Page 1 of 4 [ 54 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3, 4  Next

StuartN
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 20 Jan 2010
Age: 60
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,569

06 Feb 2012, 7:40 am

An article in the Irish Examiner on Friday claims that autism is a diagnostic convenience for labelling kids deprived of love and emotional security. The author, Tony Humphreys, is a regular in the relationship / parenting / family circuit and writes regularly for the Examiner. He also has many self-help books to his name, though no actual peer-reviewed publications.

There is a transcript of the article at https://www.facebook.com/notes/irish-au ... 8427353789



nemorosa
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 5 Aug 2010
Age: 52
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,121
Location: Amongst the leaves.

06 Feb 2012, 8:35 am

That old "unloved child" theory. I thought we'd moved on from all that.

This from a consultant clinical psychologist:

http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/



Heidi80
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Dec 2011
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 581

06 Feb 2012, 8:58 am

what a load of crap



Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

06 Feb 2012, 9:36 am

I wish it didn't exist.


_________________
Female


Mindslave
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Nov 2010
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,034
Location: Where the wild things wish they were

06 Feb 2012, 10:05 am

I think there might be something to be said about the whole love and emotional security thing, but first we must define love and emotional security, and then take into account the fact that it differs depending on the context, including culture, finances, and the needs of said child, and then remember that there are many other factors that are much more relevant that not only make up most of what autism is, but also contribute to the whole love and emotion thing. So unless this guy went into about 3,000 pages of detail, it's probably hogwash, and even then, I'm admittedly going out on a huge limb here. It's the best the Devil can advocate for this.



OliveOilMom
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Age: 59
Gender: Female
Posts: 11,447
Location: About 50 miles past the middle of nowhere

06 Feb 2012, 10:23 am

Then why are most abused or neglected kids not autistic?


_________________
I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA. ;-)

The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com


techstepgenr8tion
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Feb 2005
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 24,135
Location: 28th Path of Tzaddi

06 Feb 2012, 11:42 am

Was he French educated?


_________________
“Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word "love" here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being, or a state of grace - not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth.” - James Baldwin


Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,436
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

06 Feb 2012, 12:15 pm

I call BS.


_________________
We won't go back.


CrazyCatLord
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Oct 2011
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,177

06 Feb 2012, 12:20 pm

"Dr Tony Humphreys is a consultant clinical psychologist ..."

No surprise there :roll: Psychologists are to psychiatry and neurology what storks are to obstetrics.



Guineapigged
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2011
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 412
Location: UK

06 Feb 2012, 12:31 pm

Maybe he's just a really slow writer and he's actually been working on this article since the 60s.



StuartN
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 20 Jan 2010
Age: 60
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,569

06 Feb 2012, 12:49 pm

Tony Humphreys has created quite a storm - there were 150 comments and 50 shares on the Facebook page of Irish Autism Action https://www.facebook.com/notes/irish-au ... 8427353789 and plenty of other angry blogs (e.g. http://thefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com/201 ... ewold.html).

The best part is that Simon Baron-Cohen, whose research is heavily (mis)used in the Humphreys article, has Tweeted:

Quote:
@sbaroncohen Simon Baron-Cohen
Offensive Irish article blames autism on unemotional parenting and turns the clock back 50 years tiny.cc/ffxg8
http://twitter.com/#!/sbaroncohen/status/166435324074008576



Callista
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Feb 2006
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Posts: 10,775
Location: Ohio, USA

06 Feb 2012, 12:53 pm

Well! I don't always agree with Simon Baron-Cohen, but at least he's doing legit science. Good for him, standing up to that crap.

My mom loves me just fine, thank you very much. Smothers me sometimes, to be honest; I think she's trying to mother me from three states away! She's living proof the refrigerator-mother theory is bunk. She spent practically all her time interacting with me when I was little. It's probably why I learned to read so early, and sing; and maybe even why I learned to talk pretty much on time. I don't mean that she did therapy with me or anything, just that she never left me sitting in front of the TV or ignored me; and she spent lots of time reading to me and singing to me. Of course there were those times when I was tantruming and she couldn't stop me, or when I was just overloaded and running in circles, or just plain out of control--she thought I was a complete rebel, even at two--but she did just fine with me. The only things I would have changed about how she raised me was that she didn't get me evaluated for autism, even though she knew she should have; and that she married people who mistreated both of us, because she thought I needed a father, when in reality she was doing fine as a single mom--especially with a hyperactive autistic youngster like I was.

Joe90 wrote:
I wish it didn't exist.
Joe--hang in there. It's possible to be autistic and happy, I promise. Sounds like you're having a bad day; maybe do something you like, cheer yourself up a little. You don't have to think about discouraging things all the time. Sometimes you can just say to yourself "I'll think about that later" and relax for a while.


_________________
Reports from a Resident Alien:
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com

Autism Memorial:
http://autism-memorial.livejournal.com


Matt62
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Jan 2012
Age: 62
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,230

06 Feb 2012, 3:06 pm

What rubbish! Probably gives a bunch of 1980's psychobable in his sel-help work.
I'm willing to wager on it, in fact.. 8)
The problem is parents find it hard to relate to children who DO NOT respond to them (not talking Aspergers, but Classical autism here..) so it looks cold from the outside..

Sincerely,
Matt



1000Knives
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Jul 2011
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,036
Location: CT, USA

06 Feb 2012, 3:27 pm

StuartN wrote:
An article in the Irish Examiner on Friday claims that autism is a diagnostic convenience for labelling kids deprived of love and emotional security. The author, Tony Humphreys, is a regular in the relationship / parenting / family circuit and writes regularly for the Examiner. He also has many self-help books to his name, though no actual peer-reviewed publications.

There is a transcript of the article at https://www.facebook.com/notes/irish-au ... 8427353789


I can defeat his hypothesis very easily. My NVLD for all intensive purposes, acts like Aspergers or HFA. It's due to deficiencies likely in my right brain, it's a brain damage or issue. So, it makes my verbal IQ like 130+, but my nonverbal about 80 (not just social cues, but things like mathematics, visual spatial, etc.) I'm guessing there's lots of people with Aspergers diagnosed who actually have NVLD. I mean, I'm sure he's right SOMETIMES, but other times there's legitimate neurological issues going on, that no matter what, no matter how much you learn, how much social practice and contact you get, still affect you.

Whatever, let him have his fun with his ignorant opinions based on his psychology religion.



weird
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 2 Jan 2012
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Posts: 33

06 Feb 2012, 8:54 pm

Quote:
He also has many self-help books to his name


And... The guy lost all the credit.



IdahoRose
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 19,801
Location: The Gem State

06 Feb 2012, 9:08 pm

My parents are proof that the whole "refrigerator mother" theory is a load of crap. I grew up with the most loving parents anyone could ever wish for. I have always been very attached to my mom; she has never made me feel unloved.