Episode 18: Putting the pieces together

The missing puzzle piece is not cold sperm.

Episode 17

• "New Autism Screen for Babies"
• California judge retracts murdered autistic man's compensensation for suffering between being shot by police officer and dying.
• Without citing any precedent, Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled that a $1 million award awarded the the estate of the murdered autistic man was not applicable over a California law that has been interpreted alternatively over the years.
• Celebrity lawyer defends mother accused of killing autistic son
• Alan Dershowitz, an attorney who represented both OJ Simpson and Mike Tyson, is acting as consitutional consultant for a former pharmaceutical executive, Gigi Jordan, who reportedly wrote a letter admitting her plans to kill her autistic son and then herself before successfully killing the boy, but not herself. Why did this mother feel so desperate and alone that she decided the only way out was murder and then suicide? Why, with all her connections in the pharmaceutical industry, was she unable to manage the challenges of autism? Does this speak to the efficacy of pharmaceutical interventions?
• "Autism Needs Awareness All Year Long"
• A mother of an autistic boy wrote this great article advocating for awareness campaigns beyond the month of April.

Ep. 16: Renaissance Interview with Brandon Schoonmaker

This is the first of our Renaissance Interviews, which features the 2010 Irwin Siegel award for excellence as a direct support professional.  Read more about this here:

Episode 15

• Nova Scotia to double funding for early therapy program for autistic children
• Langley dad questions school decision to expel autistic son deemed violent
• Couple Allegedly Imprisoned Autistic Boys
• Denmark scientist accused of stealing autism research money

Episode 14

• New research explains autistic's exceptional visual abilities - Mapping data shows enhanced activity in the 'perception' part of the brain
• The temporal and occipital lobes are relatively more active in the brains of individuals with ASD.  These regions are associated with perceiving and recognizing objects.  This backs up findings that illustrate improved visual ability within the autistic community.
• This has huge implications in the way information is presented, tested for, and used in assessment of abilities among individuals with ASD.
• MyVoice is a new application that helps individuals with communication deficits overcome their disability and shows how technology is helping to facilitate this transition to a wider range of communication.
• 305k stolen from autism facility
• the money was taken bit by bit from personal and state accounts
• Mom withholds cancer meds from autistic son
• Guilty plea in attack on autistic teen

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Episode 13: Missing and presumed incompetent

Sign up for a Renaissance Interview here * Leave a voicemail at (845) 418-6252 

Abusers are being shifted from one care-facility to another instead of facing the consequences of their abuse and neglect.  This isn't only true in state-run facilities; not-for-profit and faith-based agencies do the same.

• Alfred J Caber was shopping when he was found by police officers after he went for a walk by himself in the Southwest area of Englewood. (Sun Times, march 26)
• His poor communication skills and diagnosis of autism means Mr. Caber is "at risk" and unable to pursue independent activities such as walking.
• Jacob McNeely went missing after he missed the bus from his vocational training center (Mike Rosenberg, Mercury News, March 23)
• Family says he's unable to care for himself and will likely approach strangers for help
• Family also cite possible depression for his behavior
• A 5-year-old boy was found barefoot by a neighbor and his godmother, who was watching him, was charged with reckless endangerment.  (JJ Huggins, Eagle Tribune, March 20)
• The boy, dressed only in boxers and a t-shirt walked into the neighbor's house as though it was his own and went right to the refrigerator.  The woman who lived there fed him pancakes, gave him a blanket, and called the police. 
• He apparently unlocked the doors to his godmother's apartment while she was sleeping.
• The boy, who is diagnosed with severe autism, had gone missing before and the police were able to track his point of origin based on previous reports.
• Wandering and elopement is possibly getting its own diagnostic code.  That means that there will be a disorder for wanting to go for a walk, be by yourself, or escape a toxic environment. (Robin Hausman Morris, examiner.com, March 24)
• The individual case study the author writes about is a man with autism who was arrested and brought to the psych ward just by walking to the local YMCA to buy a soda.  His odd behavior was deemed erratic by police, who took him in for an evaluation.  

