@dooBdoo wrote:
I just saw this 4/1/16 guest blog in Scientific American today, and wanted to share it in case it's of interest:
"How Cultural Differences Affect Autism Diagnoses"
"Behaviors that are considered red flags in the U.S. and Western Europe are considered normal, even desirable, in other parts of the world"
link to article: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-cultural-differences-affect-autism-diagnoses/?WT....
Great article @dooBdoo;
but it's not just one behavior that determines autism but a variety of behaviors-- lack of eye contact, language development and interacting with others around them.
I knew there was something wrong with my niece when at the age of 5 months she was not smiling at people but all she did was cry. We watched her one afternoon after her parents left for a doctor visit and she wouldn't stop crying for anything! Now in case anyone is wondering-- we already had 3 children already and knew what to do to help them stop crying-- change diapers, hold them, feed them. let them lie down to nap. Nothing we did helped.
As she got older around the age of 18 months, she was acting 'selectively deaf' and not making eye contact with others or playing with her cousins on visits to Grandma. Also she was not very verbal as she got to be around 2. Finally at the age of 2 1/2 she was diagnosed with autism pervasive developmental delay.
Many should realize that autism rates have gone up over the years because we have gotten better at diagnosing it (looking at all of the behaviors to come to that determination).
It has been discussed that the older a person is when becoming pregnant also increases the autism rate but not from the mother but from the father.
And to answer Plaid Pants questions: those who do not have siblings eventually will need guardians for them either assigned by the state or by the parents (if still alive)- all done with legal papers and all a guardian does is act as their advocate, maybe visit them in their group home and see that the proper care is being given to them. Guardians do not take them into their own homes generally.
This is not an easy decision to make and be thought of lightly. And as I've mentioned before, there is at least a 10 year waiting list for a group home assignment and they are placed with those of similar abilities. In an ideal world, when a child turns 18, they would automatically go on a waiting list, but most times this is not the case. Parents make that decision to be on a waiting list or not. At least with a waiting list application, a parent has a choice of where the child would live (close to them would be ideal). If something happened to both parents and there would be no one to care for the child/adult, they would be placed on an emergency basis ANYWHERE in that state.
This is what parents with autistic children/adults face as their own health declines.
☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
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