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Bridge to Autism
Autism is not a puzzle and it is not difficult to understand.
Autism is a variable neuro-anatomical anomaly
characterized by a communications disorder which
results in severely impaired social relationships. That
is an "operational" definition I find useful. Once you have
accepted this, it's a lot easier to live with and get along
with autistics.

The short definition, the one we should always carry
around in our pocket, is that autism is a
communications disorder. Regardless of where you
are on the spectrum this is the common element. Even
those with "mild" autism have profound problems
because of this. It usually results in unnecessary
devleopmental delays.

Only by wrapping our minds around this can we
understand the significance of its pervasive effects.
Working with autistics, one must proactively confirm that
information is:
1. Heard (or perceived)
2. Understood
3. Accepted

or "HUA" for short. This seems to work quite well in the
U.S. military, the best fighting force in the world. Parents
and teachers will be effective only when they also
understand and accept what the autistic is saying. This
takes a creative approach best accessed in your right
brain (the creative side). If you are always living in your
left brain (analytical side) life will be frustrating,
maddening, and stressful.

This means communication may take longer than you
expect. Budget time accordingly for best results. Avoid
assumptions of understanding. As one of my medical
mentors taught me, "When I assume, it makes an ass u
me." Frustration and dysfunctional retaliation ensue,
especially for professionals in positions of authority.




About 10 years ago I asked a board certified child
psychiatrist how he diagnosed Asperger's. "Do you use
the DSM criteria?" I asked. "No," he said. "I can tell the
patient has Asperger's if after 15 minutes I get the urge
to strangle him."

I'm not kidding. That is what he actually said.
Without valid communication most efforts will seem
wasted. The trick is to put yourself in the shoes of the
autistic, not easy at first but highly productive in the long
run. So give yourself an imaginary "empathy" pill and
watch things get better.

Most of the time neurotypicals are unaware of the details
of the communication gap. That's because few of us are
natural born detectives.  Autistics are keenly aware of the
communcation gap. The cure may simply be bridging
this gap.

Here are a few articles and links that go a long way to
establishing a foundation of knowledge on autism:

Emerging Aspergians  Great insight has been furnished
by those on the spectrum who have written about their
lives and how they see the world. Their work is all over
the internet. Here is one guide.

Apparent Increase in autism may be due to past
mis-diagnosis  Many adults on the autism spectrum got
the wrong diagnosis as kids. That's because we now
know more about it than we used to.

CDC determines prevalence of autism
Is the high incidence of autism real? The Centers for
Disease Control thinks so.

Researcher finds lack of data supporting high rate of
mental retardation among autistics
Currently, most authoritative references cite a 75%
incidence of mental retardation among autistics. This
assumption may be based on bad science.

No statistical relationship found between autism and
schizophrenia Read the abstract of a 1991 study which
helped established autism as a developmental disorder
as opposed to a psychiatric disorder as had been
traditionally believed.
Articles, views, and information on this website do not constitute medical advice, but they do reflect the experiences and interests of the
webmaster, Chris Lareau. I have a doctorate in osteopathic medicine and am the father of a 23-year-old  Aspergian.  webmaster page.    
Website contents Copyright 2008 by Chris Lareau.
Updated February 7, 2008
A physician's notes and references on raising a son with Asperger's
Analogy: internet and autism
Some autistics are auditory rather
than visual. Most languages, except
Chinese, are based on sound rather
than image. What would it be like if we
only communicated with words? Try a
search engine. The majority of
responses you get are not relevant to
your question. With luck the most
relevant ones appear on the first page
because the internet has established
a hierarchical structure. But what if all
details carried the same importance?
In some autistics all details carry the
same weight in a completely novel
situation. And some reservoirs of
knowledge are only available by
dial-up, not DSL or Cable. And too
much traffic on a site will slow it down.
And if we do not phrase the search
terms just right, the yield on relevant
answers drops. Considerably.
invasion of the Aspergians!  is a blog I mantain that follows people with autism