Do people with autism need ID badges?  Would we do well to tattoo "autistic" on their foreheads just to keep cops from arresting them or, worse yet shooting them for acting atypically?

I think it's interesting that these stories pop up only when the weather changes and things get warmer.  These individuals are deemed too dependent to care for themselves, but are smart enough to only go for walks when the weather is appropriate and, most of the time, they're carrying on every-day activities such as shopping or just walking.  That said, what can we do to enable independence while maintaining communication and overall safety?  Cell phone training?  Autistic-friendly software for smartphones?

• The capacity for high levels of personal responsibility is there.  The only reason we would require ID badges is because we have failed to communicate with people diagnosed with autism and acknowledge that capacity.

• Autistic boy, 12, dies saving his father from fire that destroyed their home

Episode 12: Mice, Music, and Mutants

• MIT researchers have replicated two of the tree symptoms of ASD (repetitive behavior and avoidance in social situations) by mutating a single gene known as shank3. (Shari Roan, LA TIMES, March 25)
• shank3 is a gene responsible for the appropriate firing of synapses, pointing to a genetic link to the neurological abnormalities among individuals with autism
• Previously, shank3 mutation has been implicated in only 1% of children with ASD (ABC News, Lara Salahi, March 21)
• SUNY Purchase has sponsored a symposium to discuss the links between music and the autistic brain. (Christine Loughran, March 21, Portchester Patch)
• Patterns in music appeal to individuals with autism and the melodic mathematics involved often open lines of communication that were otherwise cut.  For instance, music is a great way for a clinician to illustrate and discuss complex issues with a client who may not like to speak introspectively, but who is motivated to dissect and discuss applicable themes in music.
• Music therapy may not be beneficial for every affected individual, but it's invaluable for a large group who may exist in a dormant state otherwise.
• I've even used music to treat an autistic man who was also deaf, nonverbal, and mostly blind.  It changed his sensory life and enhanced our rapport ten fold.
• A 12-year-old boy is redefining what it means to be autistic. (Slate.com, March 24)
• Diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, the young man is already in college and working on revamping Einstein's theory of relativity.
• His IQ is beyond that of Einstein, with a score of 170.
• This illustrates the fact that autistic individuals are not only adversely affected by their neurological disorder.  Pathology can be a double-edged sword in that differences are often seen as negative when they offer new, positive possibilities.
• This kid's a mutant, in the same way that the superheroes in X-Men are
• On to a mutant of a different type... An ex-counselor at a summer camp on Staten Island is charged with sexually abusing an autistic boy. (Barry Paddock and Rocco Parascandola, Daily News, March 23)
• Francesco Zaffuto was 19 when he allegedly forced an 8 year old, nonverbal, boy with autism to perform sex acts in a camp bathroom while Zaffuto took pictures.
• Taking pictures on his iPhone proved helpful to investigators because the images contained geotags, which confirmed when and where they were taken.
• Mutant mice, mutant prodigies, and mutant monsters abound, we're getting closer to understanding the factors involved in the development of ASD and giving voice to those who are otherwise unable to advocate for themselves and protest against the abuse that our dysfunctional system of care often facilitates.   

Episode 11: MMR? Who knows?

After reading through research and discussing the MMR theory with parents of children with autism, I've decided that I'm too dumb to decide one way or the other.  Frankly, I don't think anyone knows what causes autism and I don't think worrying about what causes it will help treat those already affected.  It's important to know what causes it to prevent further cases, but there's nothing inherently "wrong" with individuals with autism and they deserve the full attention of intervention specialists and families.  Time that is wasted on anger could be spent on enhancing the life of a person with autism with love.


"Parents of children with autism who adhere to the idea that vaccinations cause autism are often radicalized by the push-back by professionals who dismiss their claims outright.  I've made the mistake of doing the same things when I began reading the literature; but, after reading hundreds of scientific journal articles and government reports, I can only confidently state that I have no idea what causes autism.  Nobody does.


