New: Rejected by eHarmony.com News and Noteworthy General Info Diagnostic Criteria Suggested Reading Adults with Autism/AS Girls with Autism/AS Organizations Web Indexes Forums Texas Resources U.S. Resources Medications Food supplements Treatments Mercury & Autism Insomnia Celiac/gluten intolerance Colitis Genetics Autism & Limbic System Jobs Programming Autistics & the Law Patient's Bill of Rights Disability Law Barnhart v. Thomas Web Rings Humor Stats

In 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner, an Austrian doctor working at Johns Hopkins, published a paper describing a group of children he had been working with, in which he used the term "autism". In 1944, Dr. Hans Asperger, also an Austrian doctor, who was, however, working in Germany, also published a paper on what he called "autism". The Kanner children are now thought to have been both autistic and retarded, whereas the Asperger children were much higher functioning, and of normal intelligence. Today, it is accepted by the medical community that both men were describing the same phenomenon. It is interesting that they both chose the same name for the syndrome. Kanner's paper received much attention...however, the hospital where Asperger had been working was damaged during WWII, and some of Asperger's work was lost. In addition, his work was not well known in the English-speaking world until Lorna Wing published an English discussion of the syndrome in 1976 (_Early Childhood Autism_). Around 1991, Uta Frith published her book _Autism and Asperger Syndrome_ which printed the first English translation of Asperger's paper, plus other papers by researchers in the field. It is only since that time that Asperger's work has begun to receive as much attention as Kanner's, which explains why low-functioning autism is much better known than high-functioning (and/or "Asperger's Syndrome"). In 1994, Asperger's Syndrome appeared in the DSM for the first time. The DSM-IV recognizes autism, Asperger's Syndrome and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified) as being different but similar diagnoses (the so-called "autistic spectrum"). The main diagnostic differentiation between autism and AS is whether speech development is delayed ("autism") or not ("AS"). Otherwise, the diagnoses are practically identical. Thus, there is not a differentiation based on intelligence (i.e., IQ scores) between autism and AS. Some writers identity AS with "high-functioning autism", however, not all high-functioning autistics are Aspergers. Dr. Temple Grandin, probably the world's best-known high-functioning autistic, had delayed speech development, but has earned a doctorate and is considered one of the world's authorities on the design of commercial animal handling facilities, thus, she is a high-functioning Kanner autistic, not an Asperger. Other researchers have suggested that a very practical differentiation between autism and AS would be the presence or absence of a social drive. In most cases, the individuals on the autistic spectrum who have a social drive are also the ones with no speech development delay, thus, this is not inconsistant with the DSM-IV. (I tend to favor this definition, as the presence or absence of a social drive probably has a more profound effect on the psychology, as well as the happiness, of the spectrum individual, than any other factor. I assert that it may indeed be the reason that some individuals demonstrate delayed speech, and some do not.) Whereas researchers have focused on autism (the entire spectrum, not just Kanner's) as being a social communication disability, the high-functioning autistics themselves seem to focus on sensory hyper-sensitivity as being the primary feature of the disorder, with impaired socialization being a result, not a cause. (I also tend to agree with this view.) The jury is still out on this. Thus, in my writing I tend to refer to anyone on the spectrum as an "autistic", a high-functioning autistic who is not Asperger as a "high-functioning Kanner autistic", and AS people as just "Aspergers", i.e., "autistic" includes both Kanners and Aspergers (as well as PDD-NOS), both high-functioning and low-functioning. Despite the fact that every autistic is different from every other one, the similarities between people on the spectrum are far greater than their similarities to those not on the spectrum.

