I'm so tired of the so-called "autism" crisis. While I'm sure they're are legitimately identifiable traits and disorders specific to such a diagnosis, this latest disease of the month seems (to me) to be the upper-crust version of ADHD--also overdiagnosed. Parents, start parenting an quit pawning-off your unmanageable kids to the social service safety net!!

Sent by John Brownstein | 2:56 PM ET | 08-21-2007

My high school does not 'mainstream' autistic students, but has what we call a 'Friendship Club' to facilitate interaction between autistic students and the general student population.

The club helps autistic kids to feel like a part of the larger school, and also gives mainstream students better understanding of their peers with special needs; peers that otherwise we probably would never interact with.

Sent by Sam from Wichita | 3:14 PM ET | 08-21-2007

I am a pediatric speech pathologist and have been working with children with autism for 23 years. We had these same discussions back then about education needs, and they haven't been solved on a nation wide basis. Until dollars are moved from research to education, we will continue to have these problems

Sent by Jennifer Casteix | 3:20 PM ET | 08-21-2007

Hooray for John Brownstein! Shy, introverted, or odd is the new Autism.
We not all be born to be social giants.

Sent by Mike | 3:21 PM ET | 08-21-2007

As a public school educator I empathize with the woman's story about her child Zach, and his lack of success in their district. One of the practicese that the Portland school district uses is called placing students in a "least restrictive environment". This means that students who are entering the public school system should be placed in a setting where the lowest level of interventions are in place. The drawback to this approach is that students who require more services than are being provided upon their initial placement struggle and sometimes suffer before the services provided match the services required.
Also, as classes swell as a result of an underfunded system, special ed students, and their 'average' classmates sometimes lose out as a result of the special ed. process.

Sent by Eric Johnson | 3:22 PM ET | 08-21-2007

I have been a Montessori preschool teacher for 20 years, & had my first austic student a year ago. My expereince has been that Applied Behavioral Analysis is the way to help deal with the behaviors of concern. I encourge teachers to learn more about this method & how it can make the classroom run more smoothly for their ASD students & their typical students.

Sent by Karen Thorp | 3:25 PM ET | 08-21-2007

If you teach other children to participate in the lives of autistic children everyone benefits.
In Michigan it is not routine to include children with autism in pre-school. This is the time when "early intervention" is the most effective and they do not have access to their non-disabled peers for social skills training.

Sent by Sara D | 3:25 PM ET | 08-21-2007

I'm sure that inclusion works for some schools, some kids. I see no evidence of it being beneficial. I am still trying to have my son accurately diagnosed. Meanwhile, he's drowning in the public school system. Here in Florida, most teachers are teaching their students how to take the FCAT, not how to learn. Many of these inclusion students suffer because they learn differently. In my experience, public schools are not equipped to handle these students. For the past year, I've been navigating my way through red tape to get my son into a private school where he can hopefully receive the services he needs. If this program is going to work, teachers are going to have to be trained and educated on how to deal with these students. Are teachers willing to do this? Who's willing to pay for it?

Sent by Adrienne | 3:30 PM ET | 08-21-2007

There are no checks and balances for special ed. The system is stacked against the parents. You are a parent of a child with special needs without a medical specialist and you are now in charge of everything from diet, therapy, treatment, socialization and everything that has to do with parenting and then you are expected to go into a court system that in most states don't support parents.

Sent by sara | 3:33 PM ET | 08-21-2007

I have 4 boys with autism. They are all over the spectrum. The oldest has been fully included since pre-school.He does grade level work iwth no accomadations. His twin is severely mentally impaired and attends a center based school. The other two (another set of twins) are still in pre-school. One is involved in inclusion, the other is not. I believe that inclusion should be the norm but there are reasons to not included. But, the reasons for not including should be based on the child, not the school or teachers. These children are citizens and members of society.

Sent by Maureen Van Hoven | 3:33 PM ET | 08-21-2007

My autistic son is in preschool (4 years old) and is mainstreamed part time. Most of his hours, though, are spent on one-on-one therapy at home, to help him "catch up" developmentally with his peers. I will hold him back one year before enrolling him on kindergarten, and hopefully he'll have much more language then. He does have the academic skills of a kindergartner - knows his letters, numbers, shapes, can even write beautifully and spells many words. However his language delay (comprehension and expression) is so significant that he will probably need the help of an aide during his first years of elementary school, until he can understand everything that is said and asked of him.

Sent by Leila | 3:39 PM ET | 08-21-2007

As the father of a severely autistic (and blind) son who I believe to have been irreparably harmed by the extreme movement to inclusion in the classroom (I say extreme movement because the "system" seems to not consider any other educational possibilities).

I'm thrilled that so many other developmentally disabled students find success through inclusion but the implementation of the method has created an even more isolated group through an opposite effect... the severely disabled now have even less services available due to the increase in the "everybody can succeed" mentality. We can't employ methods such as these to the exclusion of those that really needed the old-school methods of education and (for lack of a better word) institutional life.

Sent by Mark Z | 3:39 PM ET | 08-21-2007

My wife is a highly dedicated special ed pre-school teacher in the public school system here in Hawaii. She has a class of six children, most of whom suffer from serious problems ranging from autism and Down's syndrome to other forms of speech, learning and behavioral delays and problems.

First, regarding John Brownstein's point. Certainly not all parents of special ed children are perfect, but to suggest that these children are simply unmanageable products of poor parenting is outrageous - has Mr. Brownstein ever been in a special ed pre-school class and seen these children, as I have? I suspect not, but if he were to do so, he would certainly change his views.