So, there's evidence that MMR vaccines have nothing to do with the onset of autism.  There's also evidence that government agencies who distribute these vaccinations and the pharmaceutical companies that produce them for profit have worked to cover up information relative to their link to autism.  There's also evidence that the chemicals in question have caused brain swelling in the brains of monkeys, but that's not the only comorbidity with ASD.  When faced with this kind of situation, I have to declare ignorance.  I have no idea what actually causes autism; but, until I find conclusive evidence that it plays a causal role, I have to consider vaccinations as non-causal.


What should be done?  Well, more research should be done and that research should be as non-biased as possible.  The problem is, no research study is perfect and there's little money out there for research that comes from non-invested parties.  Of course the pharmaceutical companies are going to be the ones testing their drugs; they're their drugs.  And, if MMR proponents fund a different study, the argument of bais will persist.


When government agencies and scientists are held in the pockets of companies, the workings of government start to get mucked up.  Jon Stewart of The Daily Show coined a term for this; it starts with the word "cluster" and rhymes with the word "duck."


Science and social engineering are not concerned with the individual or an individual family.  Science has, unfortunately, taken a decidedly non-humanist path and is thinking in terms of populations, not people.  Any professional who categorizes a concerned parent as a conspiracy nut or loon needs their own head checked and maybe an injection of empathy.  But, both sides of this argument need to appreciate that there is no right or wrong answer as of yet.  Vaccine's may be a factor in the development of ASD; they may only effect those who are genetically predisposed to ASD; they may have no relationship at all and simply be administered at a coincidentally similar time as symptom expression; who knows?  Nobody knows.  Let's keep discussing it and do the best that we can with a group of really great kids who will grow up to be a group of really special adults with autism."

Episode 10: Abuse, neglect, and theft

• LAPD killing of autistic man was wrong, Police Commission rules (Joel Rubin, March 5, L.A. Now)
• Last year, an unarmed, 27 year old, african-american, autistic man was fatally shot by police for acting strangely.
• The police chief, Charlie Beck, declared after an internal investigation that the officers were justified for shooting the man who was armed only with a technological assist, a cell phone.
• Rarely does a commission reject the recommendation of a police chief, but this incident is so abhorrant and unforgivable that they were forced to admit wrongdoing.
• Police work is dangerous, stressful, and messy.  It's understandable that members of the force would look out for one another.  But, looking out for one another can also mean helping each other admit guilt and evolving beyond simple-minded group-think.  Group think is the most anti-social thing there is next to gossip and I'm grateful there are checks on organizations that have so much power over innocent civilians.
•  Autistic Girl Found in Boat on Pond (Catie Beck, Mar 6, WTVR) 
• An 8 year old autistic girl was found alone, in a boat in the middle of a pond, dressed only in her night-wear.  
• Charges of neglect may be pending; but, what's the gray area between using a soccer net to prevent such incidents (see the previous episode) and allowing such unfettered freedom?  What's neglect and what's abuse?  Commentators on this article argued for door alarms, but who can afford those?!?  We are not all wealthy enough to afford such luxurious means of control.
• Personally, I'm just grateful the girl was found before she drowned or froze to death.  Good job, Police officers, excellent work serving and protecting!
• Plea expected in autistic man's Wood Services van death (Laurie Schroeder, Mar 7, phillyburbs.com) 
• 41 year old aide from a Pennsylvania agency is expected to plead guilty of leaving an autistic man in a hot van for five hours, resulting in his death
• Parents aren't the only ones who struggle to deal with challenging behavior.  Service providers deal with compound challenges when trying to manage the needs of numerous individuals with autism.  They are often overworked, underpaid, and expected to work miracles with little to no support from their administrators.  
• This is an obvious example of neglect; but, I have to admit that I feel sorry for this woman who very likely did not have the resources necessary to manage this individual and the others in his group.  She may have been alone and forced to choose to leave a man behind in the van or take an entire group back to their residence.  
• Having worked in agencies like this, I have seen direct care staff who don't even have a high school diploma illustrate excellence in the care for individuals with autism.  I've also seen so-called doctors fail miserably.  Some aren't even able to provide the most basic level of care for the individuals they claim to serve.  It is sometimes these "doctors" who are running the show and who are ultimately responsible for instances of neglect, though they rarely get their hands dirty enough to be recognized as at fault. 
• When you place your loved one in the care of these people, you may be paying them to leave your loved one in a hot van for five hours, or in a room with the lights on for 15 days, or in a corner, covered in their own feces, with the self-righteous "doctor" claiming that they've defecated only for attention.  We NEED to move forward and develop a system of care that teaches advanced skills to those who have the longest lasting impact, the families.  Instead, we have a system that steals from the families and taxpayers by claiming expertise where no expertise actually exists.
• Nonprofit founder gets 60 days for theft (Joy Powell, Mar 4, startribune.com)
• Mario Cortolezzis, a Minnesota man who began a nonprofit organization to help individuals with autism and Alzheimer's was found guilty of theft and ordered to serve 60 days in jail and pay $43,000 in restitution.  
• He was raising money to support his organization, but also to pay his own mortgage and go tanning.
• Some of us do this work for free and might only ask for donations that would likely go to rent and utilities; is that stealing?  I know that I wouldn't be able to do this podcast if I didn't have electricity, a place to work, and internet access.  Though I haven't received any donations yet, would I be stealing if I used donations to pay for such expenses?  Let me know what you think!

