You read that right, I am sending people to read an article in Oprah Winfrey’s “O” magazine.
I’ve been waiting for the article, An Inconvenient Youth: Raising Children with Autism to appear online since reading some discussion about it on the net.
I am happily surprised that Oprah’s magazine would have such an article, given her support for a certain celebrity autism “advocate”.
That out of the way, the story is really worth the time to read it. It isn’t perfect, but, hey nothing (and that includes my pieces) is.
Here are some quotes:
Accepting the “A word” requires a learning curve. “You graduate to it,” says Erin. “Because this is about: Let’s call it what it is, let’s deal with it together.”
and,
And that leads to a bigger issue—one that really burns this group: the implication that accepting your child’s autism is not okay….The simple fact is that not all autistic kids can “recover.” “We need to reexamine what it means to be a successful adult,” says Erin. “To me, now, a successful adult is a functional adult.
and
At this point, however, society still has a long way to go in terms of tolerating people who behave in unfamiliar ways.
Lisa Jo Rudy at autism.about.com has already blogged this. I am very interested in hearing other people’s opinions.
Left Brain Right Brain 
That was a pleasant surprise to read…I certainly would not have expected to find it in O. Jenny McCarthy must be having a fit.
It’s nice to see an article that reflects my experience of a lot of the autistic parents that I’ve met over the years- the black sense of humour, recognition of the fact that most of the moms that I know in the “real world” are on some sort of medication at some point, and the frustrations and fears along with the joys.
It’s not perfect, but it certainly is a nice change from most of the articles that I read about parents.
Finally! A presentation of the autism life from Oprah’s camp based in reality! These moms basically touched on every aspect of life as an autie mom that I have experienced.
I especially appreciate the section regarding maternal guilt from those who believe all parents should implement the same protocols for their kids as they do. Most especially, I appreciate the ladies addressing the mentality of the “cure” camps that obviously believe autism is a doomsday diagnosis, thereby furthering the social stigma. I don’t think my son needs to be “fixed”. He simply needs social acceptance and awareness to have the most productive life possible.
And yes, I hope Jenny and Oprah are engaged in a hair-pulling cat fight right now.
No big surprise in this being published by Oprah and/or associates… The usual practice of the media, esp. those with a post-modern or “New Age” leanings, is to “cover both sides”. It is only natural that they would allow “neurodiversity” to be presented. Unfortunately, it is equal natural that McCarthy’s delusion and false memories get “equal time”.