Second, teachers' pay. The immense responsibilities of special ed teachers are in no way suitably recompensed. For instance, IEPs (Individualized Eduation Plans) are immense documents that are carefully and seriously crafted and may involve discussions among 10 or 15 people, led by the teacher and including the parents. The teacher is responsible for creating an IEP for each child and then for amassing the hard numerical data, day to day, to evaluate whether the child has achieved the goals set forth in the IEP. IEPs, the associated meetings, and the constant formal evaluation are a major part of my wife's work load. An IEP is a legal document and there is always the underlying concern that a parent might sue. In general the bureaucracy and the need for interaction with a huge gamut of providers associated with each special ed child increases the special ed teacher's workload beyond that of a regular teacher. In addition, special ed teachers have extra training to undertake and extra certification/licensing to go through. Teachers in general are dreadfully paid, but given their additional responsibilities, workload and training, special ed teachers are relatively even less valued. My wife does not receive additional compensation for being a special ed teacher. Teachers, and special ed teachers in particular, need to be better valued by society and better paid to reflect that value.

Sent by Robert Cowie | 4:22 PM ET | 08-21-2007

With all due respect to Mr. Brownstone, obviously he has not had a child which does not recognize their own name, does not perceive the world correctly if at all, cannot stand certain kinds of light and sound, and requires hours upon hours of therapy to manage to endure these things.

While I entirely agree that over-diagnosis is a possibility, I would respectfully suggest that perhaps a few initials behind his name, and a few years living with individuals with these sorts of neurological disorders just might change his opinions. Inclusion does not work for everyone, and surely there are those who abuse the system. However, those of us who are struggling to keep our heads above water while being therapist, dietician, behaviorist, social worker, and parent to these gifted but disabled children, these services are a life-line.

Sent by Robert Curriden | 4:53 PM ET | 08-21-2007

My sons' school is the "magnet" for all autistic children in the district. Consequently, approximately 10% of the children in the school are autistic in some way. I REALLY resent what I see... everyday a enormous amount of resources being channeled to these children and the others losing out on the teacher's time, attention and skill. I see this benefiting the autistic child much more than the "typically Developing" child. These children have a federal law that protects their classroom experience. What about MY child? My neighbor's child? All those others sittin gin that classroom?

Sent by Kris R | 5:29 PM ET | 08-21-2007

John Brownstein has no clue about autism and like so many ignorant people, attribute the behaviors to bad parenting. Shame on him! Parents of autistic children are stressed enough without such uniformed condemnation! I have one autistic child but also have two other VERY well behaved children who function VERY well in school and life. One of these kids is a twin to my autistic child. If I am such a bad parent, why is one twin "badly" behaved and the other the teacher's pet? It's not bad parenting!

Sent by MIchelle M | 5:42 PM ET | 08-21-2007

Looking for Medical Solutions for Autism?

I am a student at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) in Tempe, AZ. At our school-run clinic we treat autism with, although varying, incredible success.

After perusing the previous posts on this page, I would like to address a few issues. First, Autism is on the rise. Because Autism Spectrum Disorder looks different from one individual to the next, there is a chance that it could be over diagnosed. But, rest assured, there is a higher incidence and prevalence of ASD in our population. Second, there is a commonality to ASD patients that involves toxicity of heavy metals, namely Mercury and Lead.

I am sure that as medicine advances, we will find more and more distinguishing characteristics that are common to ASD.

However, so far I have seen almost miraculous results in our clinic when we are able to do two things: reduce the body burden of these toxic heavy metals, and improve the patients' physiologic response to the metals and their ability to detoxify and sequester neurotoxic agents.

How do we do it? With Naturopathic Medicine, utilizing the principles of the nature cure. If you are interested, check out the college website at: http://www.scnm.edu

Sent by Jonathan Ritz | 5:46 PM ET | 08-21-2007

Looking for Medical Solutions for Autism?

I am a student at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) in Tempe, AZ. At our school-run clinic we treat autism with, although varying, incredible success.

After perusing the previous posts on this page, I would like to address a few issues. First, Autism is on the rise. Because Autism Spectrum Disorder looks different from one individual to the next, there is a chance that it could be over diagnosed. But, rest assured, there is a higher incidence and prevalence of ASD in our population. Second, there is a commonality to ASD patients that involves toxicity of heavy metals, namely Mercury and Lead.

I am sure that as medicine advances, we will find more and more distinguishing characteristics that are common to ASD.

However, so far I have seen almost miraculous results in our clinic when we are able to do two things: reduce the body burden of these toxic heavy metals, and improve the patients' physiologic response to the metals and their ability to detoxify and sequester neurotoxic agents.

How do we do it? With Naturopathic Medicine, utilizing the principles of the nature cure. If you are interested, check out the college website at: http://www.scnm.edu

Sent by Jonathan Ritz | 5:46 PM ET | 08-21-2007

parents of an Asperger's child should learn about Irlen Syndrome which is correctable. Consult www.irlen.com or www.rogerwheaton.com.

Sent by Roger Wheaton | 8:42 PM ET | 08-21-2007

My son with Autism has been restrained and put in seclusion so many times we had to pull him out of the public school system because we were afraid he was having a breakdown. We found out a year after we pulled him out of public school that he had been restrained 67 times in 12 months. There are more kids coming into the public school system every day and the schools are not prepared for our kids and as a result a lot of children with behavior and sensory issues are not safe. In Florida, we have no policies and in many cases like mine parents are never notified.

Sent by Joan | 9:49 PM ET | 08-21-2007

After trying to make public schools work for my son for several years and also seeing the poor conditions a smaller schols specifically for autistic students, we have chosen to homeschool our son...now 12.

Brownstein's coment on "bad parenting" being the cause of this is so far off base when the actual time and energy involved in trying to help an autistic child is compared to that of a neurologically typical child. Add to that the 7 days/week that my family, including my "normal" daughters (11 & 14) put into trying to educate my son, and there is really no comparison. He who criticizes the parenting of others should walk in the shoes of those of us having these toxin damaged children who require 24/7 supervision, cannot go to normal sitters, require special foods and expensive medical care to help repair the immune systems or chelation to remove mercury, lead and other heavy metals. If he could survive a week, even a day, I would be amazed.

Sent by Jon F. | 10:02 AM ET | 08-22-2007

I am absolutely stunned by the prior comment about our "unmanageable" kids. I happen to have an autistic child. He's not "unmanageable". He's passive and kind and sweet-natured. He also suffers from severely impaired speech and sensory issues related to touch and sound. I almost never respond to these types of statements because I know some people feel like this is overexposed. But let me assure you - autism is very real and until you live it, please don't bemoan how tired you are of it. I promise you, my son is more tired of it than you are...

