Dr Phil show about Asperger's, 17th Jan 2006

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Hopefully someone will put a torrent up....

I was about to ask for a torrent too, didn't know if we're allowed to post links or not.

I was wondering that to,and also whether sky 1 will get it in the near future.

Yes, anyone can order a transcript or tape of the show. Just go to www.drphil.com.

I just checked and it's $7 for the transcript and the tape is $29.95 (I assume that's a videotape not an audiotape). And he still has the headline "Extreme Disorders" on his homepage. Grrrr.

I too am curious about these "brain based therapies" and drugs that were mentioned. It sounded like typical "fix the problem in 2 minutes" bs that these types of shows live on. Autism is not a curable disease, it's a permanent neurological difference. The kid is raging because he's in pain and the parents seem to feel compelled to egg him on. The best course of action would be to retrain all 3 of them in how to relate to each other and to help the kid deal with the stressors that cause the meltdowns in the first place. At the very least, tell the mother than when he says he needs to be left alone in order to calm down, she needs to do it!

I thought it was nice that Dr Phill mentioned that violence is rare among Autistic people but it was more than overshadowed by the fact that they spent nearly the whole show talking about how violent the two examples he picked were.

Dr. Phil is an entertainer first than a Dr. I really don't give him too much credit. He'll be having a second part to this to show Alex's Brain Scan and the follow-up therapy he goes through. I still think that Alex has other problems....maybe mood disorder...or bipolar...or the wrong meds. The only good that came out of this i think is that Dr. Phil audience is probably posting here and finding out real information that will be helpful.

So thank you WP.

It was pointed out by Alex's mother in the discussion topic on the form on Dr. Phil's website that Alex was diagnose with a mood disorder. This issue was not mentionned during the run of the show.

yea i was looking for one, but i think i might have to wait for the next showing here on the 24th @ 10pm, from the comments on here though, it looks like it might not be so great anyway.

I am not a "Dr. Phil" fan and I don't watch his show, but he said one thing to Alex's parents that may show a little insight:

From Alex's mother's posts on the discussion board, the show is offering them some sort of help for Alex and them, which is part of their reason for appearing on his show. So even though it appears "Dr. Phil" uses only 2 minute fixes, maybe Alex and his family will really be helped by the therapy.

I stated something like this on my email to the show. His extreme behaviors (note I said behaviors) Can be effectively brought under control with a behavioral therapy program for the child and adults. I firmly believe, that with parent training (specialized for parents of children with ASD) that this would stop. Both of my sons have had pretty extreme behaviors, my youngest was just discharged from an intensive inpatient program, then folloewd up for the last 6 months, now we are in the home based portion. The way I was reacting to the behaviors was making them worse. Not necessarily do I mean that I was just yelling, but giving attention is a reaction.

Children on the spectrum, especially us with AS tend to learn very quickly. Son #2 will learn a behavior after two times doing it. If they have had problems this long, why haven't they sought the proper treatment for this? Things like taking the checkbook, well that is just aberrant behavior, not AS. Sounds like he has some type of conduct disorder, and certainly disruptive behavior disorder (something my two are dx'd with)
She also mentioned on the sites posts, that Alex was diagnosed with "mood swing disorder" Face it the kid has bi-polar, since the DSM doesn't have a MSD in it.
Personally, she needs as much help as poor Alex. A good functional behavior analysis, would be able to tell why he is doing what he is doing and allow him to get the help he needs. Not necessarily pharmacologically.

Well said. I agree with you.

Dr. Phil is an ignorant blowhard.

That said, I didn't see the segment myself -- though my mom, a religious watcher of Dr Phil, woke me up when it was on (and I promptly went back to sleep without seeing it). What's said here doesn't surprise me, but it sounds like it at least wasn't as bad as the Geraldo stuff.

My sister saw it too, and she was complaining to me about how "alex" got all the publicity for the site. She described it to me, and she thought, for some reason, that the Alex on the show was, you know, the Alex I started WP with

I am right with you on those points. Even my wife was bothered by it. I cringed everytime he said it was a disease.

I also never heard about brain images or brain therapy...and am worried that it might involve shock therapy.

I was glad that for most of the AS part, Dr. Phil did what he seems to do best - relationship therapy. He seemed much more concerned with getting mom and dad together again in the sack (IMHO) then with getting the son real help. I saw a computer in that family's home during the video. In 9 years that mother has never heard her child's problem is neurological? Because she sure looked surprised when Dr. Phil "sprung" that one on her.

While I know obviously the parents' yelling habit doesn't cause this problem is surely isn't the cure for anything. My own DS can't handle any kind of hollering in the house, as a general rule my understanding is negativity and criticism isn't handled well unless it's handled properly.

We've lost friends, in part due to our son's occassionally "odd" behavior, in part due to thinking that telling people hey, it isn't his fault, he has AS would make it better and it didn't. I hate to think we'll be down to maybe one couple after that show!!

I think calling it "Extreme" was an extreme disservice. I am a diabetic. I know people who are far worse off medically then I am from their diabetes. I wouldn't want to be considered in the same group, as they wouldn't want to be mistaken for someone as healthy as me. I never liked his shows, and only taped this one because I heard he was doing it on AS. It was like a wreck on the freeway. I just had to slow down and look, and I do regret it.

Why did he refer aspergers to a disease?