A STUPID definition of autism

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The following "definition" was published in the SAÚDE magazine, a well-known Brazilian medical publication (ed. 197, feb 2000).

"What is autism?

It's a psychiatric disorder. The autistic child loses contact with the exterior world. The autistic is born with normal physical functioning, but doesn't develop bonds of affection with people. By 3 months, doesn't smile at the mother when she looks at him, a normal reaction in that age. Around 8 months, a baby pisses off if he is picked up by a stranger. The autistic doesn't react, as if all people were equal. Without bonds of affection, he doesn't mimic other people's sounds, therefore he doesn't learn to speak. Nor does he learn to read or write. Generally, there is a low development of the senses. As he ignores what is around him, the autistic may go walk and bang against a wall. Also, he doesn't get frightened by horns. He lives locked up in himself. For Dr. xxxxxxxxx, a ex-autistic doesn't exist. But that's controversial, and some doctors believe in a cure for those individuals."

The "definition" is completed with a shot from RainMan.

It's a load of rubbish,they could have at least copied the AD criteria and made it look like they knew what they were on about a bit.

That's a very stupid definition. I hate people who write stuff, like that.

What is wrong with the definition? It looks acurrate to me! (OK that was a joke )

To start with I wondered if it was just a case of mistranslation, but by the end it is ovbiously not, and is just a case of ignorance. It may be representative of one person with autism that the doctor saw as no doubt these symtoms are possible(and so could you argue that the definition is correct w.r.t. this person?!?)

Of course autism doesn't work like that, and cases like this stigmatise it further, especially in countries where I presume they are not at the forefront of medical research/progresses. Articles like that help nobody, especially those in Brazil with an ASD, but as yet are oblivious to why they are so different.

That must be the most stupid definition of autism I've ever read. It's a shame that there are people who actually believe this stuff.

This thing almost made me laugh. "Also, he doesn't get frightened by horns." Oh noes! Haha.

It reminds me of how European colonizers used to characterize Africans, it's awful and stereotypical.

This sounds like an extremely specific case of severe autism. The article fails to explain that autism contains a huge spectrum of functioning levels from the case cited in the article, to cases like me where no one notices I am not Nerotypical until I am 16.

Unfortunately this is the sort of description that Autism Speaks and other such organizations use when spewing their propaganda.

wow.

thats just sad.-_-

In Brazil, there is a number of "non-lucrative" organizations (AMA, APAE, etc) which keep spreading these very same stereotyped concepts about autism. Very low-functioning autism is quite rare, about 5% of autistics, but almost all people who have ever heard of autism think that autistic people don't even speak right. These organizations would do a big deal more valuable job if they paid attention to the medium and high-functioning autistics, too. While they don't do that, I don't give them a cent.

They did a good job of describing what autism is NOT! Too bad they claim to teach what it is.