Sent by Kristina Morgan | 11:36 AM ET | 08-22-2007

I am horrified by comments I have seen suggesting that autism is over diagnosed or the result of bad parenting. I would suggest that anyone who believes this is severely uneducated on all things autism, and could benefit from reading the huge body of scholarly work in autistic studies. A good place to start is Roy Richard Grinker's "Unstrange Minds", which was featured on NPR last spring.
I have a 7 yr old with Asperger's. No child should have to suffer through what he's suffered in the public school system. He has yet to receive the Free and Appropriate Public Education that is mandated by IDEA and similar legislation. Why? Because our nation's public school system is miserably under funded and because autism is so misunderstood by the American public. My son is unbelievably smart, yet still can not read. Last year, he became so depressed in school, he talked constantly of killing himself. I would ask all those who believe autism is overblown, what do you say to that? Would you like to walk in my shoes, or my son???s? If anyone wants to understand the realities that our autistic children face daily, visit: http://www.cafemom.com/group/76/boards/index.php
I invite you to read about our lives before you comment on what should be done for us, and to us.

Sent by Autumn Slate | 12:22 PM ET | 08-22-2007

It is a sad fate of the world that there are people like John Brownstein out there. Let him be listed with the racists, the anti feminists, the anti psychology, the anti progression. Decades after integration we still have racism because of ignorance, why not have someone be anti special needs children. Shame on you John Weinstein. My son was born prematurely and stayed in an incubator for weeks. He is diagnosed today with autism because of his lack of speech, physical and social abilities. He is 5 and going to kindergarten mainstream. Thank God for an understanding educational system and that you are not a part of it.

Sent by Mrs. Price | 1:09 PM ET | 08-22-2007

I want to add that we, the parents of asd children, hear this sort of Brownstein-esque comment all too often, from people who do not share our experience. It is very frustrating. Imagine what it must be like to have to deal with strangers attempting to invalidate your daily struggles. It is funny- autistic people are often said to lack empathy, while neurotypical people are thought of as somehow innately empathetic- I'm not sure this is always an accurate assessment.

Sent by Autumn Slate | 1:16 PM ET | 08-22-2007

As a parent, I want my child to have a chance to function and participate in society. This requires a significant investment from the school system. It also requires total commitment, including financially, from my husband and myself. In general, I've been amazed and humbled at the level of dedication, self-education, and tireless work that I've seen from other parents of autistic children. Get to know this group first before you critique their parenting skills!

Sent by Lucile Hester | 1:16 PM ET | 08-22-2007

Mr. Brownstein, your comments are off base and incredibly insensitive. You, however, are representative of a segment of the population, many of who are educators, who refuse to take the time to understand the complexity of autism spectrum disorders. I am certain that my 15-year-old son, who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 11, would be glad to explain his disability to you, and would love, at times, to trade places with a "neurotypical" individual such as yourself. The school districts' lack of preparation for, and understanding of these children is appalling. Without the support system and the services my son has received, including a psychiatrist, speech therapist, occupational therapy and caring friends, he would not be the highly functioning, soon to be productive member of society that he is. While your post made me angry, I pity that you have not had the opportunity to meet a child on the autism spectrum, so that you might appreciate their uniqueness. It takes no courage to write a post based upon your biases such as yours, but it takes a tremendous amount of courage for my son to live in a world that can be so very painful for him.
I am, by the way, a good parent (been told so by many) who is grateful that I have such a loving son who has taught me the meaning of patience and acceptance. I pray that you, too, may learn these virtues.

Sent by Mary Halbach | 1:30 PM ET | 08-22-2007

I only wish Mr. Brownstein had been in my home for the past 4 years. I have a 4 1/2 year old with autism. He was at or above his age group with all his milestones then all of a sudden lost his speach, eye contact, social skills, and couldn't stand certain lights and sounds. Is that unmanageable??? We manage just fine. My son has never been unmanageable...he doesn't have meltdowns and scream or get violent. Sometimes I wish he would. You see, when somethings upsets my son he shuts completely down for HOURS. You tell me that is adhd. As for mainstreaming autistic children...mine has been mainstreamed in pre-school...he now talks, plays WITH his peers,has good eye contact, and unless you are around him for a bit YOU CANNOT TELL he is autistic. That improvement has come from the influence of "typical" kids.

Sent by Sandra Carroll | 3:18 PM ET | 08-22-2007

John Brownstein Shame on you! How dare you minimize the emotional isolation and pain people with Autism endure! My beautiful 11 year old daughter completely lost all speech at the age of 13 months directly following the MMR jab. It took years to get her to where she is today! Thank heavens there are truly caring compassionate people in the world who make it their life to help kids like my daughter! Autism is NOT just a person who is "SHY"! It is a complete and utter withdrawal into oneself to the point of, in many cases, complete lack of speech and/or communication with the rest of the human race.

Sent by Diana Smith | 4:02 PM ET | 08-22-2007

Please take a moment to educate yourself before you remark on an society of people you know nothing about.

Sent by Genevieve Gravelle | 7:07 PM ET | 08-22-2007

There have been many parents so far comment on Mr. Brownstein so as an mom of two Autistic children, I am not going to give him another word. But I would like to address the comment by Kris K at 5:29 about the "magnet" school and all the anormous resources that are given. I would really love fo ryou to show me the law that gives my children services cause there is no such thing. There is a law that says that their MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS has to be address but nothing that mandates that a school must give out said services. your child can function through a full day of school without fallingoff course and you resent my children that need extra help just to make it through a circle time song. Why don't you babysit one of our kids for one day. Then go and attend an IEP meeting with a school staff of 8 members dismissing your role as a mother and denying your kids services that are imperative to their learning since they have not regressed enough to deem services and then you can come back to me and tell me about how resentful you are. I may sound like an angry mom but let me make myself clear. I am not angry that I have two Autistic children. They are the best gifts that have ever walked into my life. I am angry at the ignorance of grown adults, other parents, that want to put us down without ever walking a step in our shoes.