Episode 9: You can pick your friends; you can pick your services; but you can't pick your genes

• Scientists Link 'Sets' of Genetic Abnormalities to Autism Risk (March 01, HealthDay News)
• Peter White and his colleagues published research findings in the March 1 issue of Molecular Psychiatry, which indicate a correlation between "copy number variations" (CNVs) and the development of autism spectrum disorders.  CNVs are changes in the gene when it is copied from one individual to another and researchers believe that some 800 such groups of copy number variations are responsible for the neurological differences in the brains of individuals with autism.
• The researchers are quick to point out that this implies many more than one single cause of autism, that there are "many different, possibly even hundreds, of genetic paths to autism..." - Peter White 
• This would add more dimensions to the spectrum of autism because it would become more and more clear that there are many more subtypes of ASD, differing due to different causes.
• Some who believe in a connection between fluoride and autism may be intrigued to know that AK is moving toward passing two bills, one mandating that fluoride be added to the water supply of populations over 5,000 and one mandating that private insurance companies cover care for autistic individuals.  Some may argue that this may be causing a problem in order to solve it and, simultaneously, support insurance companies since we will soon be forced to buy health insurance at increased cost to the individual or family.
• Personally, I think standards for care are important.
• Couple denies they caged, endangered severely autistic sons in unsanitary home.
• Authorities accused the couple of caging their son, but couple argued that they used soccer nets to close off a space for their son so he didn't endanger himself at night. 
• Officials claimed that the house had substantially poor ait quality, which could mean anything from carbon monoxide to cigarette smoke.  
• Was this couple just trying to the best they could under limited circumstances or were they negligent?  Does the government have the right to critique your living conditions or those of a developmentally disabled individual when he's in his family home, especially when they do not offer any better alternative.  State houses don't have soccer nets, but they have alarms, sensors, cameras, a night-shift of staff, locks, and motion-sensitive lights.  They're all means to the same end, only the government's cost an arm and a leg and working-class parents cannot afford such luxurious means of control.
• Freedom to Choose Leisure Activities Benefits People With Autism (March 3, ScienceDaily)
• NO DUH!
• Researchers "proved" that individuals with ASD did better on measures of social skills and communication after participating in a program that encouraged individual choice of leisure activities.
• This is why science can never overcome the insight that someone like a parent has.  Scientists had to take over a year and a lot of money to illustrate a point that is intuitively obvious to anyone with a measurable degree of intimate knowledge, empathy, or appreciation for anyone, including people with autism.
• Dad and autistic son reunited after High Court judgment (Mar 2, Dan Coombs, Uxbridge Gazette)
• Government overstepping its bounds isn't only an American phenomenon; when a father in the UK, Mark Neary, came down with the flu, his son with autism was sent to an agency that would care for him during his father's illness.  But, when his father recovered, the agency told him that his son needed to stay in their care as a matter of health and safety.  This was because the his son reacted very negatively to being removed from his normal life and forced into an entirely new system, with new rules, routines, and challenges.

