Dr. Phil Doing show on AS & Ext Behavior

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Registered: 02-20-2001
Dr. Phil Doing show on AS & Ext Behavior
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Sat, 01-14-2006 - 8:18pm

This was emailed to me.


 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 01-14-2006 - 9:59pm

Hmmmmm, I always had heard rumor that Dr. Phil didn't believe in AS. He has never done a show on it at all.

It will at least be very very interesting to watch. I never watch Dr. Phil (I am not a fan honestly. The guy annoys the bejeepers out of me and has plain out angered me on occasion) but I will watch this one. That is totally for sure

*runs to write it on chalkboard*

Renee

ps, I can't seem to get my browswer to copy this post accurately. Could you possibly go post it in that *other* place. TIA




Edited 1/14/2006 10:00 pm ET by rbear4
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Registered: 03-28-2003
Sat, 01-14-2006 - 11:55pm

I already don't like what I see. The synopsis makes them sound like psychotics for people to be afraid of. He'll probably completely miss the mark on this like he did for ADHD. I hate for AS to be sensationalized in a negative fashion. It's already so easily misunderstood.

LR

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 01-15-2006 - 12:28am

I hope he does ok by it and it doesn't come off as psychotic, but I don't have really high hopes.

I know that reading it I felt like I could kind of relate. I know I am often the odd man out on this particular part of AS but it can be very frustrating to hear that AS is only a quirky little difference when for me I relate more to what that family is dealing with that they mention.

It is a tough spot to be in. I have family that keep saying things like "At least you know they will grow up ok" etc. Lots of the information out there makes AS look like this mild little version of autism where they are a bunch of little quirky geniuses walking around. So I get an attitude of it is no big deal. What am I complaining about. But I don't know if they will grow up ok. And then Mike's behavior is my fault for bad parenting. If only I was a better parent. Here's hoping that Dr. Phil can shed some light on that subject even for me cause lord knows that is often what I think.

Cait is more that quirky stereotypical Aspie, only she isn't one of those academic geniuses but she can hold her own. She may go to college or she may not. She can likely learn how to keep a job and she likely will be independent as long as there is someone to check up on her and make sure things like laundry, shopping and bills get done.

But I will be glad if I can keep Mike out of jail. And if we are successful with out of jail he will be very lucky to keep a job. And, I will be very lucky if he doesn't end up with severe depression and all that goes with that from teh mere frustration of his life.

And he is about the most wonderful, sweetest boy in the world, who can't handle this world.

Renee

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Registered: 04-11-2003
Sun, 01-15-2006 - 7:54am

I don't have high hopes either.

Samantha

Samantha
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Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 01-15-2006 - 1:04pm

Renee,

I know where you are coming from. I will be happy if we can keep Jake(12, AS/ADHD) out of jail. He can get very angry and become physical. Along with all his quirks he often seems angry and has been classified in the past(before dx) as a bully. I my self have and not strong enough to hold in back when he get mad and it can get hairy because he doesn't always understand. Just last week I was scared he was shop lifting from a grocery store0he went to the bathroom after looking at magazines and I thought he had put something in his pockets-he was looking a YuGiOh magazines. Come to find out that he just took a "Beach Magazine" in the bathroom to look at the pictures-of girls! OY!! Had a long talk about that one!

I am going to tape the show maybe he will do ok!

Liza

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 01-17-2006 - 1:21pm

I'll take a look at the show today too, if I can.

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Registered: 03-31-2003
Tue, 01-17-2006 - 5:15pm

Did anyone see it? I completely forgot to set my VCR! (Yes, I'm still stuck in the 20th century: no cable, no Tivo!)

Jennifer

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Registered: 01-22-2005
Tue, 01-17-2006 - 5:37pm

Yes, I caught the first half.

I didn't really care for Dr. Phil before today. Now I think he is the most obnoxious thing on Earth!

He focused on one 15 year old child's anger. You know, an NT child would have anger issues in that house! The parents SCREAMED at this young man. From the other room! What little was shown, all these people did was scream at eachother.

The entire family could benefit from some massive therapy.

He didn't talk about how kind and caring an Aspie child can be. He didn't hardly touch on how intelligent an Aspie child can be. I didn't hear one positive thing about Asperger's.

He called it a DISEASE! A disease! I don't see it as a disease. A disorder, yes, but to me a disease is terminal.

He showed a picture of a "normal" brain and an "Asperger's" brain. Yes, there were differences, but wouldn't "Neuro-Typical" have been a more PC name for it?

I guess I felt he sensationalized it and only gave one side.

*sigh*

My child is quirky, he can be difficult, but what child is perfect? NONE! Now I'm afraid that people will get the totally wrong idea of Asperger's. I'm afraid that people won't understand that there are varied degrees, as with everything.

Great, now that Dr. Phil has said that Asperger's is so "extreme" the average person is going to be afraid of people with Asperger's.

I guess I feel his protrayal was irresponsible and didn't give alternate points of view.

But who am I to judge the great Dr. Phil. I'm just an incredibly proud mom of a wonderful little boy that just happens to have Asperger's Syndrome.

Crystal

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Registered: 12-05-2005
Tue, 01-17-2006 - 6:14pm

I just finished reading the very detailed description of the show at drphil.com: http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/634/

And it does look like the show was pretty sensational. I'm glad that those with extreme cases can be heard, but Dr. Phil doesn't seem to make the distinction that this is an extreme case, not what I'd call an "extreme disorder." And I bristled at Aspergers being called a mental illness. My son my not be "normal," especially by Dr. Phil's standards, but he does not have a mental illness!

I'd love for it to be more widely known what Aspergers is, but I don't want people to automatically think they need to be scared of my son, or that I scream at him.

Megs

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 01-17-2006 - 6:42pm

Funny, I had a different take.

First, for once I didn't think I was a horrible parent. My son has those rages but I don't typically scream at him (ok there have been moments but not like that) AND I have never said to him I didn't want to be in the family or I didn't want him in the family. However, these folks have been dealing with this for another 5 years past where I am at. Who knows when the breaking point is.

But ya know for once, rages weren't blamed on the parent. Rather he talked about how the problem is neurological. That it can be similar to a child with a wheelchair not being able to walk.

I wish my inlaws would watch it. For once perhaps mike's outbursts and meltdowns wouldn't be blamed on me or his lack of wanting to control himself.

A year ago a psychiatrist told me that kids with high functioning autism and aspergers didn't have behavior problems. That Mike's problems either had to come from an additional mental illness or from parental problems. You have no idea how lonely and infuriating that is.

I know you would have liked it better to show more of the quirky AS side. Your right, Cait isn't like that boy. That is only one kind of AS'er. AS is such a wide spectrum they never get to show all of it. But this here is a side that is rarely shown. I do know of other kids with rages as well.

Personally I am tired of the typical one that shows some quirky nerdy professor that grew up with few problems and made it like the version shown on NBC's big week on autism last year.. The common thought that AS is just "mild autism" and they will grow up fine because that is not my reality. And when that is all that is presented there is little support or sympathy for kids who are significantly impaired.

Renee

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