Sent by Kristin LaRose | 7:21 PM ET | 08-22-2007

If autism is caused by "bad" parenting then why do I have 3 NT kids and 1 ASD child? My 18 yr old son, is popular, personable, highly intellegent, polite, respectful, and loving. He is also, at times, lazy, a smart aleck, hyper, and just plai9n wierd. Both of my daughters are shy but do well in social situatiosn. My 9 yr old son has ASD, he is friendly, loving, empathetic, imaginative and compassionate. He cannot look people in the eye, but that in no way indicates shyness. I suggest, Mr. Brownstein, taht you not only educate yourself on the varying degrees of Autismn but also spend a few days with children of this disorder with an open mind.

Sent by Lisa Budinger | 8:15 PM ET | 08-22-2007

Mr. Brownstein (and those who support his post)...... unless you have: A) a PhD of some type, or B) a person who is challenged with autism in your immediate family, then your opinion is just that: an opinion. And you know what they say about opinions.

You're welcome to come live with us for a while. Perhaps the attitude that our kids - who 'siphon off' funds from Neuro-typical students - should somehow be relegated to the back row of education would change when you witness the extremely mediocre education my 120+ IQ son gets from all that money we're spending on special education.

Then again, you might just lecture me about the amount of money, time and energy we spend on educating and caring for our children outside of that 'well-funded' system you seem to think we have for special ed.

Again - opinions. When you can claim 'expert' status - by PhD or by life experience - maybe then I'll care what you think about this 'so-called autism crisis'.

Sent by Penny | 11:30 PM ET | 08-22-2007

John Brownstein needs to go post his hate-mongering rhetoric where it could possibly have some possitive effect - on anything regarding the illegal alien problem in the U.S.A.!

Regarding your ignorance of autism: Just wait. Autism is coming soon to a child near you!! Once it has entered the lives of someone you know and love (if you are capable of either, as both require compassion) you will become educated and will be forever sorry you posted such nonsense here!

AUTISM SPOKEN HERE!

Sent by Mary E. | 3:52 AM ET | 08-23-2007

Mr. Brownstein, you are obviously misinformed, and or very uneducated. I believe both. Do you even know the difference between ADHD and Autism? Did you also know they can occur together? Obviously not. Do a little research before you spout off blanket statements about how we parent our children.

Sent by Jennifer Dunavin Ca | 3:54 AM ET | 08-23-2007

It MAY be that autism is "over-diagnosed" these days.

But before anyone goes pointing the finger at the parents, they need to realize that autism is NOT the result of poor parenting. It is a neurobiological disorder, cause unknown, and no cure in sight.

My eight year old son has autism. He has yet to carry on a decent conversation with me. Much of his communication is in the form of delayed echolalia. Try listening to conversations about Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy for most of your day!

Try also being concerned about how you're going to pay for therapy and treatment when most insurances don't cover autism treatment, you make too much money for Medicaid, and when you DO have a Medicaid waiver, you have to apply for it yearly and run the risk of not qualifying. This is a classic example of being caught in a squeeze--you make too much to qualify for assistance but not enough to pay for therapy that's needed.

BTW, the "refrigerator mother" theory of autism was put to rest long ago.

Sent by Tina Seward | 6:29 AM ET | 08-23-2007

Mr. Brownstein obviously doesn't have a child on the autsim spectrum; otherwise his comment wouldnt have been so ignorant. Try walking in our shoes to truly understand the complexities of raising a child with special needs. The experience would teach him much needed empathy necessary to raise such a special son like mine.

Sent by Lisa Samsky | 7:12 AM ET | 08-23-2007

Inclusion works for some but we must be able to look at each child individually as required by IDEA. Inclusion did not work for my child and Michigan will not place children in private schools so we have very few options for our child. We found one school willing to accept him and we have to pay $20,000 a year to send him or take our school to Due process which could cost much more. Michigan needs to include private placement in the special education rules so taht IEP teams can provide a full range of services to students. The percentage is small but some kids are not ready for inclusion and most mainstream teachers are not trained to provide the necessary support.

Sent by Karen | 10:43 AM ET | 08-23-2007

Descrimaniton hurts, any one from any walk of life. Autism is not a label it is a real disorder. When people say ignorant thing such as a comment above. It is out of ignorance, it is dicscrimantion in its purest form. Not to only the people who live with Autism but to there familys and caregivers, there teachers and doctors.

Sent by Genevieve Gravelle | 2:17 PM ET | 08-23-2007

John Brownstein and others with like thinking SHAME ON YOU!!!!!! I hope you never have to face the hourly challeneges that we parents aof autistic children do. How dare you judge our parenting. You have no clue what we have to go through, what we have to fight for and how we live on the edge daily with these kids! Let me tell you something these kids are very intelligent,have feelings,exist everywhere and deserve just as much a chance at education, recreation and life itself as anyone else. Why don't you take the time to visit with a family with an autistic child to see what it is like to get the education they are entitled to just the same as any other child. Find out first hand how we have to live and what it takes to be a special parent with xxxtra patience and love chosen to take care of these kids who take alot of extra but are just as worth it as any other human being!!!! Once you've done that then feel free tell me what a bad parent I am.

Sent by Missy Taylor | 2:28 PM ET | 08-23-2007

For the one who has a problem with 10% of the students in his school having autism... Hello! Wake up. On average 1 in 150 children have autism. There is going to be a certain percentage of children with autism in your child's school depending on your location. There is no where else for these children to go, especially if their parents don't have the extra money to send them to a school better prepared for children with their disorder. In fact there isn't one in my area that I'm aware of and I'm not moving any time soon. What? Are we to start up Autism Colonies? Come on now... Although I think many of us parents would enjoy blocking out the rest of uneducated, unsympathetic society, that just wouldn't work. Unfortunately I don't think the public school is the best place for my child. I have to do hours of work with him once he does come home due to the fact that the teacher does not have the time to work with my child. Also, I have 4 children and he is the oldest of the 4. He is the only one who has autism. How does that relate to bad parenting?

