Autistic kids - their bizarre behavior taped online for your edification.

[Ichirou]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/10/15/autism.video.ap/index.html

Site posts videos of autistic behaviors

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- What's so unusual about a baby fascinated with spinning a cup, or a toddler flapping his hands, or a preschooler walking on her toes?

Parents and even doctors sometimes miss these red flags for autism, but a new online video "glossary" makes them startlingly clear.

A new Web site offers dozens of video clips of autistic kids contrasted with unaffected children's behavior. Some of the side-by-side differences can make you gasp. Others are more subtle.

The free site, which makes its debut Monday, also defines and depicts "stimming," "echolalia" and other confusing-sounding terms that describe autistic behavior. Stimming refers to repetitive, self-stimulating or soothing behavior including hand-flapping and rocking that autistic children sometimes do in reaction to light, sounds or excitement. Echolalia is echoing or repeating someone else's words or phrases, sometimes out of context.

The new site is sponsored by two nonprofit advocacy groups: Autism Speaks and First Signs. They hope the site will promote early diagnosis and treatment, which can help young children with autism lead more normal lives.

Pediatrician Dr. Michael Wasserman cautioned that the site might lead some parents to needlessly fret about normal behavior variations, and said they shouldn't use it to try to diagnose their own kids' conditions.

"Just as there's a spectrum in autism... there's a spectrum in normal development," said Wasserman, with Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Children don't necessarily develop in a straight line."

But Amy Wetherby, a Florida State University professor of communications disorders who helped create the site, noted that sometimes "parents are the first to be concerned and the doctors aren't necessarily worried. This will help give them terms to take to the doctor and say, 'I'm worried about it."

And while the children shown in the "Red Flags" video clips on the site have been found to have some form of autism, the sponsors note that not all children who behave this way have something wrong. In fact, the behaviors in some of the short video clips -- when viewed individually -- look fairly normal.

The important thing is to seek medical help if a child does exhibit persistent unusual behavior, to either rule out autism or get an early diagnosis, said Alison Singer of Autism Speaks.

Added Wetherby, "We now know that one out of 150 children has autism, or one out of 94 boys. It's not a rare disability. We also know that early intervention is critical."

The site was to be available to the public starting Monday on the Autism Speaks Web site.

Several autism specialists who reviewed it at the request of The Associated Press called it an unusually helpful tool for parents and doctors.

"The moving pictures speak a million words," said Dr. Edwin Cook, an autism researcher and educator at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"Not only do I see this as useful for the general public and for parents who might be wondering ... but I will frankly be using it for education" and training, Cook said. He has received research funding from Autism Speaks but has no connection to the new site.

Stefanie Voss of Tallahassee, Florida, said it will be a great tool "for parents who are in the situation that I was in three years ago, which is, 'I'm not sure if something's wrong with my child."'

She said she asked her pediatrician about her son Nicholas when he was 14 months old and was told he didn't show "the classic signs" of autism.

"He did smile and have eye contact, but what I've learned since is those aren't the only red flags," Voss said.

Nicholas didn't point, wave, or demonstrate any other nonverbal communication. He'd also spend hours opening and closing cabinet doors or spinning plastic bowls on the floor.

She eventually took him to Florida State where he was diagnosed at age 17 months and intervention began. Nicholas is featured in a video clip on the site.

With speech lessons, physical therapy and behavior training several hours daily, he's now affectionate, social, talking, walking and in preschool.

"It shows you that all your hard work and early intervention pays off," Voss said.

Dr. Karen Ballaban-Gil, a pediatric neurology specialist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, said the site "will be doing a real service."

The site will eventually feature a section on autism treatments and Ballaban-Gill said the only scientifically sound ones are intensive behavior training. Others, including special diets, are unproven and should not be included, she said.

Singer said there is no decision yet on which treatments will be added to the site.

[Synbios459]

They forgot to mention the part where people make many multiple accounts and harass people on message boards.

[Himu]

What about people who make multiple aim sns and harass people on aim

[Synbios459]

What about people who make multiple aim sns and harass people on aim

That too.

[Ichirou]

So Synbios is saying he's autistic? wtf?

And it's "too", not "to", brighteyes.

[Himu]

[youtube=425,350]QivPTrtu9_Q[/youtube]

.

[Synbios459]

So Synbios is saying he's autistic? wtf?

And it's "too", not "to", brighteyes.

Well, that's what you think, right?

[Ichirou]

I think you're at least mildly distinguished mentally-challenged.  I don't know about autistic.

