Is it just me or does this "expert" sound like an

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-aLOiPzH84&feature=related[/youtube]

He thinks electronic entertainment is bad for kids with ASD and stuff I find rather silly.

This guy is the typical pseudo-intellectual, technophobic moron looking for easy targets to demonize.

I think he has a delay but I should practice not taking it personal because of his superiority complex.

I believe that parents should monitoring their behavior while on the computer or playing video games, and limit it as necessary.

I noticed that there are a lot of kids (talking prepubescent) with ASD who (in my opinion) shouldn't be playing video games at all since they do end up being detached from reality and when they go that far, and you end up pulling the plug or similar, a bomb would almost certainly off and then the sh*t would really hit the fan. That's why it's good to start little at a young age and gradually grant them more technological privileges as they mature.

At the same time there needs to be a balance. More people need to learn and become more familiar with today's technology so they would understand exactly what the child sees in it and exactly what they use it for. It would be up to them to decide what the child can and can not do.

When I was a child, after I was definitely already an Aspie, I asked my grandma for a PS2. She got one for me, and some games.

Following that, everyone noticed that I was suddenly progressing much faster. My social skills improved. Just miscellaneous cognitive skills started to improve. Everyone traces it back to becoming a gamer.

Now if asked, I tell people what gaming has done for me. I still play in moderation. I've noticed a lot of benefit.

I've heard of gaming being bad for people, but that's not my experience. I am aware that I have a sample size of one, and I am aware that correlation does not equal causation.

(Similarly, hours of TV watched correlating with increased risk of ADHD does not mean the former caused the latter.)

I would, however, advocate moderation in all things. I have seen that I can get a little addictive, and can be rude or forget the time. One game, The World Ends With You, was very, very bad for me. I quit playing it. I tried it again later to be sure. Yes, it is bad for me. I cannot and must not play it, and I would advise against buying or playing it, even though it might be that it was just a bad combination. I didn't like myself while I played it; I got very irritable for no reason. I prefer to assume it's because there's something inherently wrong with the game, because then I'm less likely to want to try again.

So I don't play TWEWY. Problem solved.

Also, if nothing else, if I have a friend over and don't know what to do, I can offer them the use of my games. I enjoy watching a good friend play as much as I enjoy playing, as long as they're competent and occasionally acknowledge my presence. I spent many an enjoyable evening coaching a friend of mine through The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. He helped me get unstuck in Minish Cap, too, so I guess he's better at handheld puzzle games and I'm better at console games that feature combat.

With regard to computer, well, I need it to get to Wrong Planet. It's also faster to type, and I can back up my work more easily.

I watch TV in extreme moderation-- basically, I'm a social TV-watcher. I like shows like House, Burn Notice and NCIS. I watch them with family members who also enjoy them. I watch them sporadically. I probably get less than an hour a week, unless you count the time I spend half-watching while my dad has it on during meals. Now, with that said, that's because I watch all my anime online. And that could hardly be called moderation, but then, I am doing it with the intent of immersing myself in the language to help with learning it, so the goal there is every waking moment, and I don't watch anime nearly that much. For just following the plot, the amount I watch is excessive bordering on ridiculous, but that's not the only reason I watch it.

(Though I started wanting to learn Japanese because of anime, so this is quite circular.)

He has a point, though. He definitely has a point. The stimulation you receive affects how your brain is wired. So... does that mean it's necessarily bad?

Also, I want to point out that what he says about the autistic brain is neither 100% accurate nor complete.

I think I may have gotten enough visual-spatial practice to learn how to drive because I started playing computer games like Tetris. I was still very delayed--I didn't learn until age twenty-five--but it really did help.

where did this guy buy his PHD! its this sort of narrow minded unsupported bs that parents listen too thinking they are doing the best for their kids.
you get no more stimulation from playing a computer game than you do watching your favourite team playing a sport, and of course if your watching sport none stop without moderation you'll become adversely effected.

MODERATION is the key to all!! !

I do believe that too much computer/tech/media drives me to distraction. I self limit. Technology is great when used judiciously.

I believe that is part of what he is saying after things are under control, and I suspect he would agree with you:

As has been said, moderation is key.

As regards me, during my younger years I read a lot, I didn't play many video games and watched tv a bit more than that but mostly I'd be found quietly reading or debating somethings merits with an astounded grown up.

Also, I learned some things about social skills from watching tv. I sometimes observed my peers in the same way when not interacting with them.

As regards my reading, I found my reactions to things sometimes changed in response to how the characters acted. If I read a book with tough characters, bullying effected me less. Although, it didn't change my beliefs. I suppose I emulated the characteristics I admired in the character/characters.

Basicly, I think the guy in the vid is full of BS. Broad genralisations and sweeping statments.

He talks about the two sides of the brain and says being mesmerized on the left inhibits development on the right, so parents should focus on development on the right while being cautious about potential addictions on the left ...

How is that BS?

Like you, I grew up doing a lot of reading while learning some social stuff by watching "Lassie" and other kinds of family shows ... and it has never hurt me to have never become very good at playing "Donkey Kong" or even "Missile Command".

Aside from fueling my obsession with Nintendo, video games weren't that detrimental to my well-being.

I read (very well, in fact), I have (OK) social skills, so why should I stop playing video games (and wanting a NES, even though if I buy one off of Amazon means it would be filled with glitches worse than Missingno and 'M)?

(Video games, however, didn't improve my spatial skills: I still struggle with it horribly.)

I said that because he didn't seem to me to be talking about moderation. It seemed to me that he was saying any computer games/tv were bad (if I missunderstood my bad). The guy made sweeping statments in my opinion. Autism and Aspergers existed for a very long time before computers (if Dr. Fitzgerald is correct) thus these types of games are unlightly to be a cause of these differences in neurology.

My father, Grandmother (Mothers side) and great Uncle (Mothers side) all seemed to have traits. I don't think my Granny ever even looked at a computer game. What stimulation do you think could have imbalanced the halfs of their brain given that I don't think computer games even existed my Granny and Great Uncle were young?

Also, as you said, you weren't playing computer games. Do you feel that you would have more difficulty socially if you had played video games?

We're supposed to be (generally) very logical and many of us apparently have trouble lying. Left brain is supposed to be all about creativity isn't it? If I'm wrong I'll edit my post. I'm sorry if my previous post was offensive to anyone here, that was not my intent.

When you have guys like that telling parents what to do for their autistic child, the obvious outcome is misery for everyone except the "expert".

If the "professionals" call AS a disorder, you must think the right way and call AS a disease

One other thing. I totally disagree with what he says about the way the boy on the cover of the book looks. I think he's being an idiot and either willfully misinterpreting or utterly idiotically unaware that he can't read the body language or facial expressions of people with autism.

I am very surprised more people cannot hear things objectively here! The man begins by simply saying the "Baby Einstein" toys are merely "electronic babysitters" (at best) and do not do whatever else people have thought ... and he ends by cautioning people to not use electronics as babysitters. He never says no child should ever have electronics, and he mentions "electronics-free" only as part of the program he has for children in need of right-brain development.


No. He is only saying electronics do not help children develop into functioning adults.


That is one place where this guy should have chosen his words more carefully. He is actually only saying electronics can distract everyone from the special attention needed for right-brain development.


Quite possibly, and I say that because the games I *did* play were conventional board games with other live people actually sitting around the table and playing along at the same time. So, the games I *did* play were doing some of what this guy is talking about rather than merely occupying the left side of my brain and giving me a pleasurable "jolt" or "fix", electronically.

Bottom line: This guy is not trying to take electronics away from the all of us! He is only saying electronics are useless for helping autistic people develop and grow into functional beings.