Sent by Desi | 3:35 PM ET | 08-23-2007

I have a feeling there are many more people out there who echo Mr B's opinion. That, in itself, is sad. I hope he NEVER loves a child or is directly involved with a child who is in the spectrum. He won't admit that child needs help, or suffers. he will think that that child is just one of bad parenting or has really bad behavior. May God have mercy on him, and be thankful we don't all Share that opinion.

Sent by Dee Whisnant | 3:38 PM ET | 08-23-2007

In reading the post by Mr Brownstein, I find myself wishing we could exchange lives for a day, so he could see how wrong he is. I wish he could have gone to my IEP meeting last week where I was screamed at for fifteen minutes straight by the head of the committee on special education. Literally, I was screamed at. And why? Because I had valid questions regarding my daughter Cora's plan for her education. Apparently questions equate "not trusting the school district" among other things. Yes, Mr Brownstein, you can have it, all the stress and worry, all the scorn from others, including family members. You can have it, and I'll take your like for a day and go have a cup of coffee by myself and read a book, or maybe I'll go see a movie while I reflect upon the bad parenting skills of others and how this is sinking our educational system.

Sent by Hilarie Larson | 4:29 PM ET | 08-23-2007

It is clear that those who have no personal experience with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (anyone who wants to learn more should consult the DSM-IV of the American Psychological Society for official definitions, or a multitude of online resources), have no more idea of what they speak than our ancestors who diminished the lives of a variety of minority groups It is so easy, as I know from personal experience, to blame others, to dismiss segments of our society as being too expensive, to suggest that parents are manipulating the system. None of us is perfect, we all learn in differing ways, experience the world uniquely. Even among those considered "normal" there are a variety of ways to live life. To suggest than anyone, particularly a parent, would place him/herself in front of a board of decision-makers and say "My child is not normal in order to gain services undeservedly, that person cannot be living in the real world.
I notice that some respondents describe alternative therapies: let me simply say that desperate parents should carefully consider ANY treatment and ask" Would I avail MYSELF of this therapy?
This subject is garnering more public attention, all of which helps demystify the varying iterations of this set of syndromes. the more conversation and debate, the better for the children

Sent by Renee Lewis | 6:24 PM ET | 08-23-2007

John Brownstein and Mark:
You are both very ignorant men who have not been "touched" by Autism. Social, shy and introverted... do you honestly think it is that simple?

Sent by Sylvia | 8:30 PM ET | 08-23-2007

I think John Brownstein has been suitably dealt with.

However, I have to come back on a further point. This thread has become somewhat critical of the educational system in the various respondents' places of residence. Of course, I do not in any way doubt their frustrations and the inadequacies of the respective systems regarding their particular children, and I really sympathize. But what I can say, from personal experience, is that the special ed teachers that I know are 110% dedicated to doing the best they know how for the wellbeing and development of the children in their care. You would not believe the lengths my wife goes to, above and beyond the call of duty (especially given her whopping pay check), working until 10 at night on paperwork or cutting out paper frogs from construction paper for her children to work with the next day. She is thoughtful and caring, carefully considering the extremely different needs of the various children in her care, and discussing those needs seriously one-on-one with the parents. I suspect the majority of special ed teachers are truly doing the best they possibly can.

Sent by Robert Cowie | 4:44 AM ET | 08-25-2007

Hooray for John Brownstein? Sorry, Mike; maybe you and John should visit a program that serves children diagnosed with autism and see first-hand what autism can be like. Self-injurious and aggressive behaviors (although not present in all individuals diagnosed with autism) are certainly part of other illnesses, but I hardly think these things contribute to autism being the "disease of the month" or "overdiagnosed". "Shy" and "introverted"; oh if it was only that simple Mike. There's no denying the sometimes damaging (physically and emotionally) behaviors that can be present in an autistic individual. Perhaps a little more education on the symptoms and effects is in order boys. Get back to us...

Sent by Julia | 7:43 AM ET | 08-25-2007

Special instruction and care? Not where I live at in FLORIDA. I am the mother of two boys with autism and there is NO special instruction or care. It's all about the FCAT test. Very sad situation. The school did not even want to accept the fact that our children were diagnosed with autism. They had their records reading "speech/language impaired". We argued with them for a year and had professionals come to the school with us to tell them why they needed to change their records to autistic. I could not believe we had to go through all of that when we had an entire team from the university diagnose and provide us with an entire packet of the evaluations to give to the school with a cover letter written by the lead nurologist which gave the diagnosis. If the schools won't even accept the diagnosis then how can one expect them to give any special care or instruction?

Sent by Mother In Florida | 9:16 PM ET | 08-25-2007

I don't care to comment on the person referred to in this discussion as he has gotten way too much of our energy here. I do find issues of inclusion perplexing. What does in mean to be an inclusive environment? My six year old son has Asperger's and has been in mainstream setttings from pre-school through kindergarten. He has a above average IQ, but poor social skills, pragmatic (conversational) skills, and sensory issues. I found that before kindergarten, he received very high quality support services paid (Occupational therapy, speech, and play therapy). When we got to the elementary school level, the quality of the occupational therapists changed dramatically. In addition, there seemed to be little recognition that social skills are in fact necessary and important parts of learning that need to be addressed (if anyone questions this they just need to refer to the ELA national standards that point to the importance of social communication for all children). We are currently in a district that is willing to provide "desktop"OT that he is pulled out of class for but it did not include the kind of sensory input that helps to organize ASD kids so they are ready to learn. The distrcit in the past has claimed that sensory dysfunction is a medical issue yet teachers complained of how these very sensory -based issues got in the way of teaching him. They brought in a behaviorist to deal with some of the behaviors that have resulted from sensory stuff (self stimulating activities like making fire alarm noises etc.) but have yet to address the root problem. To get such services out of school is extremely prohibitive and our insurance does not cover them. Has anyone had similar experiences with this in their school districts where an OT is provided but they are unwilling to acknowledge that sensory issues are part of the picture (even though 80% of ASD kids have sensory impairment)? I hope that this blog stays active as I am looking to learn about how parents have dealt with this. I happen to be in a good district that is really concerned about differentiated learning, but has difficulty seeing how sensory issues can impact kids' ability to learn. I always thought of myself as a big fan of inclusion (and am still since I feel being with typical peers is absolutely necessary), but am not sure my son will really get what he needs if these issues are not taken seriously in the mainstream setting and seen merely as behavior management problems.

