector's job depends on giving bad

news.

> Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without

children

> being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a

1,200% rise.

>

> Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is

between

> 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be

doing in the

> face of the " autism epidemic " is not showering " isms " on children,

but

> finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are

unable

> to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown,

community

> paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially,

putting a

> child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-

one

> communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot

concentrate,

> why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many

children

> fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at

anything

> static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are

bound to

> appear strange.

>

> However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are

really ill.

> Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply

suffering from a

> peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to

cope.

>

> There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind

of damage

> to label your child with an " ism " when there is nothing wrong

except that

> you've not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can

often

> remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the

hands of the

> " ism " authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of

all our

> children, let's treat these " shock, horror " autism statistics with

extreme

> care.

>

> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> DISCLAIMER

> No information contained in this post is to be construed as medical

advice.

> If you need medical advice, please seek it from a suitably qualified

> practitioner.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

isn't the Sunday Times the home of Brain Deer - the man who has

publicly vowed to " get " Wakefield and who has been trying for

years to find evidence of fraud and/or corruption in his work. Brain

Deer has been behind most of the negative articles you have ever read

about Wakefield so perhaps it isn't a personal vendetta as i always

thought but perhaps a policy choice of the Times group? I wonder if

Murdoch/News Corp have pharmaceutical connections.......

Regards

Deborah

>

> I wander who is really behind the article? Big pharmaceuticals

preparing for

> the effects of mercury withdrawal from the vaccines?

>

>

>

> Remis

>

> The Sunday Times..........Some

> `autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

>

>

>

>

>

> The Sunday Times - Scotland

>

>

> HYPERLINK " http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/grey.gif "

>

>

>

>

>

> HYPERLINK " http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif "

>

>

> The Sunday Times

>

> May 14, 2006

>

>

>

>

> Grant: Some `autistic' children aren't ill, they're just

badly behaved

>

>

>

> HYPERLINK " http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif "

>

>

>

> `Autism cases soar. " The headlines this week have been dramatic, as

well

> they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic

spectrum

> disorder.

>

> The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic

children in

> Scotland's secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools

over the

> same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I

have no

> doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is

entirely

> well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a " public

health

> crime " , he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look

behind these

> stark figures and reports of an " epidemic " of autism are grossly

> exaggerated.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety,

particularly

> after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by

> Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for

measles,

> mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper.

Since the

> publication of Mark Haddon's excellent novel The Curious Incident

of the Dog

> in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger's

syndrome — it

> has become even more fashionable.

>

> To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the

autistic

> spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on

behalf of

> children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is

described as

> " autistic " , nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a

tantrum

> at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

>

> Children know that if they suffer from some kind of

behaviour " ism " , good

> things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of

punishment, safety

> from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher's

impatience,

> the child can rush home and cry " abuse " . Autism, a serious

condition when

> real, is being exploited by others for all it's worth.

>

> And it's worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of

behaviour " ism "

> might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent

has to

> become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are

> families who absolutely need and deserve the state's help with

children who

> really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also

families

> whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

>

> Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to

brandish the

> autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken

for a

> mug. " Autism-specific inspections have been negligible, " she

says. " Those

> pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in

place, not

> just from educational staff, but also from supporting health

professionals. "

>

>

> Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will

not be

> synonymous with accuracy. An inspector's job depends on giving bad

news.

> Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without

children

> being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a

1,200% rise.

>

> Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is

between

> 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be

doing in the

> face of the " autism epidemic " is not showering " isms " on children,

but

> finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are

unable

> to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown,

community

> paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially,

putting a

> child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-

one

> communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot

concentrate,

> why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many

children

> fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at

anything

> static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are

bound to

> appear strange.

>

> However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are

really ill.

> Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply

suffering from a

> peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to

cope.

>

> There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind

of damage

> to label your child with an " ism " when there is nothing wrong

except that

> you've not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can

often

> remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the

hands of the

> " ism " authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of

all our

> children, let's treat these " shock, horror " autism statistics with

extreme

> care.

>

> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> DISCLAIMER

> No information contained in this post is to be construed as medical

advice.

