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Autism Vox

May 30th, 2008

Square Pegs

For the past two weeks, one post after another has been about the exclusion of autistic individuals: 13-year-old Adam Race from church—and by a restraining order. 5-year-old Alex Barton from his kindergarten class—and by a “voting out” process that has had more than a few echoes of the “Survivor” reality TV show.
But these cases weren’t […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 8 comments

May 5th, 2008

The Puzzling Spectrum of Autism Causes

What do TV, ultrasounds, insufficient vitamin D, air pollution, a mother having the flu while pregnant, mercury, have to do with each other?
All have been named as possible causes of autism. TK Kenyon looks at the puzzling spectrum of research into the cause of autism, some of which he labels as “just plain stupid”—the theory […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 30 comments

April 14th, 2008

We Wuz There! (sort of)

We didn’t catch the Night of Too Many Stars: An Overlooked Benefit for Autism Education comedy show on Sunday night (no TV around here) but it just occurred to me that we were there, sort of: The concert was held at the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side in New York, right where were […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 1 comment

February 23rd, 2008

So who is Adam Jasinski and what is the UNIAF?

By now you’ve probably heard about the remarks by Adam Jasinski on CBS’ Big Brother reality TV show in which he referred to autistic children as “retards.” The offensiveness of Jasinski’s remark was all the greater because—-as he said—-he works as the is the PR Manager for the United Autism Foundation (UNIAF) (last September, I […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 10 comments

February 20th, 2008

Offensive

CBS says that Big Brother contestant Adam Jasinski referring to autistic children as “retards” last week on the show is “offensive,” according to K-Lite FM:
CBS says the reason the remark was left in the broadcast was because Jasinski’s housemate Sheila reacted immediately with “shock and condemnation” on screen. During the broadcast, Jasinski defended […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 8 comments

February 18th, 2008

Myth, Science, and Autism: A Message from the AAP

Parents don’t cause autism and neither do vaccines.
Further: More and more evidence is being found that rejects the hypothesis that there is a link between autism and mercury; more and more evidence is also being found that rejects the hypothesis that there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
Nonetheless: Proponents of the hypothesis […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 18 comments

February 17th, 2008

This and Last’s Weeks Top Posts

Neon-bright marquees and music (from B.B. King’s theater–Buckwheat Zydeco is playing) and tour buses driving up halfway onto 42nd street and Russian Spanish Korean Twi being spoken and the smell of the gyros and steam from the subway grates: That was what Charlie walked through, holding Jim’s arm and grinning, with my parents and me […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 0 comments

February 12th, 2008

Would you try to get on Supernanny?

Not too many people are trying to get on ABC’s Supernanny tv show, notes the February 10th News OK (Oklahoma). “The parents featured on the show have seen their families spiral so far out of order that they’re willing to try anything to regain control of their children,” it is noted—–one of the mothers currently […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 6 comments

February 11th, 2008

Charming Eli (”Sloppy science in a TV serial! Imagine that!”)

It’s the charm that matters most, at least according to New York Magazine in a review of Eli Stone, the new ABC legal drama that got off to a controversial start with its first episode about lawyer Stone winning a $5.2 million verdict for a mother who claimed that her son became autistic due to […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 7 comments

February 3rd, 2008

What’s It All About, Eli? (2): Keeping the Faith

“…there might be a deeper meaning to the series as a whole. This is something I touched upon on my own post for today (autism and spirituality–maybe they’ll get that angle right).
wrote one commenter after watching ABC’s new legal TV drama, Eli Stone: In reading responses and commentary on the show, I’ve been struck […]

By Kristina Chew, PhD -- 12 comments