People are starting to understand that each child or adult with autism is unique and, so, each autism intervention plan should be tailored to address specific needs.
if you don't understand what you are dealing with and if everything points to the fact that it is nothing but a behavioral meme then we should stop messing with children's heads.
it could be important to understand if any treatment is of any real utility, especially in improving the quality of life for affected people... not only treating some superficial symptoms!
@kyriacos great article to create discussion about a "shady subject" for some as Autism! I agree with most of the topics you raised but I can't agree when you say (if I understood it clearly!) that Psychology created Autism...
Psychologists tried to name something that is not fully understood yet. As I see it (as a Historical-Relational Psychologist ;)), Autism is the lack/negligence of the first relationship humans have: with their parents.
As you say, "Nature has designed children to be brought up and shaped mainly by parents. This is the very reason why the brain in young mammals is so plastic..". So our brain is formed by the relationships we engage in and this is being studied by Neuropsychology and Historical-Relational Psychology (brought up by Luria and Vegotsky, to name the most important authors). If this basic relationship fails our brain enters a mode of self-protection (autism = autos - self), it has to create a world on its own in order to function. It starts creating strict routines and memorizing facts to feel more comfortable in a world that is chaotic for it.
So there are clinical methods to treat Autism symptoms and the most results-visible one is when we start looking at the child as missing that important step: relate to someone important for them so they can feel comfortable enough in the human world.
Of course it takes years of therapy to see results as we are changing/shaping a person's brain but it's being proved that this method makes the difference from the behavioural methods that only treat practical issues as learning to lace your shoes!
Sorry for the long comment but I wanted to leave you with these thoughts! :) And probably continue the debate...
Some info is in portuguese as the Clinic I'm familiar with is at Coimbra, Portugal, but one of these days I'll translate their contents and share with you.
I'm also going to share more scientific-based information and I'll tag it with #autism. I think it's really important that more and more people are aware that Psychology is a science, based on scientific studies from many years of observation and dealing with the most diverse people.
the fact that we don't know much should make us very wary about the way we treat our children.
People are starting to understand that each child or adult with autism is unique and, so, each autism intervention plan should be tailored to address specific needs.
if you don't understand what you are dealing with and if everything points to the fact that it is nothing but a behavioral meme then we should stop messing with children's heads.
it could be important to understand if any treatment is of any real utility, especially in improving the quality of life for affected people... not only treating some superficial symptoms!
when there is no baseline and when children constantly change and see their behavior evolve, is hard to measure really.
@kyriacos great article to create discussion about a "shady subject" for some as Autism! I agree with most of the topics you raised but I can't agree when you say (if I understood it clearly!) that Psychology created Autism...
Psychologists tried to name something that is not fully understood yet. As I see it (as a Historical-Relational Psychologist ;)), Autism is the lack/negligence of the first relationship humans have: with their parents.
As you say, "Nature has designed children to be brought up and shaped mainly by parents. This is the very reason why the brain in young mammals is so plastic..". So our brain is formed by the relationships we engage in and this is being studied by Neuropsychology and Historical-Relational Psychology (brought up by Luria and Vegotsky, to name the most important authors). If this basic relationship fails our brain enters a mode of self-protection (autism = autos - self), it has to create a world on its own in order to function. It starts creating strict routines and memorizing facts to feel more comfortable in a world that is chaotic for it.
So there are clinical methods to treat Autism symptoms and the most results-visible one is when we start looking at the child as missing that important step: relate to someone important for them so they can feel comfortable enough in the human world.
Of course it takes years of therapy to see results as we are changing/shaping a person's brain but it's being proved that this method makes the difference from the behavioural methods that only treat practical issues as learning to lace your shoes!
Sorry for the long comment but I wanted to leave you with these thoughts! :) And probably continue the debate...
Check these links!
http://www.centropsicoterapeutico.com/publicacoes/proposal-for-rehabilitation-of-autism/
http://www.centropsicoterapeutico.com/publicacoes/without-others-we-become-autistic-vigotskyan-therapy-with-an-autistic-teenager/
http://www.centropsicoterapeutico.com/apresentacao-associacao-portuguesa-relacional-historica/ci-em-perturbacoes-de-desenvolvimento/1a-edicao-da-escola-de-verao-rita-leal/
Some info is in portuguese as the Clinic I'm familiar with is at Coimbra, Portugal, but one of these days I'll translate their contents and share with you.
I'm also going to share more scientific-based information and I'll tag it with #autism. I think it's really important that more and more people are aware that Psychology is a science, based on scientific studies from many years of observation and dealing with the most diverse people.