> If you need medical advice, please seek it from a suitably qualified

> practitioner.

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well, she did get one thing right - the increase in autism. The rest is like Tina said ....unbelievably stupid.

RE: The Sunday Times..........Some 'autistic' children aren't ill, they're just badl

She thinks it’s fashionable to have autism? Bloody hell, of all the things my son’s autism has brought us, I don’t think I’d put being trendy on the list anywhere!

-----Original Message-----From: Autism Treatment [mailto:Autism Treatment ] On Behalf Of Mum231ASD@...Sent: 14 May 2006 19:00Autism Treatment Cc: LynHel@...; UnitedThroughAutism Subject: The Sunday Times..........Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism” might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a 1,200% rise.

Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

--No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

[Guest guest]

See my earlier post. That kind of article is now beyond the law, in

my opinion. (and thanks for posting - tell us a bit about

yourself...)

>

> > Who is Grant ?????  No, honestly we genuinely would like

to know

> > who she is, journalist, reporter, teacher, spin doctor ?

> >  

> > Jane

> >  

> >  

> >> The Sunday

Times..........Some

> >> ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badl

> >>  

> >> The Sunday Times - Scotland

> >> <grey.gif><trans.gif>The Sunday Times

> >> May 14, 2006

> >>  

> >>

> >> Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill,

they’re just badly

> >> behaved

> >> <trans.gif>‘Autism cases soar.†The headlines this week

have been

> >> dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in

> >> diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

> >>

> >> The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic

children

> >> in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In

primary

> >> schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to

> >> 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman

of

> >> Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he

labels

> >> the recent statistics a “public health crimeâ€, he is

scaremongering

> >> in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures

and

> >> reports of an “epidemic†of autism are grossly exaggerated.

> >>  

> >>  

> >>

> >> The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety,

> >> particularly after the MMR scare †" and despite the fact that

the

> >> study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple

> >> vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly

> >> discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark

Haddon’s

> >> excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-

Time †"

> >> whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome †" it has

become

> >> even more fashionable.

> >>

> >> To the great distress of parents whose children really are on

the

> >> autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other

> >> parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly

behaved. If

> >> a child is described as “autisticâ€, nobody can be angry if

he or,

> >> more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently

irritates

> >> the neighbours.

> >>

> >> Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour

“ismâ€,

> >> good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of

> >> punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first

sign

> >> of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry

“abuseâ€.

> >> Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by

others

> >> for all it’s worth.

> >>

> >> And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of

behaviour

> >> “ism†might result in £80 a week disability living

allowance. If a

> >> parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress

again

> >> that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the

state’s

> >> help with children who really do suffer from neurological

disorders,

> >> but there are also families whose children are not ill and

therefore

> >> deserve no such help.

> >>

> >> Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to

> >> brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she

is not

> >> being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been

> >> negligible,†she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to

have the

> >> right level of support in place, not just from educational

staff, but

> >> also from supporting health professionals.â€

> >>

> >> Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection

will

> >> not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends

on giving

> >> bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within

moments,

> >> without children being any different, the 600% increase in

autism

> >> will become a 1,200% rise.

> >>

> >> Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child

is

> >> between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should

really

> >> be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic†is not

showering “ismsâ€

> >> on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing

badly at

> >> school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it

will be

> >> family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or,

perhaps

> >> more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from

the

> >> age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal

from the

> >> word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame

> >> autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all

the

> >> time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything

static, or

> >> making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound

to

> >> appear strange.

> >>

> >> However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are

really

> >> ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are

simply

> >> suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting

their

> >> behaviour to cope.

> >>

> >> There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst

kind of

> >> damage to label your child with an “ism†when there is

nothing wrong

> >> except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing.

With

> >> effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you

place

> >> your child in the hands of the “ism†authorities, who knows

where

> >> they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s

treat these

> >> “shock, horror†autism statistics with extreme care.

> >> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

> >>  

> >>  

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >> --

> >> No virus found in this incoming message.

> >> Checked by AVG Free Edition.

> >> Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date:

> >> 12/05/2006

> >>

> >>

> >> --

> >> No virus found in this outgoing message.

