Anti-Aspergers rubbish in BMJ

[jmb1964]

I don't know if anyone else saw this, just read it in BMJ from 3 weeks ago. Reduced to angry tears - how dare he? - and have emailed him. I find that there has also been an apology, but I am so disappointed that a consultant I had previously respected should think it's OK to write like this
soundings
apology
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He has ruined my day

I hadn't seen it, but I have just read it, and the rapid response column. I can completely see why you are upset and angry. I do think the responses are marvellous though, and he has probably unwittingly done more for understanding of Asperger's than any number of one-off serious papers. Small comfort though, I realise. I do think that the editorial staff should stand up and be counted though- what were they thinking?

OMG!

I was relieved to see the number of responses telling this man what an @rse he'd been. I also found it quite alarming that the BMJ would print something like this when it was written by someone who acknowledges that he doesn't really know that much about the subject.

Do I have to log on to read it, or am I just being dim?

I cant access it either....says I need to subscribe to read the article????

Sorry if you want to read the whole thing go in as BMA member login bennijm password sapphire. But it just says isn't it a good thing that fewer 'Dr Aspergers' are entering the medical workforce these days, and isn't that 'a blessing' because they are unable to communicate. Have calmed down a bit now, but still cross, and disappointed in both the author and the journal.

jmb, bit of a that the BMJ would publish that. The apology was pretty grovelling though.

oops, that sounded a bit disdainful . 'geeks' are such an easy target for bullies - it's a pretty cruel piece and lashes out at people who a) probably don't really exist except as a stereotype and b) couldn't do much about it even if they did.

IMHO the bigger scourge of the medical profession is the arrogant wanker with the smooth bedside manner - as someone said on the rapid responses bit that you linked, being NT doesn't equal being empathetic - it just means you know the right noises to make (if you choose to).

It was crass, stupid and hateful. The doctors he is talking about - the ones who don't have great communication skills - aren't people with Aspergers. They are NT docs who are rude, or lazy, or uncaring, or just not great with people. And the response that said, I'd rather have a doctor who cared about getting things right than one with a fab bedside manner like Shipman, was spot on.

I'd bet good money that any doctor who actually does have Aspergers works bloody hard at communication skills.

AChristmasCarolinaMoon, I totally agree! The Obstretician who delivered ds3 is known to have no bedside manner at all! But all the midwives in the hospital go to him when they are pg. (In Ireland childbirth is very much consultant-led, rather than midwife-led) He delivered ds3 safely by emergency CS in very difficult circumstances. I'd prefer that to Dr Happy-go-lucky who's more interested in playing golf with his buddies. That article was completely unacceptable and should never have been published.

just caught up with this thread. why on earth should the BMJ have published anything so stupid?

amazed that bmj saw fit to publish such lazy, innaccurate and downright meanspirited journalism. Not exactly a wonderful display of NT empathy by the author, was it?

I would bet large amounts of money that the Paed who dx'ed ds1 was on the spectrum herself. She is highly respected by all the pros who work with her. Her colleague (who assessed ds2) is about as NT as you can get and the usual comment I hear about him is "He's a really nice person but he's just not particularly useful." The first Paed tells it like it is but without being unfeeling IYSWIM. Her colleague tends to take the "We'll give it 6 months and see what happens" approach. I know which approach I prefer!