In 1994 the American Psychiatric Association published the
groundbreaking diagnostic criteria for autism ('Autistic
Disorder'). Since then, the reported numbers of people with autism
have increased from one in every 2,000 children to one in every
50-a 75% rise in just the last decade. With big business emerging
for everyone including basic researchers, therapists, and
educators, while the media in turn promotes sensationalized reports
like autism caused by vaccines, or claims that thousands of hours
of 1:1 behavior modification programs can cure it, the need for a
level playing field has emerged. The Politics of Autism explores
new viewpoints on 'old' issues: Is there more autism? What's wrong
with how autism gets diagnosed? Are standard treatments really
appropriate given the life course of people with autism? Why does
fear of vaccines persist? Are we effectively allocating autism
research dollars if the goal is to help people with autism? What
does this modern fascination with something like autism tell us
about our society today? What does it tell us about what people
will believe, and how little it can take to get them to believe
something? This book takes on the politics of autism by exposing
the sub rosa truths that are often impolitic or seemingly too
sensitive to discuss. All drawn from data-readers will explore
unabashed contrarian views on autism epidemiology, autism service
provision, autism education, and autism research. Each chapter will
focus both on the controversies themselves, and how these
controversies came to be. Chapters divided to address a different
set of issues, data, and social policy recommendations for changes
can be read as a sequence or individual treatments on the selected
topics. Each chapter will shine light into arenas of the autism
world where Bryna Siegel, who has worked in the autism field for 40
years, has had a ringside seat or sometimes been in the ring
herself. Each chapter will provide a narrative of the different
false alarms, false cures, soft-as-quicksand science, or other
snake oil that has heralded the surfacing of some aspect of the
world of autism into public consciousness. In addition, readers
will find a chapter-by-chapter bibliography with URLs to many
engaging references posted on the author's website. References
include popular media/internet resources. Dr. Bryna Siegel's work
has focused on the development and learning of children with
autism. She analyzes autism as the confluence of expected and
atypical development as a way to understanding autism-specific
learning disabilities and learning styles. Her interest in the
politics of autism grows from years of observing disparities in
access to autism diagnosis, autism education, and support for
families living with autism. In The Politics of Autism, she
explores American positivism, internet disinformation, and focuses
on autism as a case example of how societal forces have led to
wasteful and ineffective autism education, false hope for cures,
pyrrhic battles about vaccines, lack of vision to plan for adults
with autism, and costly medical research that helps no one with
autism, but expropriates dollars that could be directed to
improving lives. Analysis of each issue concludes with
recommendations for social policy changes.
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