Episode 8: The Neuropsychology of Autism

• Using EEGs to diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infants 
• Scientists in Boston, MA are finding ways of identifying children at risk of autism at very young ages (9 months).  This has huge implications for early intervention services and point to neurological substrates for the development of ASD.
• '“Many neuroscientists believe that autism reflects a ‘disconnection syndrome,’ by which distributed populations of neurons fail to communicate efficiently with one another,” explains Nelson. “The current paper supports this hypothesis by suggesting that the brains of infants at high risk for developing autism exhibit different patterns of neural connectivity, though the relationship between entropy and the density of neural arbors remains to be explored.” (Neural arbors are projections of neurons that form synapses or connections with other neurons.)'
• Read more about the neuropsychology of autism and access our references here!
• Read more about fractal psychology here!

Episode 7: Does fairy dust cause autism?

• Does "Contaminated Water" Cause Autism? (Feb 17, James Heiser, thenewamerican.com) 
• This article is full of ridiculous assumptions, and not all of them are authored by Mr. Heiser.  
• The idea that drinking water effects development is intriguing, especially when you consider the effects of Fluoride and poor quality control regionally.  But, without evidence, the notion that a government official would actually say that there's a possible connection is unbelievably irresponsible.  
• Studies comparing drinking water contamination and incidence rates of autism might guide researchers to understand the effects of artificially introducing chemicals on the evolution of a large population.  
• Fluoride is known to have both positive and negative effects on a large population but is poorly regulated and often found in higher quantities than deemed safe.
• "This past December yet another study was released — the 24th of its sort — indicating that the additive [fluoride] has an adverse effect on the intelligence of children. In a report for the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, Paul Connett, Ph.D. looked at Chinese populations newly exposed to fluoride and found that 28% of the children in the low-fluoride village of Xinhuai (.36 mg/L) were possessed of bright, normal or high intelligence. There, the mental retardation rate was only 6%. Conversely, in the high-fluoride community of Wamaio (2.47 mg/L) only 8% fell into the bright, normal or high intelligence category while mental retardation grew to a staggering 15%."
• But, as is true with the MMR theory, evidence is crucial.  What do we hope to accomplish by blindly blaming toxins without uncovering evidence that will lead to a viable solution?
• Fluoride is known to decrease levels of testosterone and make males more docile.  This is one argument that conspiracy theorists make when explaining why the government puts it in our water supply.  But, there is also evidence pointing to the role that increased levels of testosterone has on the development of ASD.
• Testosterone may bump autism rates in males(Feb 18, Karen Rowen, myhealthnewsdaily.com)
• Genes are like light switches; sometimes, they are linked in series and one needs to be turned on in order for others to be turned on.
• Researchers have found that a gene nicknamed RORA is more likely to be switched on in females than in males and this is due to the amount of testosterone in the fetus' environment
• When RORA is switched on, other genes are able to be switched on.
• RORA has been shown to mitigate the effects of stress on neurons and keep them from becoming inflamed, which is a common attribute among individuals with ASD
• We know that males are more likely to be diagnosed with ASD by a ratio of about 4:1.  Is this because of testosterone levels, Fluoride in our drinking water, or toxins introduced at a very young age?  Could it also be that we have little to no tolerance in our society for stereotypically male behavior like aggression, strong stress reactions, and rigidity in thought?
• Much attention has been drawn to the feminization of American society in recent years
• Is this leading to biased assessment of behavior?
• Do you have asperger's or just a mind of your own?

