bid

Oh wow! Never found anyone else who did/does this...I guess it's quite a clever coping strategy for a child when you think about it, just not so useful as you get older! Do you still find yourself thinking 'X character in Y novel did so-and-so, so it's OK for me to do the same...'?? Bid

No worries! If you want to reply and include a quote, you just click on the 'reply' box at the bottom right hand of the post you want to quote. The window containing the quote will appear, and then you just click underneath the quote to start typing your own comment! HTH Bid

JAK, I'm not sure if you have quoted me because your previous comment applies to my post, saying that I think Aspergers has 'stolen my limelight'? Can I just clarify that I have a formal dx of AS myself, and an adult son with AS, ADHD and Dyspraxia. He has had significant mental health problems, including a breakdown when he was 14/15. I also work with some children and young people with the most profound form of autism, so maybe I can see both sides? As I said, I think there needs to be sensitivity on both sides. Bid

Eccentric, this is, and has always been, a forum for all ASD, and if I remember correctly, A and A has a child who has more classic autism (apologies A and A if I haven't described your child appropriately). Bid

I think there needs to be sensitivity on both sides. I've read comments by people who say they have AS (often turns out to be a home-dx) about their superiority to NT people, or obsessively focusing on themselves. I can see how insensitive that might look to parents of children with severe autism. Bid

Personally I think this discussion about fiction/fact illustrates exactly the dangers of such quizzes. I have a formal dx of AS. But I love reading fiction, and avoid factual books. However, what is relevant is the fact that I can't picture any of the characters in a book, and neither do I see the whole book like a film in my head (as friends have told me they do). I only read the words, I don't see anything in my head. I also had a problem when I was younger of using behaviour in novels as a model for my own reactions to things in real life, and I still have to guard against referring to novels to decide what I should do/how I should behave. And my adult son, who has had a formal dx since the age of 7 and went to a residesi school for AS, has an obsession with fictional films and film-making (very creative and fictional ). So, as I tried to explain earlier, these quizzes shouldn't be used in isolation, and in my opinion can give people (more often) a false positive, or indeed (less often) a false negative. Bid

I think it's very important to remember that certainly the AQ and EQ tests designed by Baron-Cohen and his team at Cambridge are not designed to be used in isolation. Used properly, they are only a small part of a detailed process that is based on an indepth clinical assessment, including parental involvement. Bid

OK, thanks for explaining, Kath and Mumble! Bid

But surely it will only be valid as a study into what mother's think about professional support...the researcher is asking specifically for mothers to complete the questionnaire, but then she explains her research by talking about being interested in the views of parents. Pedantic? Moi?? Bid

My son is an adult now, so I can't help with your research I'm afraid. Are you going to balance your findings by getting the same number of fathers to complete your questionnaire then? Bid

Umm, why just mothers?? Bid

Way back when I watched her progs, I thought at the time that a lot of her language was sometimes over-complicated for children. I also thought her behaviour charts were often too complicated too, both visually and conceptually. A rough idea of what I mean (because I can't remember verbatim) would be something like saying to a small kid 'You have been disrespectful', whereas with little ones I would always use much simpler language such as 'You have been rude/unkind'. However, that may just be that I have lived and worked with chldren with special needs for too long Bid

So pleased to hear everything is going so well <'> Bid

That's just when I'm in polite society... Usually I'd say the dog's ######!! Bid

I feel a bit queasy... Bid

Ooooh, and furthermore, this thread gives me the ideal opportunity to use my new favourite word, as in: 'My, this is all a bit of a rumpty-to!' Bid And a free casual diagnosis (RRP 10 guineas) for anyone who can correctly guess in which novel I recently discovered said word!

Actually, there's one you missed off your poll "What is BD?'... ...Super Frosty's secret body slave!! Bid

Oi!! If you look back I have never said I thought Jo Frost was the bees knees!! Even when I said I used to enjoy her progs with my girlies when they were younger, I carefully qualified that by saying that I agreed with much of what she said but... It's perfectly acceptable during a discussion to review and reflect on your own opinions. When I started to think about reality TV as a whole, I did start to feel uncomfortable with the idea of families with problems as public entertainment. I haven't been hypocritical at all, as I held my hands up to being guilty of sharing in the nation's rather unedifying interest in reality TV! Honestly, if ya only wanted peeps who really, really Jo Frost to post ya shoulda said!! Bid ;) ad nauseum, ad infinitum etc, etc, etc ...

Dunno, still the more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I feel with the idea of families with problems as public entertainment. Each to their own, I guess... Bid

Hehe BD, some people call it being reflective...thinking around an issue, refining and maybe even changing their views!! Talking of the park...it's my ball an I'm takin' it home AN my dad is bigger'n yours AN AN AN you SMELL!! Bid P.S. That will be 10 guineas for a casual diagnosis, ta muchly!! ;)

BD, I really, really hope your comment about 'general personal shottage' wasn't aimed at me too It's actually perfectly OK for people to have different opinions ya know! You think Jo Frost is the bees knees...that's absolutely fine. But other people are allowed to mull over the whole question of reality TV, or indeed say that they dislike her programmes intensely, and everything in between! Now, no liptons or it'll be the Naughty Step for you!! Bid

But if you think about it, the whole underlying premise of reality TV is to about ridicule and appealing to our voyeuristic tendencies! This isn't families with problems being helped in private. This is families with problems as public entertainment. And re-read the kinds of comments that get made about the parents in similar threads on here (I'm also thinking about the one on the autistic kids taking part in a musical) or anywhere else online, and in front rooms all over the country...there's a fair amount of ridicule and some downright nasty comments. So, to be honest, the more I think about Super Nanny, within it's place in the whole range of 'help' reality TV, like 'Embarassing Bodies', 'Teen Mums', etc, etc, there's a whole lot of ridicule, voyeurism and 'good TV' dressed up as positive help. And before you call me a 'pot', I admit that I'm just as guilty as the rest of the country of taking part in what is actually rather unedifying, judgemental voyeurism (especially 'Embarassing Bodies'!! ). Bid

Just makes me chuckle, is all Bid

But to be fair, BD, you have posted very critically, many times on here about people in the autism world who you feel have set themselves up as experts and enjoy the resultant commercial/media benefits (I think you have included Tony Attwood, but apologies if I'm wrong). The only difference between Jo Frost and any of the people you criticise is the fact that you agree with Jo! Bid

Very interesting points, Karen. I also read a recent article in which she says she doesn't have time for a relationship, so not only does she have no children, she has never had to balance maintaining a marriage/partnership at the same time. I think this aspect of parenting is often under-estimated or even forgotten. My very wise Special Needs Health Visitor once said to me that there were (at that time) 5 people in my family, who were all entitled to equal attention, care and time. I also think that aspect, of maintaining the adult relationship, is rarely addressed within families with SN children, although in actuality it is hugely important and very vulnerable. I'm interested in her use of the term 'reality TV' for her programmes. While she may well be well-intentioned, and I agree with much of what she says, it's important to remember that first and foremost she is providing entertainment, and getting very, very well-paid for it! Bid