News and Noteworthy

Bereavement and Sorrow The stages that everyone goes through after a diagnosis of a spectrum disorder has been made

Autism Advocacy By autistics, for autistics

Intervention for parents of autistic children helps not only the parents, but even the children, function more normally I've been saying this over and over again; "Education of the neurotypical helps autistics more than education of the autistic", and this study bears that out

The True Meaning of the Auton Decision The current status on the Canadian court battles between parents and the government to control autistics without their input

Study: Eye contact triggers threat signals in autistic children's brains

Meditation Gives Brain a Charge, Study Finds Washington Post; copied here in case the original disappears

When does autism start? Excellent article summing up the "state of the art" in autism research (appeared in the Newsweek section of msn.com)

General Autism/Asperger Info

Diagnostic Criteria

Suggested Reading

Adults with Autism/Asperger Syndrome

Girls/women and Aspergers/autism

Organizations

Indexes

Forums, Bulletin Boards, Chat Rooms

Texas Resources

United States Resources

Medications

Food supplements

Treatments

Mercury and the Autistic Spectrum

Insomnia

Celiac/gluten intolerance

Colitis

Journal articles regarding autism and gastrointestinal abnormalities

Testimony before Congressional Oversight Committee on Autism and Immunization by Arthur Krigsman, MD
study of autistic children's gastrointestinal symptoms

Autism Society of America; Central California Chapter
Study Lends support to Leaky Gut Theory of Autism:
"Dr. Simon Murch said on behalf of the group, 'Immunohistochemistry confirms a distinct lymphocytic colitis in autistic spectrum disorders' "

Autism Medical news
"Researchers have confirmed a distinct lymphocytic colitis in autistic spectrum disorders in which the epithelium appears particularly affected, and have reported their findings in March's Journal of Pediatrics." (2001)

Gastro.net; Microscopic colitis
including collagenous colitis & lymphocytic colitis

Microscopic/Collagenous Colitis FAQ including lymphocytic colitis
"Patients sometimes seek treatment for an elusive form of arthritis as much as ten years prior to problems with diarrhea. This atypical arthritis can affect the back, hips, and sometimes the ribs. (This is EXACTLY what happened to me)

FAQ about Microscopic Colitis

Genetics

Autism and the Limbic System/Cerebellum

Jobs

The Future of Computer Programming in the U.S.

