--- On Wed, 9/17/08, Lydia Shelley <mizlydia@...> wrote:

From: Lydia Shelley <mizlydia@...>
Subject: Re: [for-and-by-autistics] Most Common Features of Autism
To: for-and-by-autistics@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 8:12 AM







This is too narrow in its definition. My friend's daughter who is clearly
Autistic LOVES to be held (if you'll bounce or spin!) and makes eye contact as
if she's trying to send you her thoughts since she's nonverbal. She will take
your hand and bring you to the refrigerator, placing your hand on the handle, if
she is hungry.

-------

Hi Lydia:
My objection to the description deals with the supposed inability of autistics
to feel pain. Amanda Baggs would chew chunks of flesh out of her arm in spite
of the fact that, according to her, the pain was "excrutiating." Bettelheim
reported the case of a little girl who started lying down on the floor and
drawing one knee up to her chest. Although this is a typical symptom of
abdominal stress, the girl's face betrayed no feelings at all, and she remained
totally quiet. Even so, Bettelheim suspected something was seriously wrong, so
he brought in the institute doctors to give her a physical exam. It's good he
did. She was suffering from acute appendicitis. The pain must have been
overwhelming. And the fact that she drew her knee up indicates she was fully
experiencing the terrible pain. It's just that she saw no reason to convey this
experience to others. To an autistic child, other people are the equivalent of
space aliens.

Yours,
Larry