Sent by Dorothy | 1:10 AM ET | 08-27-2007

We should all ignore the comments of John Brownstein, Mark and Kris R. They hold little value and distract from the purpose of this report. It is unfortunate that NPR allowed these comments. They must have know that the majority of listeners would be parents of autistic children. Instead of discussing special education, the majority of comments have been in response to the ignorance of these individuals. NPR must have know this would happen. Shame on them.

My son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2. He is about to turn 3 years old and we are transitioning into the school district. We had an assessment and we will be attending our first IEP next month. We already know what the school district offers. They will only approve 2.5 hours per day of preschool which includes speech and occupational therapy (OT). Since my son's diagnosis, he has attended a preschool that is 4 hours per day and includes speech. He also receives 2 hours of OT outside the school and 15 hours of discreet trial training at home.

My husband and I have decided to learn as much as we can on how to perform the therapies our son needs. We have found that a lot of the therapist assigned to his care are not parents and do not have degrees in child development. Therefore, if they can be trained to provide therapy for our son, so can we. In addition, our health insurance provider, Kaiser, offers classes on how to perform speech and OT at home. Therefore, we are taking advantage of all of these learning opportunities. Of course, we have not ruled out fighting the school district but we want to be prepared.

Although my husband and I work (I'm an attorney with low pay and high student loans, and he is a dispatcher for a restaurant delivery/taxi service), we have decided to change our lives to accommodate our son's needs. He is an angel...really!! We are so blessed to have such a beautiful boy. He is our life. Therefore, we will do all we can to care for him for the rest of our lives and beyond.

We are very fortunate that so far, his tantrums are mild and he is easily redirected into other activities. We hope that regardless of what the school district will or will not offer, we will be able to step in and educate our son. After all, this is the most critical time in his development. We have been told that early intervention makes all the difference. We do not want to wait until the school district and the world catch up to the needs of our child.

We would like to mainstream our son. We hope he will develop life long relationships with his peers and that his presence in the classroom will educate others about autism. However, we recognize that he may not get this opportunity. We have heard of children that become so violent that they are placed in a home because their parents are unable to protect them against their violent behavior. This frightens me more than anything. The thought of my baby being placed in a home is unbearable, and I cannot imagine the pain parents of children who are placed in a home must feel. Does anyone know the percentage of adults with autism who live unassisted versus those who live independently but assisted and for those who do not live independently?

My husband and I were in denial about our son's autism during this past year. We kept hoping that he had been misdiagnosed and one day he would be calling me "mommy" like most children do at his age. But he still does not call me "mommy" and it became very obvious that he was far behind other children his age. Now we have accepted it even if others have not. Some people like to tell us stories about how their cousin did not speak until he was five and he turned out to be "normal." These people are well intentioned and there are times that I fantasize that this may happen to our son. Unfortunately, we need to live in reality and the reality is that he is autistic.

To all of you out there who have an autistic child, I salute you!!!

Sent by Nancy B. Clark | 1:37 AM ET | 08-27-2007

I do appreciate all the work that the special ed teachers do with my child. There is one in particular that works with him daily and I honestly think she does her best. One of the big problems I have with mainstreaming is that he gets penalized for his outbursts, not staying seated and other various stims. These at this point are beyond his control. The inclusion teacher can't work one on one with him and there is no aide for the class (first grade). Because of this he can't learn like the rest of the class. Not that he learns the same way as the others do anyway. I'm glad he gets to be in a class with normal children so he gets acquainted with them, and hopefully learns correct behavior. When he's in the severe profound room with another autistic boy, he tends to mimic his behavior instead of typical behavior. I feel at a loss to find a proper balance between the two.

Sent by Desi | 9:00 PM ET | 08-27-2007

Unfortunately, John and Mike are only two of the millions of people who are ignorant when it comes to Autism. Unless you have the blessing of experiencing life with Autism you may never fully understand and appreciate these beautiful individuals. This is exactly why AUTISM AWARENESS is so important. With 1 out of every 150 kids being diagnosed with Autism it's time we begin to think about the future. Instead of focusing on mainstreaming them into "our" population, focus on learning to live together. With the proper education these individuals have a chance to be anything they want to be. However, mainstreaming them will only trap them in "their" world. Why not have a public school for children with Autism? Not necessarily by town, possibly by county. With the number of children being diagnosed these days increasing by the thousands, having a public school specifically for the needs of individuals with ASD would save tons more money in the long term than referring them to Private schools or trying to mainstream them in typical classrooms.
-Autism Awareness

Sent by Kelly B. | 2:01 AM ET | 09-01-2007

please remember that autism is a developmental delay.These childrenare capable of showing their genius when a connection to communicate has been.please remove the naysayers comments. There is no debate on autism's existence. Blaming the parents is a character flaw, not a diagnosis.

Sent by peter lucas | 2:05 PM ET | 09-05-2007

This comment is for John Brownstein only. You must not have children in order to make such an uninformed comment. If you do congratulations because they must be 'perfect'. I used to think that autism was the diagnosis of the month. Now I have waited almost four years for a word to come out os my boys mouth and I am on a waiting list to get him diagnosed so he can receive treatment. How dare you suggest poor parenting or that people are abusing social services. I do all a can and will continue to do so for my son.

Sent by bonita harman | 3:15 AM ET | 09-06-2007

I truly support inclusive education but to a certain extent. I am a Special Ed. Teacher in a private facility and I have been working with children with severe emotional and social behaviors.
Children with learning disabilities and minor behaviors may be appropriate in a public school setting. Children with severe behaviors and learning disabilities seem appropriate in private schools. In my opinion I feel that teachers that work with physically aggressive children have special training to give that child the proper education they need. Some public schools may not have all the qualifications needed to have that child progress further in life.

