Autism in France: Psychoanalysis, Packing, Other Travesties

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That alligator lecture could go on Saturday Night Live.

I knew the situation with autism wasn't very good but I had no idea it was that bad, scary! Hopefully, there will be some change. I think France is a culture that is borderline obsessive on sticking to the status quo and following social rules and etiquette which makes it hard for french autistic people. I hope in the rest of Europe, people are less ignorant I would think so because France is one of the few developed countries that has this view.

If Alex wants to find the type of nutso Psychiatrists that were in that documentary he is going to have to go to the back woods .... I guess the woman who produced the doc will take him, yes?

The only problems we have had since moving here is how slllllooooowwwww everything is. Also you just need to learn to be pushy. I personally think its funny that people are so SHOCKED about nutty Psychs in France calling Autism Schizophrenia when doctors in the US hand out Risperadal like its candy and parents happily give it to their Autistic children....guess what Risperadal is? Its an ANTI-PSYCHOTIC....so in the US they are "saying" the right things but then giving out a medication that is completely the opposite of what they are calling Autism. What Autism is coming out of their mouth is not what it is in their heads or on their prescription pads.

Im not saying France is perfect, no place is, they have horrible early intervention, next to nothing but they say they are working on it, and many kids with Aspergers dont even get diagnosed, but then, as a few people pointed out, this can be the parents fault. They dont want ANYTHING to be wrong with their children, they only changed how they look at autism a few years ago and even in the US its a horrible thing to parents, they are afraid of it and embarrassed by it. I heard some therapist talking when I was in the US at my sons therapy session and they were talking about a little boy whos parents NEVER let him out of the house as they did not want anyone to see him. That has got to be some sort of abuse, doesnt it??? They talked about how sad it was to watch him with his face pressed against the glass and his Mother or Father grabbing him and scolding the therapist about letting him be near the window.

Autistic people are treated horribly just about everywhere but many places are changing and France is definitely changing for the better. My kids are very happy in their therapy center (SESSAD)....I hate the handicapped place, they drive me bonkers, they pretend to loose everything just to slow what you want to get done down so they dont have to do it, LAZY! My son has some learning disabilities and was getting bullied constantly last year at the public school so they moved him to the school where they help kids with LD's and things like Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, and other behavioral disorders that either have no name or the parent does not like the name. We are sending my daughter there next year to be in the Autism class....she has an aide here in the public school (try getting an aide in the US haha good luck) who is very young and has learned some things about autism but just does not really get it and has not been formally trained. We just got my daughters report card and she has a lot of problems, still she is very very smart so they want to fight us on this but we will win because I am stubborn as heck and I get what I want. My son is VERY happy btw which is a huge difference from last year. Even his teacher said she could tell that he was traumatized when he first came there and after a week he just relaxed.

Also a lot of horrible things happen in the US as some horrible things have happened here. Some kids have died from hypothermia in the idiotic wrapping sessions (why do the sheets need to be wet and cold?....Maybe Alex can find that out). There have been kids beaten and tortured on school buses, the videos are on youtube if you are interested, these are autistic non verbal kids who can not tell their parents or anyone else, these abusers know that (freeking sickos). These things have also happened recently. Also kids have been killed with weighted blankets and people laying on them and pushing their face into the floor. In BC a girl was taken from her father and first put in a mental hospital (shes autistic and verbal) then put in a foster home on so many drugs, Im sure she sits there and drools all day. There are no abuse or any other charges filed against this man. They told him they were taking her as he had another child with autism and he had too much, they were lightening his load????? what???? This is a child not a litter of kittens!

Its ugly all over so dont attack one country because its everywhere and its why we all need to work to change things. Where ever you are, instead of complaining....do something!

liloleme: Thank you for your information.

+1 Lilo.

I'm definitely too lazy today to read all these posts in English, but if hasn't been said yet, autism became the "Grande cause Nationale de 2012" and it becomes better with time

Your experience seems vastly different than mines, and I am from California too. Even when I was in school kids who were diagnosed with Aspergers were given all kinds of special treatment. I have a relative who has a condition very similar to profound autism, and he wasn't on any drugs except anti conversant to control his seizures.

