Autism and the law

[Optimus Prime]

Any thought about this article? I don't know a whole lot about autism but from what I understand some extreme cases can freak out if you touch them or if you wear something plaid or whatever. Should that be taken into account if an assault occurs? I think so, I don't think that they should be sent to jail in those cases.

Also disturbing from the article. in 1985 Autism was diagnosed in 1 out of 2500 people. Today it's 1 in 110. What the hell would cause a leap like that??
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When a Stafford County jury this month found an autistic teenager guilty of assaulting a law enforcement officer and recommended that he spend 101 / 2 years in prison, a woman in the second row sobbed.

It wasn’t the defendant’s mother. She wouldn’t cry until she reached her car. It was Teresa Champion.

Champion had sat through the trial for days and couldn’t help drawing parallels between the defendant, Reginald “Neli” Latson, 19, and her son James, a 17-year-old with autism.

James might have said this, she thought. James might have done that. She had fresh bruises on her body that showed that James, too, had lost his temper to the point of violence.

This is what we live with,” said Champion, of Springfield. “When they go over the edge, there is no pulling back. ”

The cause of autism — a complex developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others — remains the subject of heated debate. What’s not in dispute is the soaring number of children found to have the disorder. In 1985, autism had been diagnosed in one out of 2,500 people in the United States; now the rate is one in 110...........................

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...side-of-autism-/2011/03/11/ABYhoSS_story.html

 

[BIG E]

Also disturbing from the article. in 1985 Autism was diagnosed in 1 out of 2500 people. Today it's 1 in 110. What the hell would cause a leap like that??
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...side-of-autism-/2011/03/11/ABYhoSS_story.html

That the rise in incidence is mostly or completely an artifact of increased surveillance and broadening of the definition of autism.
In the 1990′s the diagnosis of autism was changed to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – the new name reflecting the changing concept of autism to include a broader spectrum of symptoms, including much more subtle manifestations. In particular a diagnostic entity known as Aspergers syndrome, which is essentially a subtle manifestation of autism features, was classified as part of ASD. Any time you broaden a category the number of individuals that fit into that category is likely to increase.
Autism researcher Eric Fombonne found that:

Recent epidemiological surveys of autistic disorder and other PDDs have heightened awareness of and concern about the prevalence of these disorders; however, differences in survey methodology, particularly changes in case definition and case identification over time, have made comparisons between surveys difficult to perform and interpret. (Fombonne 2005)
In addition to the broadening of the diagnosis, the social and medical network supporting ASD dramatically increased. There has been increased efforts at surveillance – scouring the community for hidden cases of autism. Further, parents have become much more accepting of the diagnosis, which may partly be due to the fact that is some states the label with facilitate access to special services. And clinicians have become more knowledgeable of ASD so are better able to make the diagnosis, even in subtle cases.
Rutter, in order to test this latter hypothesis that increased diagnostic rates were due largely to changes in diagnosis and surveillance, reviewed literature that contained sufficient information to assess true historical rates of autism. He found that applying modern criteria to these historical records yields similar rates of diagnoses: 30-60 per 10,000. Taylor did a similar review and found the following:

The recorded prevalence of autism has increased considerably in recent years. This reflects greater recognition, with changes in diagnostic practice associated with more trained diagnosticians; broadening of diagnostic criteria to include a spectrum of disorder; a greater willingness by parents and educationalists to accept the label (in part because of entitlement to services); and better recording systems, among other factors. (Taylor 2006)
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95
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[Norwajun]

I believe it brings to light a pathetic trait among "normal" people. it demonstrates how children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders are demeaned and humiliated by those who do not understand. They are discriminated against because their "conditions" aren't readily apparent just by looking at them. People reason because they look "normal" they are just faking. Often they are told to "just get over it."

I have a close family member with Asperger's and I watch them struggle daily with the NT world. And I have seen firsthand the discrimination and derision endured by him.

 

[saint-58]

My youngest son is now 22 years old and was diagnosed over 15 years ago with Aspergers/mild autism. I can't describe the feelings I have when i see him hurting and know that i can't even attempt to hug him because it will send him into a rage. Simple things like the wrong touch or a simpe hug will bring out what appears to be anger, but I have learned that is how he is wired and how to deal with it. It's difficult to deal with in that I can't bring him out to enjoy some of the things that "NORMAL" people would do, because if he goes off, bystanders won't understand. We go to the movies, but it's normally the earliest feature when the theatre is nearly empty. He'll go shopping with me at times, but only when it's the early morning hours when the store isn't crowded. In appearance he looks like any other 23 year old guy. If someone rubs against him, touches him or grabs him the reaction is flailing/swinging arms and him yelling to not touch him. My wife and I have adjusted our lifestyles to learn to live with the situation, but we constantly worry about what will happen to him when we are gone.

 

[jaxmc1023]

Seems like it would have to be treated on a case by case basis.. How do you excuse one person with "extreme autism" and not excuse someone with "moderate autism"?

In court, it would be no problem to have a medical expert come in and give his/her testimony as to how severe the autism case is. Problem is, you can't have a medical expert riding around with a state trooper.

 

[Optimus Prime]

My youngest son is now 22 years old and was diagnosed over 15 years ago with Aspergers/mild autism. I can't describe the feelings I have when i see him hurting and know that i can't even attempt to hug him because it will send him into a rage. Simple things like the wrong touch or a simpe hug will bring out what appears to be anger, but I have learned that is how he is wired and how to deal with it. It's difficult to deal with in that I can't bring him out to enjoy some of the things that "NORMAL" people would do, because if he goes off, bystanders won't understand. We go to the movies, but it's normally the earliest feature when the theatre is nearly empty. He'll go shopping with me at times, but only when it's the early morning hours when the store isn't crowded. In appearance he looks like any other 23 year old guy. If someone rubs against him, touches him or grabs him the reaction is flailing/swinging arms and him yelling to not touch him. My wife and I have adjusted our lifestyles to learn to live with the situation, but we constantly worry about what will happen to him when we are gone.

If you don't mind my asking, how is your son doing?

 

[Optimus Prime]

Link to original article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/12/AR2011031205327.html