Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

The place to go for debate on politics, religion, sex, and other tasty topics!
Post Reply
Dragonwolf
Lubber
Lubber
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:31 pm
Location: In a Dark Hole Somewhere.
Contact:

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by Dragonwolf »

I looked around and couldn't find a topic on this...so...

According to News sources and the latest research, there has been a growth in the number of children with Mental differences (Ex. Autism, Asperger's Symdome) and disabilities (developmental, for example). Being a person who has been in special education since I was 3, it makes me feel a little less like I'm weird. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone thought because of this, people would take more action to educate others about these differences.

Or, do you have any other thoughts about it?


I have another thought to add: I couldn't get a copy of the article, but, there was an article once I saw in a magazine that talked about this issue. It said some people were pretty "upset' by the sudden growth.

Some people have tried to give their kids special shots, remedies, and tremendous pressure to "supress" the signs that their child is different. (In some ways, in reminds me of how mutants were treated in the X-men, but moving on...)

But, anyways, I leave the floor open now for discussion. ^_^
Image
fourpawsonthefloor
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 3958
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:49 pm
Title: Executive Administrator

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by fourpawsonthefloor »

I think it is a combination of factors.

- as more issues are 'discovered' and 'labeled', there will be more diagnosis of them. For example, people with Lupus years ago were basically just 'nuts' but now they are recognised as having a defined illness. The brain is magnificently complex, and what they don't know by far outweighs what they do know.

- its a different time and age. Brains are being 'wired' differently because of this. On top of that, activity levels have changes, as have expectations. "hyper" kids 20 yrs ago were just kicked outside more.

- our environment, and the things we eat and breath and stuff has become more polluted. This causes problems (shocker) :P

- sometimes, labels are too easily attached. People want too easy of a fix at times.

I have never been formally diagnosed, but I have had a persion trained in recognising ADD/ADHD ect that is a friend tell me flat out I'm ADD. Which I suspected before then. I just grew up with it, thought I was 'quirky' and didn't think too much on it till I was an adult, looking up info to better understand a friends ADHD son and read the girl childhood/adult list of manifestations and went. Ahhh! That explains it. I wouldn't ever seek meds for it now, or a formal diagnosis, cause its just 'normal' for me, and I've learned how to make it work for me. I multitask like whoa!

That all said, I think its good that they are being recognised. The more tools that can help these children, that often feel 'inadequate' along with a whole skad of things, is great. Now they aren't just the 'bad' kid or the 'dumb' kid...or whatever. They have something that they can now be given tools to deal with it. That's all sorts of awesome.

Unfortunately there is always some 'snake oil' stuff out there, promising instant relief/obscure reasons for it/all that crapola. Human nature.

Paws
Image
I'm actually quite pleasant until I'm awake.
littlebamf
Navigator
Navigator
Posts: 1266
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 8:15 pm
Title: Sometimes the bark isn\'t worse than the bite
Location: the drama studio

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by littlebamf »

I'm pretty much the same as paws, and share the same views. As research advances, people are more able to recognise such things.

I'm ADHD and dyslexic/dyspraxic but my teachers just thought I was a bit dumb and a daydreamer who probably ate too muc sugar at home and then came to class and ran all over the place.

I wasn't aware I was ADHD until I was about 18, when a tutor in sixth form, who like paws friend, knew the traits, told me I was. I asked my doctor about it and even in this age, I was told I was 'too old' so I set about dealing with it on my own and channeled all my energy into theatre, both on and off stage and due to my boundless energy I'm considered a very valuable member of my college's theatre department. The most important this is I never let it stop me doing what I wanted.

The dyslexia/dspraxica never came about until last year. At school, my tutors thought I didnt work as I was too restless, so they just wrote it off as that. It wasn't until it was noticed I might actually have some sort of problem due to my college work, that they actually tested me.

Personally, I'm okay with how I am and how things turned out as I made it work for me, but it is good that kids are getting more and more help, as although I am okay now, it was never fun being labled as the 'dopey kid' or being the kid who'd get 0 in spelling. It's possible to live with, but help makes a world of difference.

I'm just lucky I had pretty relaxed parents who while were not that impressed with my bad maths and spelling, let me be creative and run around as much as I pleased, as that was what I was good at.
The Drastic Spastic
Swashbuckler
Swashbuckler
Posts: 1846
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2002 3:01 am
Location: ROK

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by The Drastic Spastic »

Originally posted by Dragonwolf
Some people have tried to give their kids special shots, remedies, and tremendous pressure to "supress" the signs that their child is different. (In some ways, in reminds me of how mutants were treated in the X-men, but moving on...)
Why is this bad? I sort of wish my parents had taken me to a psychiatrist/therapist/anything as a kid. I wasted a lot of time being miserable, and for what? Oh yes, maintaining unique snowflake status was sooooo worth it. Uck.