Sent by Shanta L. | 7:44 PM ET | 09-10-2007

As a behavioral therapist who makes 28/hr working with a non-verbal/aggressive autistic 10 year old in a special day class 6.5 hours a day for 5 days a week. Wouldn't you think it would be more practical to pay me that same amount of money to work with neurologically typical children who have more upside? On a serious note, I see major improvement with the autistic children I work with, but not to the extent where they're going to be productive members of society. I got paid 25/hr a year ago to sit in back of a classroom while the highly functioning autistic child I worked with mainstreamed in an "honors'" middle school classroom. I basically got paid close to 3000 a month to make sure he doesn't talk out of turn in class, interacts appropriately with his peers during breaks and pick his nose in public. Talk about misplaced resources!

Sent by Stringer Bell | 10:38 PM ET | 09-21-2007

Dear John and Mike,
Imagine if you can you have great intelligence (I don't mean to imply that you don't), great visual perception, insight and passion and no voice to share you thoughts. Imagine further that the world considered you mentally retarded because you had no way of sharing your hopes and dreams? Imagine you could understand complex math in the 5th grade but you were paralyzed by fear of speaking in class? I agree that Autism and ADHD are two very separate things, but the children living with each can benefit from learning coping skills to deal with the documented sensory processing issues they struggle with. Further our society can gain by helping these often times gifted children find their voices and overcome their fear. Many beautiful minds have failed to succeed in school, suffered from depression, fallen victim to bullying and committed suicide because we didn't give them the coping skills they needed to survive. Imagine if we give even some the ability to reach their potential, I bet they would make us all very proud.

Sent by Linda | 8:25 AM ET | 09-23-2007

First of all, let me say that I do truly see the pain that this can cause not only the individual but the family as a whole. While I may not agree with Mr. Brownstein, I may have to wonder how he came about his views.

I have a son that is two and a half and we are now being put through the system. I say this because we feel as though he is not autistic but they are trying to cast him into this ever growing net. He is developing at the same rate as all of his friends and cousins and is very socially interactive. We believe the "reason" behind the medical communitee believing that this is worth further investigation, is due to the fact he can read over +50 words. I blame Baby Einstein and his joy of words for this ability. We played games with cue cards and he gravitated towards reading. He knows the complete alphabet and can count to 20. He is also able to find logos of major retail outlets from 100 yards away. Sears, Home Depot, Best Buy...you name it he can read it and associate it with the product and corporate colours. His love for the logo also extends to actually demanding to go to these stores and be in the stores, not an obsession with just the logo. These places for him are just as grand and exciting as Disney Land.

Although I am new to the process of diagnosising autism, I too wonder if this is the latest buzz. Please do not get me wrong...I understand that this is a disease that is afflicting a countless number of children. But when I look at my son, I don't see where they are getting the information that is driving this diagnosis. He makes eye contact, is verbal, talkative, shows emotion and his imaginative play is always a source of great amusement.

So we are now in a predicament: Do we continue forward and begin to start paying for services that we feel are not necessary? Or do we take a step away from this process and continue to watch our son? My greatest fear is that my son will go through all of this testing to determine there is nothing wrong, and yet this will end up in his records. Which may then pose issues in the future.

Sent by Ken W | 9:32 AM ET | 09-24-2007

I was very much surprised that the program put such a positive spin on inclusion. It seemed very one sided. I believe that there are a few of schools in the country who can afford to support their communities of special ed children. In these schools, as the program noted, the children are thriving. These schools are the "gold standard" and a lot of gold is necessary to make it work.

The reality is that the overwhelming majority of schools in this country are very poorly funded, understaffed, and overcrowded. Teachers and parents are constantly donating money so that classrooms have basic supplies, tissues, books, etc.

Due to inclusion, a typical classroom these days has about 5-6 children with IEP's. They can range from severe to mild autism, dyslexia, CP, ADD, ADHD, sensory disorders and added to this are children from different countries who don't speak English. Each of these children requires a different accommodation.

It is ridiculous that one teacher is expected to support the needs of all of these students! And yes, many of these children do have Teacher Aids. And while many of these aids are well intentioned, compassionate people, they are paid minimum wage and are not specially trained to deal with their student's disability. Many of them are just "minders"--they make sure their student doesn't get lost or disruptive, that they remember to eat their lunch, get to their classes on time, sit in their seats, etc.

Inclusion is a laudable idea. But it is extremely expensive. If we are serious about public schools providing education for all children, than we must be serious about funding. It will require significant investment from taxpayers if it is ever to work. With the war in Iraq, and the continuing war in Afghanistan, talk about universal health care and global climate change, does any one really believe that Public Education and Special Education funding is going to increase any time in the near future?

Sent by Tracey, California | 3:52 AM ET | 09-26-2007

We paid $30,000 for therapies last year. My employer selected health plan reimbursed $408.16 after 3 certified letters and dozens of phone calls. I had to get the State of Florida to intervene to get that. My wife and I are completely and utterly overwhelmed with our 24-7 job of raising a child with an autistic spectrum disorder.

Sent by Richard Fauth | 12:41 PM ET | 09-26-2007

I'm a general education kindergarten teacher who is currently trying to mainstream a very bright little boy who happens to be autistic. Although in kindergarten, he is already reading. His parents are very supportive of his being mainstreamed and work hard to help me to be better informed.
Sadly, much as many, many parents would like to see their autistic children mainstreamed, the harsh reality is that most general education classrooms and their teachers (and yes, I include myself) are vastly underprepared and undersupported to handle the needs of these children.
Currently, I am in tears and unable to sleep. Two days ago I was about to end what seemed like a smooth day of mainstreaming. My autistic student had followed his schedule admirably. The use of an egg timer made his transition to lunch time smooth. He had even managed to share a toy with an NT classmate. However, when the time came to put the toys away and get ready for homework and dismissal, he had a tantrum.
While tantrums aren't uncommon in the general five year old population, this particular five year old is much more difficult to calm down and is much stronger and larger than his classmates.
As he started to jump and yell, I noticed one classmate sitting too close and as I bent down to shoo him from the area, my autistic students head collided with mine. My head and neck feel worse than a rear-end car accident that nearly totaled my car.
Now I am very torn between what actually is the best and most appropriate placement for this particular student and the safety of my students and myself.
To the parents of autistic children, I hear your frustrations. Like you I believe that children with special needs need more opportunity to blend with their general education peers. But I think that we all need to work towards creating a system that supports the needs of all the stakeholders.
And to you, Mr. Brownstein, perhaps you should walk a mile in the shoes of the parents and teachers of autistic children. And if you are REALLY brave, then try another mile in the shoes of an autistic child.