Episode 6: Small Steps, Huge Gains

•  Dogs Proven Therapeutic for Children with Autism (Feb 15, Michelle Gonzalez, autismkey.com)
• Man's best friend calms stressed out children with autism spectrum disorder.
• USA Today article claims that, "The study measured the salivary levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in 42 children with autism at three different times: before and during the introduction of a service dog to their family, and after a short period during which the dog was removed from their family …  The researchers concluded ‘that the introduction of service dogs translated into reducing cortisol levels and the number of disruptive behavioral incidents in children with ASD.’"
• Connecting with others requires the opportunity to connect.  Dogs are often unwaveringly positive, loving, and loyal.  They're perfect creatures for children in the process of developing empathy, mutuality, and interpersonal responsibility.
• Man's best friend can also be non-biological.
• iPad helps toddler with autism communicate (Feb 18, Caroline Cornish, WLBZ2, Portland Maine)
• Jeremiah Gould's is a 2 1/2-year-old with autism who is non-verbal and uses pictures to indicate what he wants.
• iPad apps are often superfluous, but some offer insight into how some ABA learning techniques may become automated.
• Jeremiah's speech pathologist reports that she's seen increases in his appropriate pointing behavior and word recognition.  Though he is not yet mimicking sounds, his receptive language skills are much more developed than previously believed.  His skills are being more accurately assessed and developed thanks to the iPad.
• Palm Beach School for Autism Implements Apple iPads in Curriculum (Feb. 17, PRLog.org)
• "The Apple iPad fosters improvement across a wide area of skills such as visual and auditory memory, independent functioning, social/emotional, receptive/expressive language, pragmatic/social language and cognitive skills,” said Paula Perretz, speech and language pathologist.  “Children with autism have different styles of learning, and the iPad addresses both auditory and visual learning styles. The iPad has apps which help increase desire and motivation to learn, attention to task, short and long term memory, and enables the interaction and development of communication as it is truly a revolutionary high tech dynamic display AAC device.” 
• Saline: Taylor Parrish finds his voice using technology (Feb. 15, April Scarlett, heritage.com)
• Taylor Parrish, a young man with autism, had yet to prove his knowledge or comprehension because his assessors rely on verbal expression of knowledge.
• Thanks to the iPad, Taylor can now express his knowledge using the speakers of his handy device.
• All of the information that was drilled into him day in and day out like colors, shapes, names, etc. was long-since instilled in Taylor's memory.  He simply could not easily express the fact that he knew all these things and would like to move on to more stimulating information, please.
• Study to Tackle Autism and Driving (Feb 18, Shaun Heasley, disabilityscoop.com)
• Simulators may be used to train individuals with autism to drive
• driving is a right of passage for many young adults and this sense of independence is also sought after by individuals with autism.
• One of my old clients was obsessed with the idea of driving because, for him, it represented the ultimate expression of true independence.
• This study, financed by a $100,000 grant by the Department of Defence, uses proven methods of ABA, particularly video modeling and repeated trials.
• Be it man's best friend or newest technology, there are limitless opportunities out there for individuals with autism to prove their limitless capacities.  Be it a capacity for empathy or memory, it is our own limitations as parents and professionals to recognize what has been there the whole time that has been stunting the development of individuals with autism.  
• Let's stop getting in our own way.  If you'd like to contribute to the development of applications that maximize the use of technological advances then please donate to the renaissanceinstitute.org.

