Comments on: Savage Defends Remarks Questioning Autism

Talk Show Host: I Was Trying To "Awaken" Parents To Over-Diagnosis By "Greedy" MDs, Drug Cos.

[ccdsswrkr08]

Papabc

I personally think we live in a world of ''pass the buck''. It can''t be the parents fault that the children are the way they are, so lets find something wrong with the kids. We also live in a world where we over analyze everything! There is never a simple answer anymore. It can''t just be a child being a child, it must be a syndrome, or disease, or disorder. It''s getting out of hand, that''s what it is.

[papabc]

Did you listen to the entire broadcast. He said that he believed the diseases existed.
''''Let the truly autistic be treated''''
Posted by ccdsswrkr08
//////////////////////////

I did hear him say this often when he is on the subject of Autism.

Seems to me, he thinks that the Drs take the easy way and diagnos Autism without finding the real problem or why there are so many Autistic children today in America.

[ephd]

I think Michael Savage should have been a bit more careful in his phrasing of the problem. saying that fully 99% of children diagnosed with Autism are being misdiagnosed is hyperbole. I imagine the number is lower. So he is right that a problem exists, but his numbers are not likely correct and will dissuade parents from truly autistic children getting help they need, for fear that thier child will be misdiagnosed. Even worse, these parents will beat themselves up for no reason

[mikekittrell]

Leave it up to the Autism experts? The parent is the expert on their child. But many are lazy and do little more than buy food. Kids need parents that are involved and not big playmates.

Autism is a syndrome of conditions. A diagnosis is based on meeting some of a large range of behavior criteria at a subjective severity. If you take your kid in and say he''s not autistic, the doctor isn''t going to find autism. I see a lot of %u201Cautistic%u201D kids who look like they would benefit from some discipline not an excuse. Parents need to step up and push their kids to do as much as they can regardless of any disability or the degree.

I married a woman with an autistic child. I have had to fight and constantly monitor to make sure that she is not being coddled and overly accomodated. She was headed down the road to being a big baby. Every child, every autistic child is different. I have seen plenty that need accomodations. I have seen many more who are overly accomodated. I have seen many kids who seem more adhd and probably just need discipline and not an excuse. SOME PARENTS SHOULD TAKE WHAT SAVAGE SAID TO HEART. Challenge your kids, parent them, don%u2019t let them be coddled and fail because someone gave you a great excuse.

My biggest gripe with the response to autistic kids is the idea that when they are %u201Cover stimulated%u201D (read having a fit), you are advised to let them go off and get over it. That is the dumbest thing I ever heard.

[ccdsswrkr08]

DaVicar2

agreed

[ccdsswrkr08]

rafterman1

Did you listen to the entire broadcast. He said that he believed the diseases existed.
''Let the truly autistic be treated''

[idnnsg]

Savage is right to point out that SOME autisim diagnoses are incorrect, but he is completely WRONG to say, "In 99 percent of the cases, it''s a brat who hasn''t been told to cut the act out".

Like Rushed Limburger and Bill O''Liely, he''s nothing more than a loud mouthed ignoramous whose job is to whip the retarded masses into a frenzy, thus allowing the repugnant ones to continue their rule by division.

Personally, I think that ALL of the right-wingnut radio jocks should be fired. Not one of them contributes anything useful to this world.

[ccdsswrkr08]

ephd

That is a great question. Honestly I don''t know. Lives are ruined either way. False negative means that a child who truly needs help will not get it. False negative means that a child will be labled something they are not for the rest of their lives and have to endure medications, therapies, and stigmas that they do not need or deserve. There is easy answer to that question.

[ccdsswrkr08]

ephd

Yes, I am referring to the children whose parents wish to label them. I am very well aware that these disorders do exist, I just believe that many practitioners are
1. not qualified to make the diagnosis that they are making, and there for creating a culture of easy out diagnosis when it comes to behavior in children
2. are giving in to pushy parents.

