RE: Fwd: Grant: Some autistic children aren't ill, they're just badly behaved

[Guest guest]

Have sent them a reply too.

Fwd: Grant: Some autistic children aren't ill,

they're just badly behaved

Just sent the following

off to the Times- Scotland. Got the email address from Bill at ATT -

scotland@...

To the Editor

The article ' Grant: Some autistic children

aren't ill, they're just badly behaved' 14th May, is one of the

worst I have ever read on the subject of autism. As a parent of a child

with autism I am very offended that you have published such a poorly researched

and inaccurate piece of 'journalism'.

I would like you to

publish an apology in the paper next week and fully retract the article.

Please can you inform me that this will happen, otherwise I will make a formal

complaint to the Press Complaints Commission.

Its difficult to know

where to start with such an article, but here goes. Firstly, getting a

diagnosis of autism means that a Doctor has followed a formal diagnostic

screening test and that the child meets the criteria for autism. To imply

that Doctors are over diagnosing autism due to pressure from parents wishing

for an 'ism' would be laughable if it wasn't so

insulting. As a parent who has gone through the diagnosis

procedure, I can assure you it is one of the most painful experiences I have

encountered as a parent. And yes, rates of autism have soared as

shown by official data from round the world.

My child developed

normally and then regressed into autism at about 20 months. To imply that

his regression was due to sitting him in front of the TV and other aspects

of poor parenting is outrageous. Like many other affected parents, I have

another child who is not on the spectrum despite being parented in

the same way.

Living with a child with

autism is very tough and stressful in terms of emotional outlay, time and

money. We have spend thousands of pounds of our money

providing appropriate educational, medical and sensory integration

programmes that the state will not provide. The disability

living allowance does not even start to pay for the gluten free diet,

supplements and other treatments my son needs. Coping with even basic

events like having hair cuts can be a trauma for a child with autism. My

child had very poor receptive language as well as expressive language, I

couldn't even explain to him what was going to happen. Seeing your child

extremely distressed by every day living is heartbreaking for a

parent. To trivialise the condition by suggesting that its 'trendy'

shows a total lack of any understanding.

Please watch the video

clip below as it gives a good picture of life with autism. Can I suggest

that also watches it.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/media/d_200605_Autism-Every_Day_LoRes.wmv

Yes, my child is doing

well now. He is in mainstream school with 1:1 support. We can have

basic conversations with him and he has friends, but we still spend many extra

hours providing the support he needs to make slow and steady

progress.

Living with a child with

autism can be exceptionally stressful and your paper has trivialised the

condition. I hope you will agree that an apology is due to parents and

that publishing a parent story may help restore balance.

yours etc

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