between being a parent with Autistic children who doesn't use biomedical interventions and being a parent of children with Autism who do use biomedical interventions.
We are among the parent's who do not use biomedical interventions. We have seen great improvements in our children without the need for the biomedical interventions. Our children have continued to learn and gain education in regular education schools and classes.
Our children are thriving medically and very rarely get ill. They are on a gluten-filled and casein-filled diet. They are tall and meeting each milestone.
At one time, each of our Autistic children have had or is continuing to have speech, occupational, physical, recreational, play and massage therapies. These have been instrumental in our children's progress.
This morning, I went on an Autism message forum to answer a question a mother had about her daughter and having periods. She was asking for a person with Autism to answer her, but I thought that being a mother of a daughter with severe autism and having dealt with this issue, I would respond to the question.
I responded by telling what methods we used when Caitlin was having horrible issues with her period.
The response given back was written by one of the moderators telling this woman to ask a mother who does biomedical interventions. They would understand better without using traditional medical methods.
Here in lies my issues.....
Does it really matter what side of the biomedical spectrum we are on? Are we not trying to help each other cope when it comes to raising our Autistic children? Isn't that what a support group does?
Not for nothing, but my husband and I have had amazing results raising 6 children...5 of them on varying degrees of the spectrum. We have been in the "World of Autism" for 18 years. We have been there and done that. We have seen the worst Autism has to offer and the best. We have cleaned up more poop smears than any family we know. We have cleaned up more broken glass, spilled liquids, toothpaste and liquid soap spills than most people we know. We have been through the non-verbal child to the early talker. We have struggled with school systems and therapists. We have fought doctors and scientists.
My husband and I are still learning about our children. We have a pretty good grasp on them and their abilities, but always want them to achieve more. We love to learn from others who have been down this road before us. We seek out the parent's of adults with Autism, so we can learn from them....whether it is their successes or their failures.
I hope this fork in the so-called road of Autism (yes, I am full of metaphors today..sorry) narrows pretty soon. It is really getting in the way of the way people and professionals look at autism.
I mean, who can take parent's of children with Autism seriously if we cannot get along amongst each other?
6 comments:
I hope this divide can be healed sometime soon. I don't see how biomed even comes into play here. Experience is clearly the valued commodity.
You have a lot of patience with those forums!
Thanks Matt,
but patience is not what I have. I believe that when a person treats others the way they do, true colors come shining through.
I get really irritated when the "ilk" attack adults with Autism because they do not fit into their category of Autism.
I hope they treat their children better when they become Autistic adults.
I have seen this on one particular forum. I wonder if we are on the same one? hmm... The arguments over low functioning and high functioning. Whos way is better. If someone really has autism or if it is in fact a misdiagnosis. I think people should just try to be understanding and try to help each other. The thing that really stinks is that I cant quit the forum I am on. It messes up the tread apparently. boohoo.
I agree- we need to remember that nobody has all the answers when it comes to autism. And so many people feel like they do. The religion of biomed. The religion of antibiomed. The religion of neurodiversity. And on and on.
IMHO- you really can't discount the fact that there are so many different kinds of autism presentations- and I'm sure so many causes and pathways that lead to it, that in no way can there possibly be consensus of opinions. There should however be more courtesy.
If someone says that their kid's autism got better because they kept their feet in a water that changed color- who am I and what do I know to call them a liar? (doesn't mean that I'm going to go buy the same water, though).
Puberty and autism !! Ack !! I don't even want to think about it. I'll be sure to ask you when the time comes for us. Sooo not looking forward to that.
Lillian
"...who can take parent's of children with Autism seriously if we cannot get along amongst each other?"
Ahem, AHEM! We, like you, have been called nasty names, had our intelligence level questioned, etc. And a lot of this has been from other parents with ASD children. I guess it's the nature of some that they HAVE to be right. Maybe they are still mad about their DX of their child and they need to blame someone. Who knows?
BTW, you be the Autism Czar. I don't want it. I just want the appointment to happen NOW! I just want the word to get out that this needs to be a priority and no one else is saying it.
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