Comments on: Family Matters - Part One

By: melanie

melanie — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:39:54 +0000

Most of the time, professionals who work with our child are great, occasionally though, they have started the “blame the parents” game. We were “letting” our child get away with things, not following through, etc…..especially when it comes to eating issues, it was always my fault, because I wasn’t “firm” enough, Im sorry but you can’t force food down a child’s throat.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 06:42:18 +0000

I had an experience with a dentist. My mom read in a magazine that he was good with Autistic kids. He was much more like the dentist, that Corbin Burnsen played in The Dentist! He kept drilling a cavity, and it hurt. I don’t know why he didn’t use novicane or something. So I started crying and screaming for my parents, and fighting the dentist off. He kept throwing his arm at me and a nurse did, fortunetly, thanks to my years of playing video games..I had the eye-hand cordinnation to fight him off.

So after all this truma, my mom told 1-800-Dentist to take him off the list. I really have a hard time understanding these so-called professionals when it comes to Autistic kids. This guy treated me like a right Nazi, specifically, the one from The Running Man.

Unbelivable. As long as I live I will never understand how heartless someone has to be to belittle or attack parents who have a disabled child/children. I mean, did they ever stop to think that perhaps in blaming the parents for their child not meeting certian deadlines, the parents in their exsasperation might abuse the child to get them to “act” like they met said deadline?

I’m rather glad at times that I’m Aspie, because if I wasn’t..I most likely wouldn’t be involved in Autism rights. I’m glad I’m involved with Autism rights, because what some people will do to make money off of vunerable parents disgusts me. Do these people have no heart? As I’m sitting at my desk, I’m shaking my head left and right, and throwing my hand in the air..as if to say “What in the hell?!”

By: Ian Parker

Ian Parker — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 17:39:37 +0000

Hi Do’C,

Thanks for posting this.

We’re lucky in that a) we came across an ethical practitioner right up front and b) we live in the land of government-financed medicine, where it is harder for Drs to gouge (but definitiely still possible). But the guilt trip still exists. We’ve heard the “If you don’t want to do this then why are you here?” line a couple of times (from another practitioner).

Still, there’s this place to the south of us (maybe you’ve heard of it?) that can exercise a strong pull, and it is definitely accessible - for the right fee.

By: Mike Stanton

Mike Stanton — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:29:51 +0000

This so describes the reality for many parents of autistic children. Thankyou Do’C. I am looking forward to part two.

By: Not Mercury

Not Mercury — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 19:25:33 +0000

Yep, been there, done that

By: Bartholomew Cubbins

Bartholomew Cubbins — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 06:15:34 +0000

People who feel that they’ve been duped by quacks need to step up and spread the word about snake oil salesman X, Y, and Z.

Being desperate doesn’t mean you’re stupid.

Being vulnerable doesn’t mean you’re a sap.

It’s my hope that people who spend a fortune and see marginal gains at best, or at some point decide that the alternative therapy they’ve chosen is a health risk in and of itself, will stand up and advise those parents who are entering the world of autism. A person shouldn’t be ashamed to say that they chelated for X months or years and it didn’t work. The problem seems that the most vocal of these people, and many post openly on Yahoo lists, simply side-step over to the next big thing, like cilantro-laced Lupron suppositories.

By: Do'C

Do'C — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 06:11:29 +0000

Oh boy totally anon, does not sound like that was fun at all. I’m glad it sounds like most of it is behind you.

Hi David, glad you dropped by

Hi Ms. Clark. My thoughts exactly about some DAN! dox and their brothers. I fixed the typo - thank you.

By: Ms. Clark

Ms. Clark — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 04:02:52 +0000

Wow. Weird how well that describes the behavior of some DAN! dox and their brothers…. uh, and others.

It looks like they have a typo, I think gauging is supposed to be gouging.

Excellent stuff.

By: David N. Andrews MEd (12-2006)

David N. Andrews MEd (12-2006) — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:34:07 +0000

Sadly, totallyanon’s experience is quite common, especially in relation to the law respecting the professional over the patient/client. Add to that the fact that many professional associations will even actively discourage a complainant from continuing an action against a professional registered with that organisation, and it’s a terrifying mix.

By: totallyanon

totallyanon — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:33:34 +0000

I had the very unfortunate experience of having a relationship with two physicians who broke every rule listed under the “Dual Relationship with Parents”. This is a problematic area and even those who are sophisticated can get sucked in. The problem is further compounded when one has money, access to money or connections because you think you know all the angles and won’t get sucked in …. In my case, I had to hire an attorney to protect my family from one of the physicians — so enraged was he when I pulled my support away from him. Further, the law does tend to favour the physician over the patient — at the immediate outset. In my situation the physician used that to his benefit to make false legal claims against me. In the end, he was proven wrong — but it took nearly a year. Furthermore, I have been extremely hesitant to pursue legal action against him to due how low he can go in the areas of retribution and revenge.