The standard treatment for Autism in the US from everything I have read is behavioral therapy and not drugs. Drugs are actually not commonly given. According to a major study only 16% of people with Autism are given any kind of Anti-psychotic drugs and the majority are for children who also have BiPolar Disorder.

Yeah France is rather a strange place.

Im not sure where you live Editself but I do know that it was not nice here a few years ago but it HAS gotten so much better, and if you read what I wrote you will see that I did not paint a rosy picture. The problem is, is that you have lived in France....have you lived anywhere else?
You will find that, like in the US, people think crazy things about people in other countries and I think its the same everywhere. I can post a video of an aide on a school bus in the US beating a non verbal autistic child and another one who would sit next to this poor little girl who sat quietly in her seat and seemed to get off on pinching her and pulling her hair. Its not pretty anywhere and as I said, that is why we need to change things.
Where MY kids are is great. My son is reading and he is happy. My daughter is stressed in the public school (she is going to school with my son next year, they put her in the public school because academically she is ahead of my son but they dont understand enough about autism in the public schools to see that just because she can read words she can not put a sentence together and this is not typical)....Both of my kids adore SESSAD (therapy center) and NEVER has anyone ever made us feel like our childrens autism is our fault even though they know I have Aspergers.

My doctor even gave me a private room the last time I was in the hospital because he knew that I was more comfortable alone. I guess we are just lucky to live where we do. Im sorry you have issues but its like that in the US as well.....You can have tons of support in one state while another gives you nothing and treats you kid like crud.

You cant blame one country....black and white thinking....we have to let go of that. Yes, bad things have happened...bad things have been happening to autistic and handicapped people for years and years. Its up to us to put a stop to it, to educate people. Complaining or being shocked doesnt fix the problem!

Circular, if you havent been here or learned about people here you dont know. Im American and I would rather live here so, Im sorry but I have been treated better here than I was in my own country. Im not saying all the doctors in the US are bad either. I had wonderful therapists and doctors who took care of me and my kids and then I had bad ones. Here the only problem we have had is the public school and that is where they need to really do some work....not to mention they need to speed up the diagnostic process and get a good early intervention program in place. I have also had some problems with doctors, no place is paradise. It takes time, money and work to change things. Its happening but things move slowly....especially in France but eventually we get things done....I think people here are afraid to be pushy, Im not, maybe that is the difference. Some people are afraid to have what they think is a "damaged" child....Im not and I know you are not either...as I said, it may have something to do with where you live. I hope things get better for you editself and you son. If memory serves me right you have one son? .

If they think you can not socialize your son then why arent they helping you....ask them that? Are there social groups? Is there other kids with Autism in your area? They are trying to blame you for their lack of services. In order to teach these kids to socialize we need to get them together with educated therapists to teach them how to socialize. My sons therapist would take him to parks and out to different places and taught him to ask for things and talk to other kids. Our SESSAD wishes that they could do something like that but their budget is small. We have donated many things to them, chewies, weighted blankets. They have an awesome sensory room with a huge ball pit. It is far more that my kid would get in the US. Our kids even get to go to camp. In the US once your child turns 5 they are dumped into the public school system, even the most severe not getting aides sometimes. There is no camp or anything like that, depending on which part of the US you live in. I paid mainly out of pocket for my sons social skills group. Our SESSAD says that my kids help the other kids. We spent every penny and exhausted every bit of our insurance to help our kids and they are doing very well. It is sad for the therapist here to see my kids and think the kids here could be like that. We just have to keep battling on.

I also forgot to mention that service dogs are FREE here....covered by insurance depending on the need. We have a little Bichon mix and a Collie who just naturally take care of my kids but since I have a hard time standing and walking I need one. I am considered 80% handicapped by the French government so I am getting my doggy for free, cant wait....Ill post pics .

I think a different country that treats Autistic people properly should conquer France by any possible means! That is the solution. At least my solution anyway. I know most will think, "Violence isn't the answer" but it is always in the answer in the mind of a person who thinks violent thoughts about nearly everything. In my opinion, conquest is important and those French "psychologists" should be shown how wrong they are.