Getting treatment was the best thing I ever did for myself. Possibly I'm better in some way for having gotten my own help, picking my own medication, learning about it on my own, but was it really worth it? I'm still young so I have time to make up for it but still. I lost years.
Und die Sonne spricht zu mir
fourpawsonthefloor
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 3958
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:49 pm
Title: Executive Administrator

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by fourpawsonthefloor »

Oh, I think that getting appropriate treatment if warrented, is good. I think things can be overtreated as well, so you have to be careful.

I think people can go nutso with it too. I like a mixture of 'conventional' and 'alternative' medicines, but some alternative stuff is just...well its nuts.

Paws
Image
I'm actually quite pleasant until I'm awake.
littlebamf
Navigator
Navigator
Posts: 1266
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 8:15 pm
Title: Sometimes the bark isn\'t worse than the bite
Location: the drama studio

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by littlebamf »

Yeah. Getting help when I was younger would have been fantastic as it would have saved a lot of timeand a lot of self anger and frustration, but I'm thankful I was able to work it out.

It's just a case of what works best for each person and for some people, that is meds or whatever, but for others, it's just a case of making it into something that doens't have a negative effect on yourself.
Angelique
Dread Pirate
Dread Pirate
Posts: 2882
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2005 7:27 am
Location: sailing under the Jolly Wagner

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by Angelique »

I think seeking appropriate treatment for a condition is a good thing, but I have seen parents go kind of overboard as well and act as if the fact that there's something "wrong" with their kid reflects a failing on their part.

There is also still some stigma attached to neural spectrum disorders, ADHD, and other disorders. I've heard people judge others for being cold, arrogant, et cetera, when they really only had Asperger's syndrome. ADHD kids are still labeled as "bad kids who need more discipline." In light of this, some people may pursue treatment options that aim for mere suppression of symptoms for the sake of fitting in, rather than comprehensive treatment to help people live and function with their conditions.
Meddle not with the heartstrings of fans, for we are powerful and hold your pursestrings.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6 ... &ref=share

www.heroesfallenstudiosinc.webs.com

http://hubpages.com/hub/characterdriven
Garble
Lookout
Lookout
Posts: 865
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 11:15 pm
Title: Weirdsmith
Location: The bottom of your mind
Contact:

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by Garble »

My brother has severe Autism and cannot function on his own or communicate.

I have struggled with ADHD my entire life and currently take medication for it (with some success)

I suspect that *some* of the growth in diagnosis comes from people being more familiar with these conditions and Doctors using the labels as an umbrella for conditions that we haven't defined yet.

But there definitely seems to be a surge far beyond what over-diagnosis would account for.
The number of cases of Autism haven't just doubled, they've more than quadrupled. And Attention Deficit Disorder is now thought to be in almost 1/3 of children. I submit that there is something causing it, though we don't know what. When there's an outbreak of e-coli, only a few people die from it but a lot of people get sick from it. So it stand to reason that if there were a neurological epidemic, only a small number of people would have a severe reaction (Autism) and a greater number would have a slight reaction (ADD).

Some popular theories are:
Mercury - more common now in fish, dental fillings and in vaccines
Gluten - more commonly used in foods
Glucose levels - carbohydrates are a larger part of regular diets than ever and diabetes is also on the rise.
Other food allergies

There's also a lot of thought that there might be a link to auto-immune diseases. Many people with Autism and ADD also have life-long gastrointestinal problems. The soft tissues in the brain and in the digestive tract are especially vulnerable to auto-immune attacks.

Personally, I don't know what's causing it. But I wish they'd find out and cure it. Some people say that Autism is just another way of thinking and that it doesn't need to be cured, but if my Brother doesn't want to be cured I'd rather him be able to tell me that for himself. As for me, I love the imagination that having ADD gives me but I'd trade it in a heartbeat to be able to sit down and finish a task without fighting to keep my brain in check the entire time.
fourpawsonthefloor
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 3958
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:49 pm
Title: Executive Administrator

Mental Differences: Autism, ADD, ETC.

Post by fourpawsonthefloor »

Its amazing how many things are interlinked. I have fibromyalgia, which is also neurologically based in that it is a neuro-chemical disorder. This also splinters off into about 500 other things, including digestive problems, migranes, memory loss..ect. Its fun.

Its also an 'umbrella'. Everything kinda gets blamed on it. Which is lovely, cause they don't have any solutions for it. So its basically a 'suck it up camper' answer. If you are lucky enough to have pain managment groups, or clinics in your area that can help you out, then you can get some assistance that way. There are advances being made, the newest being a new drug that just was approved that works in some fibro patients. Still...numbers are rising and its appalling.

So yeah. I think there is definately something out there, and I wouldn't be suprised to hear it is from our food sources.

Paws
Image
I'm actually quite pleasant until I'm awake.
Post Reply