to be fed up of people using Aspergers as an excuse

[SomeGuy]

Just reading DM (yes, IABU, I know), story about some bloke who got into a facebook tiff and sued for libel:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298010/Facebook-libel-Law-student-dubbed-paedophile-wins-10-000-li bel-damages.html

'Jeremiah Barber posted an indecent image of children on Raymond Bryce's page on the social networking website along with the comment: 'Ray, you like kids and you are gay so I bet you love this picture, Ha ha'.

The image, which hundreds of users could see, showed Mr Bryce superimposed on to a collage of pornographic pictures.

It was 'tagged' with Mr Bryce's name, allowing his 800 friends on the site to see it.

His victim, who is now a law student, pursued the civil claim against his former school friend and was awarded £10,000 at the High Court yesterday for the stress and anxiety the incident caused him.'

'Mr Bryce, 24, who lives with his parents in Stone, Staffordshire, suffers from high functioning Asperger's Syndrome, but has secured a place on a full time degree course studying law at Stafford University.'

So in other words he's intelligent and successful and has lots of friends. So why should we care that he 'suffers' from Aspergers? It doesn't make the libel any worse, or make him more of a victim.

Here's another story, from Friday:

www.thisiskent.co.uk/tunbridgewells/Asperger-sufferer-admits-cash-card-theft-friend/article-2442184- detail/article.html

'Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court heard on Friday how 22-year-old Michael Funnell, of Addison Road, invited a group of friends around to his house for a party on March 6.

He took their coats to hang them up and when Steve Goodwin's back was turned, took his bank card, before withdrawing £120 from a cash point.

He had memorised his friend's PIN when with him a couple of days before.

Brian Ferris, defending, said: "I am told my client has Asperger's syndrome. He can offer no explanation as to why he steals in this way."'

You wouldn't get them saying 'I am told thay my client doesn't have a very good job, because he is not very bright.'

Another story from today:

www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/news/Spared-prison-camera-showers/article-2442265-detail/article.html

' A MINISTRY of Defence manager who set up covert cameras to watch naked men in the showers has been spared jail.

Hensman, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, was working as network manager in communications and systems at the MoD police HQ in Wethersfield when he was accused of voyeurism.

Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC told him: "You were originally prosecuted for sexual offences [voyeurism] but because of your psychiatric makeup these charges were dropped.

"In February 2006 you set up some sort of video recording equipment which recorded movements of people coming in and out of the showers, involving some images of naked males' private parts.

"You were doing it because of your psychiatric condition."

Asperger's is an autism disorder characterised by social interaction problems.

Judge Goldstaub said that people have to "accommodate" others with psychiatric disorders and be "tolerant", adding "it's not their fault".'

It seems to be a popular plea for people accused of child pornography offences:

www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/2031606.indecent_images_man_avoids_jail/

'A BARMAN who was caught with more than 900 indecent images of children has been spared jail.

Southwark Crown Court heard because Jonathan Bristow had Asperger's syndrome he could act on impulse and become obsessive about collecting things.'

I am not saying mummy's instincts are not right, but the people I have read about have seen numerous Drs, Pysch's etc etc etc and all have said their child is not ASD but they find any reason/behaviour to prove they are. They have described a child behaving appropriately for their age in my mind. It has only been 3 or 4 people but there has been some.

it's rare though

And whilst it wold possibly be easy to convince oone expert, would it be two ot three? Our area has no CDC like yours and we saw 5 or more each time.

And I know of as many cases whree parents were hinted at as having FI disorder (what used to be Munchausens) and subsequently got a DX for a child of ASD becuase many, many kids who are not so obvious at 2, 3 are so when they get a bit older (but we also lknow in parallel that early input is what makes the life outcome differences- hence the drive towards early dx)

In truth, I suspect that drive to early dx will produce a few false DX's but at what cost? Apart from risperidone ASD isn't drugs treated by teh state (although dise occurring conditions such as ADHD or sleep disorders may be)and there won't be any harm done by access to SLT, OT, etc.

I am not saying it's the right way to go- not sure myself- but there are as many arguments for risking the occasional erroneous dx in order to get an early dx as there are against.

bring on NICE; we need it.

I think you place a lot of faith in the "experts"..we saw a consultant neurologist who said DD couldn't have autism as she had "facial expressions".

