Asperger's Conversations

Asperger's, Punishment, the UK Extradition Case

Thanks to Ian in the UK for passing on this link on the military computer hack/extradition case.  I haven't had enough time to digest the whole case which brings up lots of issues regarding Asperger's, the law, accomodations, and the line between personal responsibility and "deserved" punishment.  My original reaction, though, is that people in general are quick to use punishment to "correct" what they don't like in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and that punishment, as B.F. Skinner told us long ago in "Beyond Freedom and Dignity" is rarely effective.  It is non-educational, aversive, and usually produces escape and avoidance, rather than real learning.  I'm a well trained behaviorist who understands the limitations of negative approaches to teaching...and people with ASD's in particular need lots of reinforcement since their individual contingency histories are replete with punishment...which has failed to be of help to anyone.

Perseverence, Practical thinking, Staying on Point

My hat is off to the students here at Keene State College who dug and dug and dug and learned about high lead levels at the CDC (Childhood Development Center) playground.  Their months of investigation paid off and served as a reminder to the College of the importance of "Doing the Right Thing."  You can read about lead exposure on the playground in the College paper .  Here's the recent story on the award from our very own Keene Sentinel:

Local news briefs

Published: Thursday, July 23, 2009

KSC students win award

Five Keene State College students have been honored by the Society of Environmental Journalists for their series “Getting the Lead Out.”

Meghan Foley, Melissa Ball, Randy Booth, Casie Brown and Ian Lord took third place in the Outstanding Student Reporting category in the society’s 2008-2009 Awards for Reporting on the Environment.

The series, published in May 2008, was an investigation spurred by lead paint chips that had been found in the college’s Child Development Center playground area.

A number of responses came out of the project, including the college cleaning up the playground area and moving the center’s children’s garden to a different area, according to Marianne Salcetti, a journalism professor and the project’s faculty adviser.

“This coverage on lead contamination exemplifies the public’s interest, particularly for citizens too young to advocate for themselves,” she wrote in a letter accompanying the students’ award entry.

The contest’s judges wrote in their remarks that the series “demonstrated the kind of reportorial tenacity that forms the important foundation for accountability journalism ... Something to be proud of.”

The awards will be presented in October in Madison, Wis.

Has it really been over 7 years?!?

I just found my original blog post on the old Radio Userland and am shocked about a couple of things:

1. I've been blogging for over 7 years

2. I'm still struggling with the same issues in Asperger's and Autism today that I raised in my very first blog post back on April 1st, 2002, namely the heterogeneity of Asperger's/Autism (what is this really?) and the acoustic properties of speech in AS (rhythms of speech).

With respect to heterogeneity of Asperger's, isn't it clear yet that we are "cutting the pie" oddly when it comes to diagnosis of these complex sets of neurological issues?  And wouldn't it be better to drop the word "Asperger's" which is obviously just a name (albeit of a pioneer in the field) and replace it with more specific terms that speak to these neurodevelopmental issues?  For example in Gastroenterology, they no longer refer to "Lynch Syndrome," but instead use the term Hereditary Non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer or HNPCC.  HNPCC, like Asperger's, is often difficult to diagnose (for example, a patient may fail to test positive to genetic markers, but may still receive a diagnosis by some doctors based on family history and other factors.  The big point here being that in Medicine they have recognized the need for more specific terminology.

And with respect to acoustic properties of individuals with spectrum disorders, I now see some evidence that supports specific differences in patterning of speech (e.g., differences in vocal intensity, pauses, pitch) but still wonder if this will lead to meaningful therapeutic intervention.

And most importantly, all these 7 years later, I still remain on guard for unscrupulous professionals who make unsupported claims about causes and treatments for Autism and Asperger's, which sadly is seen as a "cash cow" for many who make their living this way.  I'm still hopeful that good ideas and positive colloboration will win out...and still believe that these "old fashion technologies" (e.g., blogging) and the newer ones (wiki, twitter, crowdsourcing) may help us really learn what we need to learn.