The answer should be yes. Not "how can I get my loved one help?"

Category Archives: Borderline Personality Disorder

Working on a Series of Posts about Autism Stories

We are working on a series of posts titled Voices of Parents with Autistic Kids – The Truth as We Know It.  As such we need your stories.  If you could tell one story about your child with Autism, what would it be?  Names will be changed to protect your identity.

Since the tragedy in Newtown, more news stories are being posted regarding whether or not the killer had Aspergers Syndrome.  The same applies to the college campus killing in Wyoming a couple of months ago.  So we are working to dispel the negative imagery that is being associated with people who have autism.

There are even reports attempting to tie the killer to a childhood vaccine adverse reaction.

We understand that people need answers.  But we also understand that we don’t want them using our kids’ diagnosis as a scapegoat.  The killer may have had a mental illness.  He may have had Autism, but it wasn’t the autism that caused him to do this horrible, horrible thing.

These are our stories.  The first series will be published on the 21st of December 2012.

If you want to share your stories, please fill out this form and we will be in touch.

[si-contact-form form=’2′]

 

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I am going to use the R word.

Mental Health Awareness Ribbon

Mental Health Awareness Ribbon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

[kc_background_pac_3_underline_3 size=”35″ color=”#000000″ ]Reprehensible[/kc_background_pac_3_underline_3].

I can define reprehensible, or you can look it up over at Dictionary.com.

Talk of gun control legislation without talk of Mental Health service expenditures is reprehensible.

We can not have one conversation without the other.  It would be irresponsible of our society to assume that guns are solely to blame, just like it is irresponsible to automatically assume that Autism is what caused the horrible tragedy in Newtown.  I think that in time, the killer will show through records that he had severe mental health issues above and beyond an autism diagnosis.   Autism is not the cause here.

I am certain that I will receive hate mail for this.  I seriously doubt that there will be significant legislation that with-stands constitutionality tests by the Supreme Court.  Whatever law our congress comes up with will be debated for years.  Now, I am not saying that gun control legislation is not a good move, nor am I saying that it is.  I am an advocate for responsible gun ownership.

We need to remember a couple of things regarding Newtown.  The killer, didn’t own the guns.  According to news reports he stole them from his mother.

Before we can talk successfully about anything, we need to let the Newtown community mourn the loss of the innocent.  The heroism of the teachers and the heroic efforts of the first responders in their attempts to save the survivors.

[kc_background_pac_2_highlight_3 size=”36″ color=”#000000″]I know this – [/kc_background_pac_2_highlight_3]

My son has Autism.  Largely he is bashful in most social situations.  It is through the efforts of his classmates in our school district that he is as socially aware as he is.  Being the father of kids on the spectrum, and kids with severe mental health issues, I hold the mental health industry to a higher standard, as I believe we all should.  We need to advocate for better services for those with mental illness.  We need to advocate for better access to those services.

Like everyone I have talked with about Newtown, I am both shocked and deeply horrified by the situation.  As a parent of a kid with autism, I am also horrified that people would assume that a child with autism is a violent child.

[kc_background_pac_1_background_10][kc_background_pac_1_heading_10]Wait!!![/kc_background_pac_1_heading_10][kc_background_pac_1_sub_heading_10]One other thing to note[/kc_background_pac_1_sub_heading_10][/kc_background_pac_1_background_10]

In today’s technological age, the media, (any news organization) are very quick to jump on the bandwagon with experts and pundits who try to articulate meaning where none can be found with a lot of study and investigation.  The media was for the most part irresponsible in the way they handle some aspects of this incident.  Releasing the name of the gunman, on the day of the incident was premature.  Saying that the gunman was autistic was premature.  Saying that the gunman killed his mother at the school was premature.  Saying anything, beyond “There was a shooting at a school in Newtown, CT.”  is premature.  Speculation is causing a lot of issues right now for people on the spectrum as well as those who work with them.

As citizens of the world, we need to hold our news organizations to a higher standard.  We should not be sensationalizing the Adam Laska’s of the world.  The conduct of the media in this matter can also be deemed reprehensible.

The opinions stated are my own.  I have a brain and am not afraid to think for myself.

 

Newtown

Newtown (Photo credit: jdolan)

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positive thoughts about David

Met with the team about David today.  Largely, the meeting was positive in nature.

Working on the same issues of stealing, and aggression.  Some days it is one step forward and two steps back, but he is working hard.  Can’t ask for more than that right now.

They had to make some changes to locks on cupboards and closets because David figured out how to pick the locks that were there.  They also made it a rule that morning stuff has to be done before breakfast.  You know, make your bed, brush your teeth, pick up your room – that kind of thing.

Staff isn’t allowed to carry cell phone into the cottage now, less temptation for David that way.

Seriously looking at putting the whole family into family counseling.  They offer it, so it would be a matter of making the trip up there for services.  One evening a week or so.  Not sure how my family will respond to that.  So will broach the subject after the holidays are over.

The plan as of right now is to spend the 23rd with David at an apartment on campus.  They have apartments that families can use to spend with the kids.  Since David isn’t allowed off campus yet, this will be a positive thing.  David doesn’t get to come home for Christmas at this point.

We did talk briefly about a dissociative condition that David may have.  The therapist is going to speak with the psychiatrist about it.