And have had many varying opinions from different "experts"..so the jury is still out on DD (which I am quite happy with, so I am not one of the 3 or 4 you mention).

I would give these parents some more credit though, parental instincts are very good in these cases..I worried that my DD had ASD at 10 weeks as she did not smile much, people thought i was mad, turns out she at least has a LOT of ASD traits if not ASD.

sorry, that was to "wentmad" of course.

Fanjo
I remember seeing a consultant paediatrician with DS2 and he was having so many difficulties that I was pretty much reduced to flying visits out and then camped in his bedroom trying to keep some semblence of control.
She said I was focussing on him because he was my PFB...errr he was my second child . My other son was the well behaved charming boy seated to her right cowering from his flailing brother.
Then she said he just needed a good playgroup... and

It was less than three months later that he was described as very severe and we were advised to look into arranging full time support/care for him for when he was a bit older. He was two.

I have lived in three different areas of two different counties and have never met anyone who got a diagnosis easily. Or spuriously

Yes, we saw a community paed who said to me, when DD was 2, without any warning "I have no doubt she has autism"..I was alone and devastated...1.5 years later and the ASD specialist here cannot decide on DD so she probably shouldn't have said that..have not got much faith in experts now.

although they have said DD presents as having ASD but quite differently from the norm?!

experts, schmexperts...

( I love adding to the weight of knowledge and experience on these threads)

Fanjo. that must be difficult.
In a way DS2s diagnosis finally being so definitive and clear was devastating but it allowed us to be very clear and focussed about what he needed - even if that was then difficult to access.
Having such ambiguity must be a trail even though your DD is still so small.

It was hard, since we were basically told that she probably had a progressive neurometabolic disorder damaging her brain..and these tests took about a year to happen..then were clear..n ow it's a bit of a mystery but to be honest I am enjoying having my head in the sand a bit!!

we are getting the same support as if she had an ASD though(ie not very much, although nursery are great).

Latest is that the professor visited DD at nursery 2 MONTHS ago to assess her, told the headteacher that the next step was chromosome testing, but not us..since then we have heard NOTHING, I know I should chase it up but dreading putting DD through more invasive tests.

TBH I agree.
I got put on a whirlwind of testing for DS2 including keeping him awake all nightthen have things stuck to his head to check for minor seizures. It took us several weeks to get him over that and I remember having to lie on the platform of London Bridge station for 20 mins to calm him down.... only for consultant to say 'oh to be honest I suspected it was going to be negative but we might as well rule it out.

Then once he did get diagnosis it was
'of course he has autism. Bye then. Good luck'

Yes we have had those, and an MRI scan with lumbar puncture, all at same time as some horrible allergy tests which really upset her.

So had enough really!!

Fanjo nah I know there are rogues out there

But I do think most are OK so if you have say 5 reports of people meeting the triad (as opposed to as you say having difficulty with facial experience which doesn't meet triad) then it should be pretty valid.

It could well be that 'expert' education needs looking at though: I;ve related this on here before but will rprepeat as slightly different audience.

The bloke who used to head up the MA in ASD at uni went to deliver a seminar on ASD to a bunch of GP's. 'What's autism?' he asked. One had raised only 'EAs it starts with Aut, it must be something to do with the ear'.

Similarly, Ed psychs shouldn't be classed as diagnosing professionals but seem to think they are (with one exception I know about of someone who is genuine experrt but even then knows she has to get it signed off by a paed), and teachers tend to get a half day on SEN in whole, often skived, so frankly they are (in their pure state, some take extra classes obv) further from expert than most people one meets in the street.

Fanjo

Ask for referral to a tertiary diagnostic clinic

There may not be one in your area but in might be worth travelling- I know there's a good one in Newport for example that takes referrals and for whcih I can vouch via Uni- any complex cases should be referred to a tertiray service, or at the least investigated using a 3di profiling assessment tool (we ahd one, really cut through the crap- fabulous tool).

I empathise with the tests; thought we were there with ds3 but no EEG next week.

I know this is an old thread but I feel compelled to comment anyway. I have Asperger’s and I am perfectly aware how to behave. Using Asperger’s as an excuse for bad behaviour is not only wrong but also pretty offensive and disempowers people with Asperger’s. Also I must say that I personally don’t consider it to be a disorder. People with AS are atypical certainly - but ‘different’ doesn’t necessarily equate to ‘bad’.

You felt compelled to comment after 8 years!!