CAN PEOPLE READ? (Score 2, Informative)

I am a speech-language pathologist in the San Francisco Bay Area; and I primarily work with students with autism in grades K-6. While your article was informative and thorough, either people failed to read the entire article, they have reading comprehension problems, or the article failed to illustrate just how serious a diagnosis of autism can be. After reading it, I didn't believe the latter. But I wonder how so many people could post such inane comments in response to it!

Obviously these people have never met children or adults with autism. I work with many students that barely have any verbal language at all, cannot go 5 minutes without stimming (arms flapping, humming, running, fingers flicking), and still aren't toilet trained at age 8. While my students on the other extreme may seem higher functioning because they have normal cognitive abilities, they are sometimes more puzzling and sadder. Children with Asperger's aren't simply the geniuses of today. Because they have average to above average IQs, they are expected to perform like everyone else. But since they lack many of the skills many of us take for granted, they are truly at a disadvantage. One of my children, who happens to have brilliant tech-minded parents, cannot answer yes/no questions (he usually echoes the last few words of the questions), cannot take turns unless cued, cannot attend to speakers, he's obsessed with lining things up, and has an uncanny ability to recognize how many items are in a group instantly. However, this kid at age 4 cognitively functions at age 6-7. You can't tell me that these aren't deficits and that it won't impact him.

I read several posts from people who simply don't know what they're talking about. And instead of responding like they think they know it all, maybe they should do some research. But I have to admit, many people have fallen victim to unqualified professionals that are too quick to slap a label on kids. I fully support current resources out there and ones trying to come online that would put parents and other professionals in contact with people who really do know what's going on, people who accept that they do not know everything, and people who continue to seek education and answers in the area of autism.