Oprah - Autism topic - Sep18/07

[joensally]

http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml

Holly Robinson Peete and Jenny McCarthy discuss their sons.

[granolamomma]

Oh, how far I've come that I'm already grumpy thinking I'm not going to like what is said. Which is unfair, b/c they deserve their own journeys, but my back goes up whenever Autism is in the media lately.

But I'll tivo it and watch it anyway. I'd hate to miss the discussion. :

[hippymomma69]

I liked their description of what autism is on the website - what did you guys think?
peace
robyn

[Cloth4Colin]

I'm watching it now...afraid it's your typical media spin. I won't give away anything for those of you that would like to watch it yourselves...hopefully we can all discuss it after it airs for everyone.

[Brigianna]

"Save their sons"? From what?

[my3peanuts]

I'm watching. I agree with Jenny about the candida connection, the GFCF diet, etc. but I'm annoyed at the whole "recovery" aspect.

[mmace]

I don't have a whole lot to say about the show, other than the fact that Jenny's discussion about being a single mom, putting her son first, and the fact that the two of them came as a package hit me hard.

I've been a single mom for four years - I have three kids, 13, 9 and 4, and my middle son has autism. One of the *biggest* reasons I put off dating was because of him - because all of my children had to be my biggest priority, but especially him, because if it isn't me making him a priority who would? And how many men go out saying "Wow, a single mom of three, one of whom has autism - now that's what I'm looking for!"

BUT - God had other plans for my life, and a few months ago I started dating an amazing man who has quickly become the love of my life. He loves me and he loves my children, and just a few nights ago we discussed my son in greater detail (he already knew his diagnosis) and it hit me like a ton of bricks that the fact that my son has autism isn't a detterent to him at all - and even if my son never leaves this house to live on his own that it will be okay and he will love and support us both forever.

Okay, I know I got wayyyyyy off topic, but it's what I'm feeling and I wanted to share it - I don't know if there are many other single mom's of special needs kids out there, but I wanted to share this side of it...

[granolamomma]

Yeah, I actually teared-up when she talked about how babysitting can help moms. Not assuming everyone here would agree, but yowza that is a big thing in our world.

[Brigianna]

I don't really know my celebrities, but isn't Jenny McCarthy the woman who wrote about circumcising her son and wrote this whole creepy pedophiliac-sounding passage about her son's pretty penis?

If so, it's not the least bit surprising that she would hold those views about autism.

[Finch]

I refuse to watch it because I think "recovery" is a crock of bull puckey and hate the fact that the stupid media gives it any credence whatsoever.

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter of "recovery" :

http://www.cammiemcgovern.com/articles_nytimes.html

But that's just MHO......me and my 10 foot pole are running for the hills from this thread now...

[fluttermama]

I hope this doesn't come across wrong, but I don't understand her saying that he is healed when he still has "traits" of autism. Holly portrayed some of the positives which is nice to hear. It's not a death sentence and hey, maybe her son *will* be a mechanic!

[MyTwoAs]

Originally Posted by Finch

I refuse to watch it because I think "recovery" is a crock of bull puckey and hate the fact that the stupid media gives it any credence whatsoever.

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter of "recovery" :

http://www.cammiemcgovern.com/articles_nytimes.html

But that's just MHO......me and my 10 foot pole are running for the hills from this thread now...

Gonna have to read that link when I have free brain space - I want to make sure I get it all in.

I'm watching the show now - it's only about 10 mins in so we haven't gotten to the "recovery" journey.

[MyTwoAs]

Okay it's almost over and I'm pretty much annoyed now. Holly Robinson Peete talking negatively about parents who "leave their kids in that autistic world" instead of choosing recovery. Hmm.

[feebeeglee]

I didn't watch it. I don't like to watch negative portrayals of autism when my kids can see them too.

[jaye]

Originally Posted by MyTwoAs

Holly Robinson Peete talking negatively about parents who "leave their kids in that autistic world" instead of choosing recovery.

I only saw about 20 mins of it but I missed that part. I was going to say I actually thought she was okay - it must have been really hard to get the dx in 1999 when all the info about autism was SO negative. She talked about how we have to value these kids the way they are and try to figure out how they learn. And the part about telling pediatricians to not just brush off mother's concerns - the way our pediatrician repeatedly blew me off still makes me mad.

[MyTwoAs]

I thought she was okay until she said "we need to change our vernacular, these kids aren't autistic they have autism" - it went down hill for me pretty quickly after that hehe.

[jaye]

I never watch tv and I was so tired of all the damn commercials that I stopped watching. Yeah I don't like that is/has thing either.

[wytchywoman]

Originally Posted by Brigianna

I don't really know my celebrities, but isn't Jenny McCarthy the woman who wrote about circumcising her son and wrote this whole creepy pedophiliac-sounding passage about her son's pretty penis?

If so, it's not the least bit surprising that she would hold those views about autism.

Youa re right about this one, she is the one that made that comment.
I honestly didn't bother watching. I didn't like the other show Oprah did on autism either and I have enough to PO'd and frustrated enough in my life without people telling me I ought to turn myself and my son inside out the hard way so he won't have autism anymore. Not my cup of tea.

[Brigianna]

Originally Posted by MyTwoAs

Okay it's almost over and I'm pretty much annoyed now. Holly Robinson Peete talking negatively about parents who "leave their kids in that autistic world" instead of choosing recovery. Hmm.

Ugh, she probably doesn't even realize the offensiveness of assuming not only that being non-autistic is better than being autistic, but that autistics live in a separate "world." : Autistics are her neighbors, her family members, people on the bus... we're not living in some compound somewhere.

Originally Posted by MyTwoAs

I thought she was okay until she said "we need to change our vernacular, these kids aren't autistic they have autism" - it went down hill for me pretty quickly after that hehe.

I don't mind people who prefer the phrasing "have autism" over "is autistic," but for goodness' sakes, don't tell me and other autistics that we are being offensive for preferring the word "autistic" to apply to ourselves. I don't mean to offend any of the lovely parents of autistics here, but it annoys me to no end that so many parents of autistics act as though they own autism :

[MyTwoAs]

Originally Posted by Brigianna

Ugh, she probably doesn't even realize the offensiveness of assuming not only that being non-autistic is better than being autistic, but that autistics live in a separate "world." : Autistics are her neighbors, her family members, people on the bus... we're not living in some compound somewhere.




I don't mind people who prefer the phrasing "have autism" over "is autistic," but for goodness' sakes, don't tell me and other autistics that we are being offensive for preferring the word "autistic" to apply to ourselves. I don't mean to offend any of the lovely parents of autistics here, but it annoys me to no end that so many parents of autistics act as though they own autism :

Very well said!