Severe Autism Denied Support

At age 3, Marla Comm was professionally diagnosed with autism but felt to have intellectual potential. Both parents had socially-conformist values, so that Marla's anti-social behavior was unacceptable. Verbally abused by her parents, she was disciplined to become a normal child. It was never to be; her rigid, dysfunctional personality was not susceptible to change. Now age 50, Marla's lack of social feeling, rigid routines, problematic language, poor imagination, inflexibility, repetitive tendencies, and ritualistic behaviors - are lifelong traits consistent with autism. Anxiety, one of her most debilitating symptoms, has left her unable to achieve conscious relaxation or put aside life's inevitable problems. Daily chores frustrate Marla; however, it is nothing in comparison to the anger and self-mutilation she suffers when preparing meals in the kitchen. Montreal is totally wrong for Marla. Years of struggling in the mainstream, with little or no support, have resulted in a condition of burnout, symptomatic of mental and physical exhaustion. By having a personality complex with multiple co-morbidities, Montreal's environment worsens her misery by failing to meet her needs for affordable healthful food, human civility, supportive psychiatry, and adequate social services. Inclement weather - half the year - prevents daily exercise. For Marla, it means countless days of suffering that only a loss of consciousness can relieve: call it a daytime oblivion of deep sleep, made possible with cheap wine and knock-out pills. Gifted with a keen, long-term memory and intent on learning more about her neurological disorders, she has done extensive reading, in bits-and-pieces, over the years. The reader will experience the life story of a highly intelligent autistic woman, consumed with dysfunctional behavior; the very same Marla who - in the next breath - can discuss with professional expertise the nuances of her mental disorders. The hardcover version of this title is available for order now from Amazon: Severe Autism, Denied Support: Struggling to Survive in the Mainstream

The Verbal Behavior (VB) approach is a form of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), that is based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior and works particularly well with children with minimal or no speech abilities. In this book Dr. Mary Lynch Barbera draws on her own experiences as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and also as a parent of a child with autism to explain VB and how to use it. This step-by-step guide provides an abundance of information about how to help children develop better language and speaking skills, and also explains how to teach non-vocal children to use sign language. An entire chapter focuses on ways to reduce problem behavior, and there is also useful information on teaching toileting and other important self-help skills, that would benefit any child. This book will enable parents and professionals unfamiliar with the principles of ABA and VB to get started immediately using the Verbal Behavior approach to teach children with autism and related disorders.

Even as the autism rate soars and the cost to our nation climbs well into the billions, a dangerous new idea is taking hold: There simply is no autism epidemic. The question is stark: Is autism ancient, a genetic variation that demands acceptance and celebration? Or is it new and disabling, triggered by something in the environment that is damaging more children every day? Authors Mark Blaxill and Dan Olmsted believe autism is new, that the real rate is rising dramatically, and that those affected are injured and disabled, not merely “neurodiverse.” They call the refusal to acknowledge this reality Autism Epidemic Denial. This epidemic denial blocks the urgent need to confront and stop the epidemic and endangers our kids, our country, and our future. The key to stopping the epidemic, they say, is to stop lying about its history and start asking "who profits?" People who deny that autism is new have self-interested motives, such as ending research that might pinpoint responsibility—and, most threateningly, liability for this man-made epidemic. Using ground-breaking research, the authors definitively debunk best-selling claims that autism is nothing new—and nothing to worry about.

In this collection of beautiful and raw essays, Amy S. F. Lutz writes openly about her experience—the positive and the negative—as a mother of a now twenty-one-year-old son with severe autism. Lutz's human emotion drives through each page and challenges commonly held ideas that define autism either as a disease or as neurodiversity. We Walk is inspired by her own questions: What is the place of intellectually and developmentally disabled people in society? What responsibilities do we, as citizens and human beings, have to one another? Who should decide for those who cannot decide for themselves? What is the meaning of religion to someone with no abstract language? Exploring these questions, We Walk directly—and humanly—examines social issues such as inclusion, religion, therapeutics, and friendship through the lens of severe autism. In a world where public perception of autism is largely shaped by the "quirky geniuses" featured on television shows like The Big Bang Theory and The Good Doctor, We Walk demands that we center our debates about this disorder on those who are most affected by its impacts.

Your son is severely developmentally disabled. A diagnosis of Autism. What does a family do next? INSPIRATION FOR AUTISM shares a determined mothers personal account of the denial accompanying a diagnosis, the confusion around finding resources, the fervor of obtaining services, the overwhelming and invasive nature of employing multiple therapists, and the discovery of the spiritual gifts revealed on this journeygifts delivered from the Lords Hands directly into the hearts and minds of the family. INSPIRATION FOR AUTISM is also a resource book, offering the reader valuable information about navigating the educational system, acclimating within the community, and training family and friends as therapists. This includes details regarding school placement options; laws; the IEP process; social and academic assessments; local and national advocates; and resources for helping the Autistic child learn and grow, including how to fit in socially and academically. Author and mother Debra Rosen has worked in education for over twenty-five years, giving her the unique perspective of a parent who needs to walk within the system set in place for a special needs child, as well as the insight of an administrator who has helped shape that very system. Debra has grappled with the laws and organizations, and conveys her experience to the reader with dignity and integrity, knowing it is crucial for a parent to understand their rights and options. Autism is a challenge but it is manageable.

Sexual health and sexuality can be difficult subjects for parents and caregivers to broach with autistic children, made more challenging when children are at the severe end of the autism spectrum. Some parents may even question the validity of teaching sexuality to those who are severely autistic. This practical handbook guides you through the process of teaching about sex and sexuality, answering all of the most crucial questions, including: Why is it necessary to teach this subject to my severely autistic child? When is the right time to start talking about these issues? How detailed and explicit should I be? What methods are most appropriate? It addresses male and female issues separately and covers public and private sexual behaviours, sexual abuse, cross-gender teaching and liaising with school, in addition to the more obvious areas such as physical changes and menstruation. This will be the ideal guide to teaching about sexual issues for any parent, caregiver or health educator caring for a person on the severe end of the autism spectrum.

"In her 2006 memoir Strange Son, Portia Iversen coined the phrase "intact mind" to describe the typical cognitive abilities she believed were buried within even the most seemingly impaired autistic individuals, like her son Dov - who, at nine years old, was completely nonverbal and spent much of his time "chewing on blocks and tapping stones." Although he didn't know the alphabet, colors, or numbers; although he "could hardly point or nod his head to show what he meant"; although doctors had diagnosed Dov as "retarded" and told Iversen she "shouldn't wreck [her] marriage and destroy [her] other children's lives for his sake, when doing so was utterly and completely useless" - although all these things were true about her son, Iversen still imagined him "falling down a deep well, believed to be dead. And then years later, a light shone down that dark shaft and I could see him there, somehow still alive" (emphasis in original)"--