[terribayless-2009]

Has no one seen the movie Mercury Rising with Bruce Willis? That was not a kid who just needed discipline. I know families with children just like that. I don''t know if he should be boycotted but I would be pretty upset with him if my child was autistic.

[amazedd]

In college people who copy are called cheats, and people who follow are called stupid.
I know a Pseudo-Psychologist*, othe other hand, who thinks that those who don''t copy have AD, and those who do not follow are autistic.

I like to learn, with or without help, how to do things, and I hope the day never comes when I need to have someone to tell me what to do.

*Someone who could''t make into Psychiatry.

[ephd]

typo, meant "what is worse, false positives or false negatives?

[ccdsswrkr08]

===I do have the educational background...a Doctorate in Psychology. And I agree with him.===
Posted by ccdsswrkr08

You agree that autism doesn''''t exist? I think they need to board-review your PhD.



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Posted by rafterman1 at 01:31 PM : Jul 22, 2008

you didn''t read my earlier post. I said that he''s not saying it doesn''t exist, he''s saying that it''s over diagnosed...which I agree with.

[ephd]

The only problem with savage, in my opinion, and a big problem, is that his comments may dissaude the parents of truly autisitc children from obtaining help. What is worse in this case, Dr. ccdsswrkr08, false positives of false negatives

[ephd]

you know what all this really stems from. Parents not wanting to believe THEY messed up some how. No No, it couldn''''t be them being a bad parent, it MUST be something wrong with the kid!

Posted by ccdsswrkr08 at 01:08 PM : Jul 22, 2008

Sir,
I, too, have a doctorate in (clinical) psychology and absolutely disagree with your post. It is reminiscent of the "refrigerator mother" or "schizophreniogenic mother" claims of years past. If you are truly a psychologist, I hope that your comment referred to those children whose parents wish to lable them, and not to children with real pervasive developmental disorders (e.g., autism) which are in no way due to bad parenting (although this surely does not help!).

To others, I listened to Michael Savage, and your comments about your child having autism and not being "a brat" do not contradict his thesis. Savage acknowledged that Autism exists and that these children are not purposly misbehaving, but rather have a serious illness. He was referring to those who are misdiagnosed due to the pharmeceutical companies who come to medical clinics and give out huge amounts of free gifts that, I believe, are designed to create a mindset/bias in which providers are more likely to diagnose mental disorders without careful adherence to the DSM-IV, ICD-10, or some other scientific paradigm./

[papabc]

From many comments that I see here:

Lets fire and censor anybody we do not agree with or that make us feel uncomfortable. We would have to question beliefs and have hurt feeling is we are wrong.

[gclefboogie]

Michael Savage is a subversive, paranoid, malcontent.
He can be brilliant at times but his basic personality is as stated. As he would say - in my estimation. I can''t see how he made it through Jamaica High w/o getting his *** kicked every other day. MICHAEL - retire already!

[priva1]

Doesn''t anyone think it''s strange that the rise of ADHD and Autism diagnoses coincides with the decline of the spanking??

I have a lot of empathy for folks dealing with these kinds of bonafide problems. And I don''t know the true reason for the increase in these diagnoses. However, I do know that there are a lot of parents out there that are too lazy, busy, or daft to properly discipline their kids.

[steeepe]

posted by steeepe,
Amazing to think that the three most popular radio personalities don''''''''t care about facts.

Who''''s facts yours and your source, or their source.
Posted by dmw1167 at 01:19 PM

That''s the point: facts are not liberal or conservative. Opinions can differ, but the facts don''t. Check what the recognized experts think about something, then think for yourself. Climate scientists understand climate better than the average joe on the street, and psychiatrists understand autism better than Savage.

[vnveteran72]

Just another Festering Pustule of Rancid Diseased Reich Wing Fungus, like Limpdickkk, Hannity, and O''LIElly. I pray that soon our Nation gets a large dose of Antibiotic Rule of Law and some Constitutional Pain Killers to restore our health.
Our Founding Fathers would weep in despair at what''s been done to their Creation.
Desperate Times call for Drastic Measures.