Sent by Cathryn April | 4:56 AM ET | 10-03-2007

I saw this post just now and can't beleive what I just read. If this person, who doesn't beleive there is an autism crisis had a child with autism he might think differently.

Sent by Barbie | 3:01 PM ET | 10-03-2007

Mainstreaming works for many many ASD children. Autism is the new normal, a part of the fabric that is today's classroom.

All children need individualized support, whether it's in a special ed environment or mainstream environment. It did for my son that is now recovered, living therapy-free for almost 4 years now. You can read my story at http://www.hiddenrecovery.com

Sent by Ashley | 10:00 PM ET | 10-03-2007

I am a third grade teacher in Southern California, and currently have two students with autism, one with severe ADHD, three with diagnosed emotional disturbances, and one with a learning disability. One of my autistic students screams every day, all day. Myriad modifications and accomodations have failed to stop the screaming and sobbing. My other students strain to hear me above the din, and some cry with frustration by lunchtime. It is early October, and already our class is a week behind our grade level partners because we simply cannot function as a class much of the time. During the last IEP meeting, this students parents were immune to the reported observations of constant screaming, hitting, chair throwing, and complete lack of interaction with the curriculum on the part of their son. All they can see is that they have the right to mainstream him, and they don't want him ever to be removed from the classroom, even for a moment, to regroup. They expect that he will be allowed to stay despite the screaming, and truly are unconcerned with the impact this behavior is having on the class as a whole.
We have an autistic child in our family. I am not against inclusion; I believe that it can work beautifully in certain circumstances, for certain children. However, I see the rights of one child eclipsing the rights of twenty others every day. Most of my time and attention, and the aide's time and attention, are going to one student, as the rest of my class (including my other autistic student) cries in frustration, holds their ears, or are transferred out of my room so that they have a chance to learn and, as one parent requesting a transfer put it, "Retain his hearing, and be a happy kid in school again." This is deeply wrong and unfair. Mainstreaming can work, but it is not a blanket solution to the challenge of educating these students. All students have the right to an education; I believe that some parents and advocates, in their understandable fervor to protect their own, push aside the needs and rights of other's children. My classroom revolves around one child. That is not the purpose or function of a general education public classroom. I am here to meet the needs of ALL of my students, not just the one.

Sent by Donna | 3:18 PM ET | 10-06-2007

Obviously, John Brownstein, does not have a child with autism.
John:
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

Sent by Sam | 8:09 PM ET | 10-28-2007

It's truly hard to believe that there is still one person that still believes that autism is being imagined or made up. Why would anyone volunteer for the madness that follows a diagnosis of autism? In response to the 'parenting' comment, the only response I have is - I'll see what you have to say after you have your own, cause that's what usually happens to arrogant idiots like you. And also, if you hadn't taken notice, it's no longer the "disease of the month" it appears to be the disease of the decade.

Sent by Janice Lawrence | 8:59 PM ET | 11-08-2007

John Brownstein must be one of the most ignorant people on the planet. Perhaps one day you will be touched with autism and you will realize how insensitive your comments are!!

Sent by Gena Ross | 3:21 PM ET | 11-09-2007

To Donna:

If there is sufficient reason and evidence to support your claim that the autistic child in your classroom remains disruptive beyond control, in spite of all the modifications and accommodations done (has your school tried hiring a paraprofessional and/or getting a functional behavioral analysis on the child?), perhaps your school district could hire a psychologist who could do an assessment of the child and make the proper recommendations on to how to deal with such unruly behaviors, preferably give you and the other classroom staff advice on what to do to prevent the situation from escalating and/or happening in the first place.

Sent by Shiela K | 3:49 AM ET | 01-25-2008

John Brownstein, it is easy to speak when you are not sitting there trying to do the best you can for a child who you love more than yourself but cannot help.

Sent by Karl | 2:27 AM ET | 01-26-2008

obviously you don't have a child on the autism spectrum.. please have compassion not only for these kids but also for the parents..

Sent by Allison | 6:47 PM ET | 05-31-2008

I recently had to listen while my brother-in-law and sister-in-law questioned the value of main-streaming children with disablilites. "Why should some kid be 'entitled' to take 90% of the teacher's time 'cause he can't keep up, while the rest of the kids have to sit there?", was more or less the comment.
I tried to explain the role of classroom aides, partial inclusion, accomodations, etc., but it's hard to open closed minds. (like our dear Mr. Brownstein's).
My husband and I did decide one thing: these people are not going to be the guardians of our children as we had previously intended. We will leave our kids with elderly grandparents or other family members who do not believe that autistic and other handicapped people should be segregated from society!
Another comment made awhile back by said brother-in-law: "How can something (ADHD) be called a 'disorder' when 5% of the population supposedly has it?"
I guess he doesn't think that heart disease, diabetes, or cancer are 'real', either, since so many people are afflicted.
And, yes, we are parents of one child with ADHD and ASD. Our son, Louis, is highly intelligent and gifted, and yet has many difficulties that are not readily apparant to the causual observer. Over the years, I have tried to educate people when it seemed appropriate, but, unfortunately, people really do have to 'walk in your shoes' to really understand these disorders. Sure, we have parenting issues (who doesn't?), but like so many others who have posted their comments here, I have to point out that we have another "normal" child. Bad parenting does not cause autism or ADHD.

Sent by Janet E. | 4:04 PM ET | 08-15-2008