Why I Write
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. – Edmund Burke Knowledge is power – Francis Bacon Each of us also has an obligation to try to leave the world a little...
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Bright’s Disease, ASD, and the Dustbin of History
In 1886 the beloved American poet Emily Dickenson died of “Bright’s Disease”- the popular term in those days for kidney failure. No one dies of Bright’s Disease these days – Not because kidney...
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Beyond the DSM: Seeing ASD in 3D, Part I
If a picture is worth ten thousand words, then here’s the picture: This is a 3-dimensional graph, showing Degree of atypicality on the X axis, IQ on the Y axis, and Age on the Z axis. Over the next...
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Beyond the DSM: Seeing ASD in 3D, Part II
A lot has happened since I posted Part I of this thread. I grieve for all of the families in Newtown who lost loved ones. I will have more to say about those events shortly, but in order for my...
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ASD in 3D – Part III (“The warmer the water, the faster the ice melts”)
In the first part of this thread we discussed the symptoms of ASD, and the “natural history” of improvement over time – first noted by Leo Kanner in 1943. In the second part of this thread, we...
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Mental Health in ASD – 01
In the last few posts I laid out a 3D picture of ASD that integrates degree of atypicality, level of general intelligence, and age (or Time). In this model, we can think of atypicality as a chunk of...
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Ask The Doctor
With this post, I’m launching a new feature: “Ask the Doctor.” I welcome questions from family members, care providers, persons on the spectrum, and interested general readers, regarding any aspect of...
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Words of wisdom from a parent who’s been there…. and survived!
As a developmental pediatrician, I’ve written my share of notes to Disney requesting Guest Assistance Cards for my patients. So, I especially enjoyed reading this post from the mom of a child with...
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Science in the News (a regular blog feature) OF MICE AND MEN
OF MICE AND MEN As we wrote some time back, “autism spectrum disorder” is actually the final common behavioral outcome of numerous (perhaps hundreds, or thousands) of different underlying causes. It’s...
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FAMILY MATTERS
It’s a play on words….Get it? “Issues pertaining to the family,” and “The family matters !” Too often, all attention is focused on the child with ASD, and the family gets pushed aside. Not good! (As...
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Family Matters – Unintended Fireworks
July Fourth (the Declaration of Independence was really signed on the 2nd, but never mind), is typically a day of celebration marked by parades, barbeques, and fireworks, all of which are great family...
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Elephants in the Room (a regular feature)
An Elephant Never Forgets I’ve been a member of the autism community for 30-plus years, and a member of the disability community in general for sixty. I’ve seen a lot of changes, and — like the...
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Family Matters – One Hand For The Ship And One For Yourself
One hand for the ship, and one for yourself. Parents come in all varieties. One of the ironies I have noticed over the years is that the parents who are most dedicated to the welfare of their child...
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Science in the News – Before you were born….
This post highlights two papers that suggest an “environmental” cause for some cases of ASD – but probably not the environment you may be thinking of. We’re not talking about yeast in the gut, gluten...
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In the clinic: First, do no harm.
In the Clinic. Today’s post launches another regular feature of my blog. The clinic is where “the rubber meets the road” – care of the individual patient, in the real world. Studies and statistics are...
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The DSM5 – An idea whose time has come…and gone?
The APA’s relentless pursuit of “clinical homogeneity within diagnostic categories” is, by its own admission, doomed to failure. In no other branch of medicine do all patients with a given diagnosis...
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DSM5: Double Standards, Part 1
A double standard is defined as “the application of different sets of principles for similar situations” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_standard ). Double standards are usually regarded as...
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DSM5: The case for double standards
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Business Cards for children on the spectrum. An idea whose time has come!
My Card…. I had a patient in the office the other day; let’s call him Joe. Joe is 9 years old, non-verbal, hyperactive, very friendly, and oh yes, he has autism. He invades the personal space of...
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Family Mental Health is a key ingredient in outcome for all children, but...
Family Mental Health is a key ingredient in outcome for all children, but especially for the child with developmental disability. In this presentation Dr Coplan discusses “Family Mental Health – The...
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