NBC Autism Series
February 21-25, 2005
During the week of February 21, the networks of NBC News will devote special coverage to autism, with extensive reporting on Today, Nightly News with Brian Williams, CNBC, MSNBC (and MSNBC.com), NBC’s owned-and-operated stations, and Telemundo.
Please click here to read the full press release on the NBC News series entitled “Autism: The Hidden Epidemic?”
MSNBC.com
Click the following links to read articles related to autism, as featured on msnbc.com
- Signs and symptoms of autism (below)
- Guide to autistic spectrum disorders
- Brain imagery may help explain autism
- Early detection of autism improves chances
- One family’s struggle with autism
- Autism linked to mother’s illnesses in study: children of moms with asthma, allergies, psoriasis at higher risk
- Autistic man expresses himself with the piano: Music may improve social skills for people with condition
- Inside the autism treatment maze:No single approach is best for every child
- Parents push for autism cure: Doctors credit parents for making research a priority
FACT FILE | Autism signs and symptoms
Children with autism and other autism spectrum disorders typically display a range of identifiable symptoms. By being aware of these signs, parents can help spot the disorder at an earlier age, which greatly improves a child’s overall prognosis. Click on a category to learn more about the symptoms to watch for.
Communication
— Delay in, or total lack of, development of spoken language
— Difficulty initiating conversation
— Echolalia (repeating words or phrases instead of using normal language)
— Doesn’t respond to name
— Doesn’t use or respond to gestures and other nonverbal cues
Social Interaction
— Doesn’t point to objects or show them to others
— Doesn’t make eye contact at appropriate times
— Doesn’t look at other people’s faces as much
— Doesn’t respond to facial expressions or body language
— Doesn’t smile back at others
— Lack of peer relationships appropriate to age level
— Less interest in other children
— Not motivated by praise or physical affection
— Doesn’t clearly demonstrate sympathy or empathy
Behaviors
— Engages in highly repetitive play
— Obsessively preoccupied with a specific interest or object
— Lack of make-believe or imitative play
— Dependent on routines, rituals and familiarity
— Repetitive body movements (hand or finger flapping, eye rolling, twisting, spinning, rocking, etc.)
— Preoccupation with parts of objects
— Easily overstimulated by noises, crowds or lights
— Extreme dislike of certain sounds, textures or situations
— Doesn’t have strong response to pain
http://web.archive.org/web/20050305031754/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6895311/
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Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ‘cure’ for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ‘cure’ is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on ‘autism risk.’ The cure is abortion. This is the same ‘cure’ society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or ‘mercy killings’ like in Aktion T4, it’ll happen at the doctor’s office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You can’t cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You can’t recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. … however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
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