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm starting to see more and more kids diagnosed with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome this year at work, it's insane.

[Ichirou]

I wonder if there really is an increase in this, or if people are just being overcautious and diagnosing perfectly healthy kids.

[Mr. Gundam]

I wonder if there really is an increase in this, or if people are just being overcautious and diagnosing perfectly healthy kids.

I think it's some of A and some of B.

I also buy into that theory that there's a higher prevalence of autism due to men having kids later in life.

[Ichirou]

It's weird, at my school, there have been times when kids have dropped out and when I ask fellow teachers if there was a reason, they always give me the catchall, "mental problems."  And I know a lot of those kids might have issues at home or whatever, but I would not classify any of them as having "mental problems", since to me that encompasses something a bit more medically serious.

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm not sure, mental illness can encompass a wide variety of symptoms.

I have used my DSM-IV TR more these last two weeks of I work than I had in the previous two years... somethings in the water, I swear.

[zeergoth]

I'm not sure, mental illness can encompass a wide variety of symptoms.

I have used my DSM-IV TR more these last two weeks of I work than I had in the previous two years... somethings in the water, I swear.

what's a DSM-IV TR?

[xnikki118x]

There's a great book written through the eyes of an autistic boy. It's fiction, but you wouldn't know it. It's called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime or something like that. I had to read it for a childhood psychopathology class and I thought it was awesome.

I wonder if there really is an increase in this, or if people are just being overcautious and diagnosing perfectly healthy kids.

It's a good question. You can say the same thing about ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar 1 and 2 (for young adults), tons of diseases.

I also buy into that theory that there's a higher prevalence of autism due to men having kids later in life.

As do I. We know that the increase in maternal age skyrockets the chances of Down Syndrome. Increasing paternal age could very well be one of the contributers to autism spectrum disorders.

[TVC15]

I'm not sure, mental illness can encompass a wide variety of symptoms.

I have used my DSM-IV TR more these last two weeks of I work than I had in the previous two years... somethings in the water, I swear.

what's a DSM-IV TR?

It's the Big Book of Mental disorders and what their symptoms are.  Diagnosis and something of Mental disorders or something.

[xnikki118x]

I'm not sure, mental illness can encompass a wide variety of symptoms.

I have used my DSM-IV TR more these last two weeks of I work than I had in the previous two years... somethings in the water, I swear.

what's a DSM-IV TR?

It's the Big Book of Mental disorders and what their symptoms are.  Diagnosis and something of Mental disorders or something.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It's the bible for anyone in a psych profession. And yeah, it's a fucking HUGE ASS BOOK. The IV is the version number, and the TR is because it was revised once. The DSM-V is due out in 2011 I believe.

[TVC15]

Pfffft, Oxford English Dictionary 3 will take longer to come out than that.  Encyclopedia of English > Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders.

[Ichirou]

There's a great book written through the eyes of an autistic boy. It's fiction, but you wouldn't know it. It's called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime or something like that. I had to read it for a childhood psychopathology class and I thought it was awesome.

I read that book a couple of years ago - not for a class or anything, just for fun.  It's a great read, and I'd recommend it to anybody.

[xnikki118x]

Pfffft, Oxford English Dictionary 3 will take longer to come out than that.  Encyclopedia of English > Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders.

Well obviously.

There's a great book written through the eyes of an autistic boy. It's fiction, but you wouldn't know it. It's called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime or something like that. I had to read it for a childhood psychopathology class and I thought it was awesome.

I read that book a couple of years ago - not for a class or anything, just for fun.  It's a great read, and I'd recommend it to anybody.

Isn't it great? I'd recommend it to anybody as well.

[Mondain]

So much of these "syndromes" are complete bullshit that apply to far less people than the percentages that such subvention-needy organizations flaunt. Ready-made labels done so that a child's parents feel secure. When a youngster's able to write coherent english sentences and to talk normally to people around him, one should be extremely wary of such diagnostics and especially not embrace them.

I'm starting to see more and more kids diagnosed with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome this year at work, it's insane.

DUH, these are trendy syndromes too, used to describe any eccentricity present on a kid without caring too much about the real roots of any given trouble

just because someone has woes when opening up to the other kids doesn't mean he's afflicted by BS like that, which in most cases only fits the heavier cases

[TVC15]

Jotaro is right.  Autism is fake.

[Himu]

I met a girl here who i posted about once. she's the female phoenix dark. she has asperger's and said she was home schooled during high school. she replies with "i see." to every. fucking. statement.

ps: i want to see these videos of these autistic kids