> >> Checked by AVG Free Edition.

> >> Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date:

> >> 12/05/2006

> >

> >

> > DISCLAIMER

> > No information contained in this post is to be construed as

medical

> > advice. If you need medical advice, please seek it from a

suitably

> > qualified practitioner.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Yet another article in The Times. Sorry for bringing Grant up again - I am having problems posting on .

Jane

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-2200315,00.html Families challenge epilepsy drug firmEnda Leahy IRISH parents are preparing to join a legal action in Britain against the makers of an epilepsy drug that caused children to be born with autism, deformities and behavioural problems. The case could rival the thalidomide actions of the 1980s, with up to 37,000 families in Britain being affected. NI_MPU('middle'); The action is against Sanofi-Aventis, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, which manufactures Epilim, a brand name for sodium valproate. It is an anti-convulsant medicine that prevents epileptic seizures, but has been found to cause foetal defects. Some 140 families were listed on the claim before adverts were placed in the British press last week by a representative group organising the action. The Organisation for Anti-Convulsant Syndrome (OACS) says it has received at least 200 calls in the past two days. Janet , who runs the group, says most families have more than one affected child. “Of the350 families who have been in touch, the majority have two or three children affected, so already we’re dealing with over 1,000 children,” she said. The drug has been prescribed to epilepsy sufferers in Ireland since the early 1980s. One of a number of Irish mothers who joined the proceedings last week was a Gusman, a mother-of-two from Mayo. She has been taking Epilim for more than 20 years, but was not aware of the risks. “I have a daughter who has autism and a boy with behavioural problems,” said Gusman. “I was taking Epilim before and throughout both pregnancies. The only side-effects I was made aware of was the possibility of cleft palate. There was certainly no mention of behavioural problems and autism.” Both of Gusman’s children were born healthy and, as in the case of many of what calls “Epilim babies”, only diagnosed when they reached school age. Body, a lawyer with Irwin , a British firm, says it is bringing two cases againstthe manufacturer. The first, in October, will challenge a 10-year time limit for bringing compensation cases. The second, the compensation case, has a trial date for 2008. In a statement Sanofi-Aventis said: “At all relevant times, the product information supplied to doctors by Sanofi-Synthelabo in relation to sodium valproate provided warnings in respect of possible effects in children born to mothers who take the product during pregnancy.” This information was approved by the regulatory authorities as consistent with current scientific knowledge.”

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism” might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a 1,200% rise.

Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

--No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

[Guest guest]

Yet another article in The Times. Sorry for bringing Grant up again - I am having problems posting on .

Jane

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-2200315,00.html Families challenge epilepsy drug firmEnda Leahy IRISH parents are preparing to join a legal action in Britain against the makers of an epilepsy drug that caused children to be born with autism, deformities and behavioural problems. The case could rival the thalidomide actions of the 1980s, with up to 37,000 families in Britain being affected. NI_MPU('middle'); The action is against Sanofi-Aventis, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, which manufactures Epilim, a brand name for sodium valproate. It is an anti-convulsant medicine that prevents epileptic seizures, but has been found to cause foetal defects. Some 140 families were listed on the claim before adverts were placed in the British press last week by a representative group organising the action. The Organisation for Anti-Convulsant Syndrome (OACS) says it has received at least 200 calls in the past two days. Janet , who runs the group, says most families have more than one affected child. “Of the350 families who have been in touch, the majority have two or three children affected, so already we’re dealing with over 1,000 children,” she said. The drug has been prescribed to epilepsy sufferers in Ireland since the early 1980s. One of a number of Irish mothers who joined the proceedings last week was a Gusman, a mother-of-two from Mayo. She has been taking Epilim for more than 20 years, but was not aware of the risks. “I have a daughter who has autism and a boy with behavioural problems,” said Gusman. “I was taking Epilim before and throughout both pregnancies. The only side-effects I was made aware of was the possibility of cleft palate. There was certainly no mention of behavioural problems and autism.” Both of Gusman’s children were born healthy and, as in the case of many of what calls “Epilim babies”, only diagnosed when they reached school age. Body, a lawyer with Irwin , a British firm, says it is bringing two cases againstthe manufacturer. The first, in October, will challenge a 10-year time limit for bringing compensation cases. The second, the compensation case, has a trial date for 2008. In a statement Sanofi-Aventis said: “At all relevant times, the product information supplied to doctors by Sanofi-Synthelabo in relation to sodium valproate provided warnings in respect of possible effects in children born to mothers who take the product during pregnancy.” This information was approved by the regulatory authorities as consistent with current scientific knowledge.”

