The A Word

[eddie]

Did anyone watch the first episode last night? My daughter said that it was remarkable. Oliver (my grandson) is autistic, and Becca was amazed at how accurate the portrayal was.

[sage]

Just now, eddie said:

Did anyone watch the first episode last night? My daughter said that it was remarkable. Oliver (my grandson) is autistic, and Becca was amazed at how accurate the portrayal was.

i recorded it. Looks interesting.

[eddie]

10 minutes ago, sage said:

i recorded it. Looks interesting.

I will watch tonight. My daughter allowed herself a few tears - which she doesn't allow in real life, of course.

[sage]

10 minutes ago, eddie said:

I will watch tonight. My daughter allowed herself a few tears - which she doesn't allow in real life, of course.

I recorded Extreme Love, a Louis Theroux documentary on an autism school in the US

[Joe.]

It was quite accurate, but as a series I felt it was pretty poor watching

[Boycie]

its nice that others get to see and understand the condition. 

Kinda grinds my gears when some kids are just labelled "naughty"

[Wolfie]

12 hours ago, Boycie said:

Kinda grinds my gears when some kids are just labelled "naughty"

But you can't blame people for their ignorance. Im 43 and kids just weren't diagnosed with this (and Dyslexia etc, as I said in another thread) when I was young.

I don't know when awareness of these conditions became more widespread but the only reason I know a fair bit about it now is that Mrs Wolfie is a Social Worker & has about 10 years' experience of working with kids on the spectrum.

There are an awful lot of people my age or older who, unless they have personal experience of autism, just won't understand it.

Also, some kids are just naughty, of course.

[Boycie]

23 hours ago, Wolfie said:

But you can't blame people for their ignorance. Im 43 and kids just weren't diagnosed with this (and Dyslexia etc, as I said in another thread) when I was young.

I don't know when awareness of these conditions became more widespread but the only reason I know a fair bit about it now is that Mrs Wolfie is a Social Worker & has about 10 years' experience of working with kids on the spectrum.

There are an awful lot of people my age or older who, unless they have personal experience of autism, just won't understand it.

Also, some kids are just naughty, of course.

Absolutely true, some don't know, and we all remember a kid at school who would get wound up easy or couldn't sit still or did things that you couldn't explain.  Thank god they get help now days, but saying that, some parents don't recognise a problem either.

but it's the people who dismiss the existence of conditions ADHD that I'm talking about really, even when they read or are told about it.

[Ewetube]

On 3/23/2016 at 14:47, eddie said:

Did anyone watch the first episode last night? My daughter said that it was remarkable. Oliver (my grandson) is autistic, and Becca was amazed at how accurate the portrayal was.

I missed it but will have to watch it on catch-up.

I too have an autistic grandson and while his behaviour can be very challenging his focus and thirst for knowledge can be breathtaking: He taught himself to tell the time with an analogue clock at age 3; he is fascinated with maps and can tell you what major roads go where (at age 5); his first spoken words were at about 20 months when he told me the names of colours on my phone screen without prompting.

His challenges occur in social situations where he just cannot read peoples' moods or expressions and empathy is an alien concept to him. He attends mainstream school, with additional support and is way beyond his peers in reading, writing and mathematics but struggles in anything creative or that involves planning.

If I allow myself to dwell on it I am in fear of what lies ahead for him in life but hope that in years to come society can be accepting and he can lead a fulfilling life.

[StringerBell]

On March 24, 2016 at 08:09, Boycie said:

Absolutely true, some don't know, and we all remember a kid at school who would get wound up easy or couldn't sit still or did things that you couldn't explain.  Thank god they get help now days, but saying that, some parents don't recognise a problem either.

but it's the people who dismiss the existence of conditions ADHD that I'm talking about really, even when they read or are told about it.

  What do you mean by condition?

[Boycie]

Just now, StringerBell said:

  What do you mean by condition?

I mean people who have been diagnosed.

[StringerBell]

12 minutes ago, Boycie said:

I mean people who have been diagnosed.

There are child psychiatrists like Sami Timimi who is not convinced ADHD, or more accurately the symptoms associated with it, are necessarily a medical condition. He rarely prescribes ritalin. You say people who deny the existence of the 'condition'annoy you as if they're akin to flat earthers or something.

[Boycie]

6 minutes ago, StringerBell said:

There are child psychiatrists like Sami Timimi who is not convinced ADHD, or more accurately the symptoms associated with it, are necessarily a medical condition. He rarely prescribes ritalin. You say people who deny the existence of the 'condition'annoy you as if they're akin to flat earthers or something.

That's his opinion I guess. So he does sometimes prescribe Ritalin then? Wonder what he prescribes that for?

The ones who annoy me are the ones who dismiss it altogether. Sounds like Sami doesn't do that.

[StringerBell]

32 minutes ago, Boycie said:

That's his opinion I guess. So he does sometimes prescribe Ritalin then? Wonder what he prescribes that for?

The ones who annoy me are the ones who dismiss it altogether. Sounds like Sami doesn't do that.

For the symptoms of what we know to be ADHD I suppose. That doesn't automatically make someone in agreement with the idea of a medical disorder. I'm sure there are ignorant people out there. I just think we should be careful not to be ignorant ourselves by pretending there is a level of consensus that there's not, especially if we don't want to medicate our kids to the extent that the Americans do, which is a scandal.

[Boycie]

1 minute ago, StringerBell said:

For the symptoms of what we know to be ADHD I suppose. That doesn't automatically make someone in agreement with the idea of a medical disorder. I'm sure there are ignorant people out there. I just think we should be careful not to be ignorant ourselves by pretending there is a level of consensus that there's not, especially if we don't want to medicate our kids to the extent that the Americans do, which is a scandal.

True, I'm sure there are practitioners who will too easily percribe just to get people out the surgery. Obviously I can only comment on the views I hear or read when it comes to dismissing the disorder.  I'm sure there are an equal amount that don't dismiss the existence. Those people don't grind my gears, that's my opinion.

its the comments like "just needs a good smack" or " just give me 5 mins with him/her" that I'm on about.

but it's a good discussion.

[davenportram]

environment can have an impact on the symptoms of ADHD, so too can diet. From experience at work no two children that are on the spectrum are the same.

[StringerBell]

17 minutes ago, Boycie said:

True, I'm sure there are practitioners who will too easily percribe just to get people out the surgery. Obviously I can only comment on the views I hear or read when it comes to dismissing the disorder.  I'm sure there are an equal amount that don't dismiss the existence. Those people don't grind my gears, that's my opinion.

its the comments like "just needs a good smack" or " just give me 5 mins with him/her" that I'm on about.

but it's a good discussion.

Ah well yeah saying things like that does sound very closed-minded. There's still a lot we don't fully understand so  I try to keep an open mind about it. 

[Tombo]

1 hour ago, StringerBell said:

There are child psychiatrists like Sami Timimi who is not convinced ADHD, or more accurately the symptoms associated with it, are necessarily a medical condition. He rarely prescribes ritalin. You say people who deny the existence of the 'condition'annoy you as if they're akin to flat earthers or something.

From what I can tell, a lot of it comes down to what you consider a medical condition and what you consider a behavioural condition. Both need 'treatment' of some sort, but how much is that treatment the responsiblity of a medical professional? That's the question being asked.

I'm with you, I keep an open mind on it. Nobody says that autism or ADHD don't exist, they quite clearly do no matter how you cut it. Some people behave that way for reasons beyond their conscious control, that's a fact.

But then is 'medical' limited to simply 'pharmaceutical'? Does classifying them as medical conditions mean you've GOT to hand out Ritalin like Smarties? I don't think it does.