Episode 5: The love of money

• Doing Nothing is Not an Option (Feb 15, Sheryl Young & Lauren Potter, Huffington Post)
• Organizations advocating for individuals with disabilities have launched campaigns to end the use of "the r-word" and to "disable bullying."  These campaigns focus on spreading tolerance through the mindful understanding of the experience of individuals with disabilities.  
• Connotation vs. denotation: how do we change the connotation of a word?  Using it as a symbol of power.
• High-minded ideals of the politically correct use of language aside, what's being done about the real work of service delivery?  
• Families tell lawmakers human services programs are crucial (Feb. 15, Sylvia Fagin, VTdigger.org)
• State budgets are falling to pieces, but real advocacy groups are standing strong and asserting that parents, schools, and the general public need professional services for children with disabilities in order to thrive.  
• These advocates didn't cry over the use of the r-word, they argued that cutting $1.4 million in Vermont's mental health programs and $3.2 million in developmental disability services was unconscionable and self-sabotage on the state level.  These cuts were proposed by Gov. Peter Shumlin. 
• Ark. House panel endorses bill for autism coverage (Feb 15, AP, cnbc) 
• Arkansas joins the growing ranks of states that are passing bills to mandate the coverage of autism services.  Why, while states are tightening their belts, are they also passing bills mandating that insurance companies compensate for their budgetary failures?
• There's a shift happening and this shift is one of regulation.  Instead of municipalities exerting direct control over service provision, they will soon be simply auditors of a privately run health-care industry.  Is this a good thing?  
• We'll be paying taxes for auditors to audit private industries and for lawmakers to side-step their responsibilities.  Then, the private industries that are propped up by our tax dollars will charge us higher premiums to access necessary services.  This seems a lot like double billing.
• Support for kids with autism drops off after high school (Feb 15, Steven Carter, examiner.com)
• Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reports that nearly 40% of young adults with ASD get no medical, mental health, or case management services.
• This is especially true for people with low incomes who rely on government intervention and advocacy, which is being traded in for kickbacks by insurance companies.
• blacks are more than three times less likely to receive services than whites
• The mandates in service provision are focusing on early intervention services because those have been proven to be most effective and cost-saving in the long term.  But, what about those who still need services in late adolescence and adulthood?  There is a definite need for care.
• 41-year-old virgin admits guilt
• a Dr. who practices general medicine in the Australia pleaded guilty of using a postal service to circulate child pornography and for downloading it from the web.
• This highly intelligent man was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and his lawyer is claiming that his diagnosis indicates that he is not able to make the appropriate moral judgement that such a behavior is abhorrent.  
• If this individual was American and able to receive counseling from a counselor with specialized knowledge of autism spectrum disorders, then he may have been able to recognized the error of his ways
• We talked about the moral judgement of individuals with autism in a previous episode; this is an extreme illustration of the way in which skewed impulses and strict, non-abstract, moral decision-making can express itself in an individual with ASD.
• A counselor may have been able to help this man develop a relationship with an adult man or woman who could consent to sex, rather than a child who cannot. 
• this may be idealistic thinking, but not outside the realm of possibility.  
• without services, however, these adults with developmental disabilities, however intelligent, are left to struggle with issues without any specialized supports in place.
• Is this really a moral lapse caused by a developmental disability or just an excuse?  If this Dr. wanted companionship and sex, a knowledgeable counselor could have uprooted the obstacles keeping him from trying to get laid with an adult.
• Our children deserve better than inhibitory premiums, exploitative taxes, and a service-delivery system less interested in helping people than gaining the convoluted system that underwrites their checks.

Episode 4: Segregate the Charlatans. What's in a degree?

Segregation

• Filling the void (Elizabeth Floyd Mair/The Times Union/Feb. 13)
• "Twin", written by Allen Shawn, is a memoir of his growing up without his twin sister, Mary, who was institutionalized at 8 because of her diagnosis of autism and mental retardation.  This occurred in the 1950's, but segregation is still reflected in modern approaches.  Institutions have been replaced by agencies, but the goals remain the same.
• Allen Shawn has anxiety issues, which is common among family members of individuals with autism spectrum disorders
• "The deeper truth is that we are all very odd. We're odd beings, each odd in our own way."
  
• Mum starts Hume's first autism support group (Hume Leader/Kate Swan/Feb 12)
• Susie Ball started a support group simply because she "felt lonely".
• Her son's behavior made her feel like an outcast, but parents who understand those behaviors remind her of her normality and the normality of her son.
• Picture shows Susie Ball playing Wii with her son, a normal routine for any modern-day family
• iPads provide needed tool for autistic students (Stamford Advocate.com/Maggie Gordon/Feb. 8)
• Typical technology is invaluable for nontypical students
• iPads and smart-phones can normalize otherwise odd technological assists like bulky communication devices.
• Donate to RenaissanceInstitute.org and help us develop applications specially designed for individuals with autism.
• Autism Awareness Month: Playgroup offers a social outlet (News Review Messenger/Tim Williams/May 12)
• Allison Dix created a play group for her children with autism spectrum disorders
• Mrs. Dix reported that her twins with autism have shown improvement in their behaviors since regularly interacting with others in play.
• Perhaps more importantly, the children show improved confidence, which can translate into motivation for tackling challenges for the rest of their lives.  This is the true value of social competence.