The Sunday Times - Scotland

The Sunday Times

May 14, 2006

Grant: Some ‘autistic’ children aren’t ill, they’re just badly behaved

‘Autism cases soar.” The headlines this week have been dramatic, as well they might be, given a reported 600% rise in diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.

The statistics are alarming. In 1999 there were 114 autistic children in Scotland’s secondary schools; now there are 825. In primary schools over the same period the numbers have risen from 415 to 1,736. But while I have no doubt that Bill Welsh, the chairman of Action Against Autism, is entirely well intentioned when he labels the recent statistics a “public health crime”, he is scaremongering in the most sensational way. Look behind these stark figures and reports of an “epidemic” of autism are grossly exaggerated.

The plain fact is that autism has attained a certain notoriety, particularly after the MMR scare — and despite the fact that the study by Wakefield linking the condition with the triple vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella was so thoroughly discredited in this newspaper. Since the publication of Mark Haddon’s excellent novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — whose hero is a teenager with Asperger’s syndrome — it has become even more fashionable.

To the great distress of parents whose children really are on the autistic spectrum, the condition has been adopted by many other parents on behalf of children who are not ill, just badly behaved. If a child is described as “autistic”, nobody can be angry if he or, more rarely, she throws a tantrum at school or consistently irritates the neighbours.

Children know that if they suffer from some kind of behaviour “ism”, good things result: reduced expectation, indulgence instead of punishment, safety from even the gentlest rebuke. At the first sign of a teacher’s impatience, the child can rush home and cry “abuse”. Autism, a serious condition when real, is being exploited by others for all it’s worth.

And it’s worth quite a lot. A diagnosis of some kind of behaviour “ism” might result in £80 a week disability living allowance. If a parent has to become a carer, it is worth even more. I stress again that there are families who absolutely need and deserve the state’s help with children who really do suffer from neurological disorders, but there are also families whose children are not ill and therefore deserve no such help.

Grahame, the SNP MSP who has taken it upon herself to brandish the autism statistics about, needs to be careful she is not being taken for a mug. “Autism-specific inspections have been negligible,” she says. “Those pupils with autism deserve to have the right level of support in place, not just from educational staff, but also from supporting health professionals.”

Indeed they do. But we also need to understand that inspection will not be synonymous with accuracy. An inspector’s job depends on giving bad news. Create an autism-specific inspectorate and, within moments, without children being any different, the 600% increase in autism will become a 1,200% rise.

Some say that the MMR vaccine should be delayed until the child is between 18 months and two years old. However, what we should really be doing in the face of the “autism epidemic” is not showering “isms” on children, but finding out the true reasons they are doing badly at school and are unable to communicate. Nine times out of 10 it will be family breakdown, community paralysis, hopeless parenting or, perhaps more controversially, putting a child into a large nursery from the age of six weeks so that one-to-one communication is minimal from the word go. If a child cannot concentrate, why automatically blame autism? It is not autism that makes so many children fidget all the time, it is habit. Children unused to staring at anything static, or making conversation that does not consist of grunts, are bound to appear strange.

However, although some may be autistic, I doubt that most are really ill. Some may just be clever and bookish while others are simply suffering from a peculiarly modern kind of neglect and adapting their behaviour to cope.

There are no perfect parents. But it must surely be the worst kind of damage to label your child with an “ism” when there is nothing wrong except that you’ve not done a great job at child rearing. With effort, you can often remedy your own failings, but once you place your child in the hands of the “ism” authorities, who knows where they may end up? For the sake of all our children, let’s treat these “shock, horror” autism statistics with extreme care.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2177218,00.html

--No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006

--No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.392 / Virus Database: 268.5.6/338 - Release Date: 12/05/2006