Saturday November 21, 2009
Last week, a study came out in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders which said, in essence, that in many cases mothers of teens and adults with autism are under tremendous stress. The blog DisabilityScoop cites the study as saying:
Mothers of adolescents and adults with autism experience chronic stress comparable to combat soldiers and struggle with frequent fatigue and work interruptions, new research finds. These moms also spend significantly more time caregiving than moms of those without disabilities.
Intriguingly, though, the abstract of the study also states:
However, mothers of individuals with ASD reported similar levels of positive interactions and volunteerism as the comparison group. Daily experiences were subsequently related to well-being in both groups.
I found the study a bit problematic, because it looked at "96 co-residing mothers of adolescents and adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)."
First, as anyone who's been around autism knows, people with ASD are as different from one another as they can be, with personalities, challenges and behaviors of every kind and level. So it's hard to have any idea of what these moms were actually dealing with in terms of behaviors or delays. Are these kids/young adults verbal? Toilet trained? Self abusive? Or are they perhaps high functioning, in school, and/or employed?
Second, the "moms only" approach is a bit confusing. Are these mainly single mothers, who may be under more stress than the average mother? Are they unsupported by their husbands? Or was the "moms only" approach simply a research choice?
It's clear that autism in the home is stressful (and comments on a MotherLode blog on the subject are eloquent on the matter). But I'm not sure this particular study sheds much light on the subject.
Do you feel that having a child with autism makes your life overwhelmingly stressful? If so, what are the biggest stressors - and what do you do to overcome them?
Thursday November 19, 2009
In the last few days, quite a few pieces have appeared in the media about the use of marijuana as a treatment for autism. In fact, our own About.com Guide to Addictions has written a blog post on the subject and received some interesting responses from parents and, notably, from adults with autism.
Her questions and concerns grow from articles on sites such as Opposing Views, Autism-PDD.Net, and the New York Times' MomLogic blog which cites a blog from a mom who writes about "Why I give my 9 year old pot."
Each of these pieces is very similar. They begin with a personal story of an individual with autism whose symptoms of aggression, pica (eating non-foods such as dirt), and/or pain improved with the use of marijuana. Then they raise the question of whether marijuana, which is of course illegal, should be made available to people with autism and other disorders.
So far, there has been remarkably little research on the medical uses of marijuana, and the American Medical Association has decided they'd like to see that changed. According to a Newsweek article:
Precipitated by a similar decision by the group's Medical Student Section, the AMA resolved that "that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule 1 controlled substance be reviewed," with the goal of facilitating clinical research, and presented a new medical report, conducted by its Council on Science and Public Health, laying out the drug's various medical benefits.
What's your take on marijuana as a treatment for autism? Intriguing new direction or scary plunge into the unknown? Likely to be useful for treating aggression and pica, or more likely to push people with autism further into their own worlds? Share your thoughts.
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Sunday November 15, 2009
People on the autism spectrum may be verbal or non-verbal, brilliant or mentally challenged, passive or aggressive, physically healthy or physically ill. They may have "savant" skills - or not. In fact, people with autism spectrum diagnoses seem to have very little in common.
So what do people on the autism spectrum
really have in common?Friday November 13, 2009
The answer is - it's very bad indeed. According to
an article in the Boston Herald:
A shocking new online survey has found that nearly 90 percent of autistic children in the Bay State have been targeted by bullying so violent and ruthless that a state lawmaker says teachers and school systems must be held accountable.
The survey conducted by the Massachusetts Advocates for Children includes painful testimony from parents of autistic children who felt so tortured they stayed home from school for extended periods and even considered suicide.
This information isn't brand new. Most families are well aware that their kids with autism (especially those with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome) are easy targets. What's more, the article doesn't mention what percentage of typically developing kids are bullied - probably a fairly high number.
Kids with autism, though, are far more likely to be victimized than almost any other group. While they don't have physical differences that are obvious at first glance, many move, speak or act so differently that they stand out like sore thumbs in any inclusive environment. Because they have poor social/communications skills, they easily fall prey to young con artists who convince them to do or say things they shouldn't.
Bullying is no small deal. And as school inclusion becomes more prevalent (for both legal and financial reasons), it's probably going to rise.
Has your child with autism encountered bullying at school? Has the school let you know about it? Has the school helped to handle it? What are your experiences or tips for parents of kids with autism concerned about bullying?
