from book NeuroTribes, chicken pox causes big setback?

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AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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14 Dec 2015, 9:35 pm

Now straightup, the dad Peter Bell has been a recent vice president of Autism Speaks, an organization I disagree with in about five different ways. But, all the same, I'm still going to try to stay open-minded to his experiences as a parent and as a human being.

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NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, Steve Silberman, Penguin Random House, 2015, page 336:

"Then both boys got mild cases of the chicken pox. . . . .

"The effect of chicken pox on Tyler appeared to be catastrophic. He exploded in tantrums, started throwing his toys around, and lost what little spoken language he had, sharply withdrawing into himself. He also suffered terrible bouts of diarrhea. Liz told Peter that it was like their son was possessed.

"The Bells put thim through the usual round of hearing tests and other evaluations, and in 1996, Tyler was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified--one of several shades of the autism spectrum that had been added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in the proceeding years."

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(1) it could be something funky autoimmune, or

(2) a direct attack of chickenpox virus, or

(3) worsen sensory issues and downward spiral, or

(4) just a coincidence, or

(5) something else I haven't considered.