The H-1B work visa exists so that employeers can import and hire programmers from other countries, often at lower salaries than they pay American programmers. They claim that there is a "shortage" of talent. The following paper was presented to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration on April 21, 1998:
Debunking the Myth of a Desperate Software Labor Shortage (note: 132 pages long...you might want to check the following summaries)
My summary of some points made by the above paper
Dr. Matloff's summary
Supplementary Materials for Professor Matloff's "Debunking the Myth of a Desperate Software Labor Shortage"
IT Workforce Data Project Report Highlights Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology
Core Occupations of the U.S. Information Technology Workforce
Note: The following articles are from Computerworld, THE industry magazine for IT (Information Technology) (including computer programming)
'My coding just flies' autistic programmers; 4-14-97
Autistics offer unique skills to IS 4-21-97
"Offshore outsourcing" is the practice of sending programming work across the Internet to companies outside the U.S. Right now, the bulk of the work is being sent to India, where an average programmer makes $6,400 per year.
Exporting Jobs Saves IT Money 3-15-99
The Invisible Workforce autism in data processing jobs 5-21-2000
Outsourcing Debate Driven by Cost, Agility 3-3-2003
Exporting IT Jobs 4-28-03
Magna Cum Unemployed 4-28-03
Offshore's Rise Is Relentless 6-30-03
A 7-22-03 Houston Chronicle article titled "IBM looks to move jobs abroad" stated "...senior IBM officials told their corporate collegues around the world in a recorded conference call that IBM needed to accelerate its efforts to move white-collar, often high-paying, jobs overseas..."
Gartner Says 5% of Corporate IT Jobs Could Go Offshore by 2005 8-4-03
Jobless push for visa reform "will code for food" 8-11-03
As if things weren't bad enough, the Sept. 15th issue of Computerworld very helpfully contained a 14 page "Offshore Buyer's Guide"..."A country-by-country guide to offshore and near-shore IT outsourcing" with information about each country including what the "average programmer" makes there, and what the pluses and minuses are for each country.
"By next year, 80% of CIOs (Corporate Information Officers) will have marching orders to take some IT (Information Technology) offshore."
Average programmer salary per year:
Russia: $7,940
Phillipines: $7,250
India: $6,400
Brazil: $5,950
China: $5,850
Mexico: $5,150
Vietnam: $4,110
Contents of the Outsourcing Special Report 9-15-03
IT Unemployment Hits 'Unprecedented' Level 9-22-03
The Human Factor Frank Hayes of Computerworld admits "...they just don't like the IT department" is the real cause of outsourcing, not money, because of their "lack of people skills"....autism?
Bush Administration Won't Impede Offshore Outsourcing 9-29-03
Businessy IT Frank Hayes of Computerworld: "....what will get us jobs is the fact that we are like them. And we understand them". The only advice out-of-work programmers are being given is to "retool yourselves as 'people persons' ". Impossible for autistic programmers.
10-27-03 Computerworld printed 7 letters all protesting H1-B and offshore outsourcing
Down, Not Out IT labor force down 150,000 jobs 10-27-03
Job agency hires foreign help "An Indiana state agency chartered to help unemployed residents find jobs began a controversial IT project this month with the US subsidiary of an offshore developer, which plans to bring in programmers from India to work on the project." 11-17-03
Houston Chonicle, 12-24-03: "U.S. corporations are picking up the pace in shifting technology jobs to India, China, and other low-cost centers, but they are keeping quiet for fear of a backlash." Where companies used to publicize such moves as they assumed it would be attractive to potential stockholders, now companies both in the U.S. and the outsourcing firms in other countries have become secretive. In other words, no matter how bad it looks, the reality is actually much worse.
ITAA's Dream Job The same lobbying group that published the report that the U.S. was facing a "shortage" of programmers, and thus needed the H-1B visa, is now saying that offshoring will increase jobs in the U.S.
The President's New Freedom Initiative for People with Disabilities: The 2004 Progress Report President Bush wants to screen all American children for mental and emotional illnesses, and mainstream them into society. i.e., he wants to identify all the austistics, getting jobs for the unemployed, while refusing to help the currently employed autistic programmers keep THEIR jobs. WHAT?!

Autistics and the Law

Patient's Bill of Rights

Disability Law

Barnhart v. Thomas

Supreme Court case...Pauline Thomas was first denied SSI then had it re-established by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals...the Supreme Court has reversed that decision. Barnhart (Commissioner for Social Security) argued that the yardstick for disability is the inability to do any job one had performed in the past. Pauline Thomas was able to perform the duties of operating a manual elevator, but her job was phased out, and now she can't find another job as sedentary as that one. SS argues that it is not their place to determine if there is currently a job in existance that the woman can do, only that she can still do the job she once had, and that this means she is not "disabled". On November 12, 2003, the Supreme Court agreed, based on the way the SSI law was written. (To me, this means that if someone already has been designated as "disabled", it is in their best interest NOT to find any work and perform it, as it may invalidate them from ever receiving SSI again, barring a deterioration in their health or capabilities.)

FindLaw U.S. Supreme Court Oct.2003 cases

Web Rings

Humor

This is an animation-free site designed for visually sensitive and ADD persons.

January 6, 2013

Listen....

There is a knocking on the skull,
An endless silent shout
Of something beating on a wall,
And crying, "Let me out!"
That solitary prisoner
Will never hear reply.
No comrade in eternity
Can hear the frantic cry.
No heart can share the terror
That haunts his monstrous dark.
The light that filters through the chinks
No other eye can mark.
When flesh is liked with eager flesh,
And words run warm and full,
I think that he is loneliest then,
The captive in the skull.
Caught in a mesh of living veins,
In cell of padded bone,
He loneliest is when he pretends
That he is not alone.
We'd free the incarcerate race of man
That such a doom endures
Could only you unlock my skull,
Or I, creep into yours.

- - Ogden Nash (1902-1971)