1 in 88: On Diagnosis "Creep"

The New Autism Reality, by Ann Bauer:

If one in 88 among us is this way, it makes autism seem a little less terrifying and abyss-like and a little more like something that just happens in life. 

Today, when people ask about my children, I tell them my oldest has autism and the vast majority nod without horror. They act like I said he has Crohn’s disease or some other lifelong but manageable condition. They ask if he’s going to college, if he’s married, what he does for a living. With the “creep” of this diagnosis has come a welcome acceptance. My son, like a lot of people, is struggling with something difficult. But he’s doing so valiantly, and it doesn’t define him.

"Aversives"

Since autism has touched my life, I've had a keen interest the subject matter, including autism in the news. (Can you tell?) And so, living in Massachusetts, I'm aware that a local special needs school is on the worst offender list for its use of "aversive therapies", including electric shock therapy. Outraged that this was happening so close to home, I've taken to quiet advocacy, emailing my local representatives to crack down on the abuse.

A moving essay just published in Salon.com provocatively entitled "The Monster Inside My Son" reminds me that there are two sides to every story. Read this essay at your own peril.