Parents may not have degrees, but nobody knows what their children need more than mothers and fathers.  Professionals exist to hone that knowledge and motivation and learn how to apply it to a wider population.  Many families do not have the knowledge, time, social support, or financial ability to take on such a task as creating the supports that their child needs, so professionals are here to do so on their behalf.  There's no expert like a parents, but many so-called doctors consider themselves infallible.  Doctors have not changed their tactic since the day Allen Shawn said goodbye to his twin sister before she was swept off to an institution.  Doctors often seek to create bubbles in which they can control all variables, but this is the opposite course they need to take.  The real world is nothing like a laboratory and true professionals try to apply ABA to real world situations because the only other option is segregation and is unethical.  A degree is only a piece of paper and is worthless compared to the love of a family member.  But, some charlatans take the arbitrariness of academia to the next level...

Charlatans

• Lawmakers push for harsher penalties for phony autism therapists (NORWALK/The Hour Online/By Danielle Capalbo/ Feb. 14)
• "A group of bipartisan lawmakers has proposed a bill that would ratchet up the penalty for people who misrepresent their credentials to work with special needs children. ... The law would currently punish that fraud with misdemeanor charges for impersonation, Cafero said. The proposed bill, however, would amplify the penalty to carry up to five years in prison and up to $500 in fines for each session or consultation."
  
• This news story and bill focus on the case of Stacy Lore, who created Spectrum Kids, LLC under the guise of being a professional ABA practitioner, but who only had her GED.

Does a degree matter that much when even the highest level service-specialists make fundamental errors and even abuse the consumers of their services?  Egregious examples of fraud may distract from deeper problems in treatment for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.  Though Stacy Lore had no right to waste the time, energy, and money of those whom she cheated, does a piece of paper with their name on it give doctors the right to do the same?  It's been my experience that some of these doctors are even more dangerous because they feel that their degrees validate their neglect, incompetence, or other form of abuse.

Episode 3: Prevalence vs. Incidence & Who Cares?

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Prevalence vs. Incidence

• The Huffington Post reports that the percentage of special education students diagnosed with autism in California tripled between 2002 and 2010. (Feb. 4)
• Does this reflect an actual rise in incidence or is the rise in prevalence due to better assessment or possibly even over-diagnosis, incentivized by higher rates of funding?
• Virginia Legislature passes bill that mandates insurers offer autism coverage (Feb. 2, The Washington Post)
• Up to $35,000 for proven therapies such as applied behavior analysis (ABA)
• Tea Party opposition based on cost to taxpayers
• Highlights the need for accurate diagnosis, skill assessment, and effective therapeutic interventions
• West Virginia passes similar bill (Feb. 5, Charleston Daily Mail)
• Federal government subsidizes care from birth to age 3
• Bill limits cost of care to $30,000/child/year from age 3-6
• Bill limits cost of care to 12,000/child/year from 7-18, which necessitates a more inclusive and less 1:1 intervention strategy

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Who Cares?

• Adults with autism are less likely to take into account the intentions of others (Feb 2, U.S. News)
• From Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Jan. 31)
• Outcomes matter more than intentions (Jan 31, myhealthnewsdaily.com)
• When faced with lack-luster services, we have to ask ourselves, "is trying your best good enough when you fail?"
• Are lack-luster services considered neglectful when they willfully ignore their own failings?
• Incompetence can lead to outright abuse
• "Nova Scotia's Department of Community Services has ordered an independent review of a special care home where the mother of an autistic man says her son was locked in a constantly lit room over a period of 15 days." (Feb. 1, The Globe and Mail)

Episode 2: The Universality of Autism

What is a Spectrum?

• Autism is an extreme expression of truly universal characteristics upon which we are all judged
• Restrictive & repetitive behavior, both physical and cognitive
• Ability to express ourselves through language, both verbal and physical
• Ability to maneuver through a complex social environment without stepping on toes or offending others (assuming the mental state of others)
• Fabrication of vaccine-autism study raises ire
• MMR explanation for autism development continues to not be true

Episode 1: Introduction