If Savage was talking about ADD or ADHD, I would agree with him 100%. Those are over-diagnosed.
Autism is another matter.
If a kid is acting out and really just needs a kick in the ass, they’re mostly likely going to be miss-diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Most of the time, when a child is diagnosed with autism, it’s a serious and real health problem.
Not so fast....I work in the medical community and I do not wish to disclose in what capacity because then people will be asking for alot of advice. I can say I am not a pediatrician, but the diagnosis on autism is all subjective. I wish I had the time to listen to Michael Savage’s radio show because he is 100% correct on this issue. The labeling of kids has to stop somewhere and I praise him for bringing this out in the open so we can have dialogue on this subject. Too many parents want to pin a label on the their kids to make them feel better about themselves because they failed as parents. 20 years ago it was asthma, 10 years ago it was add (and still is) and today we have autism. When will this stop? My heart goes out to all the children who are being drugged when they just need a hug (I know, extreme, but making a point). I think Mr. Savage brought up this point before, not sure. But if Einstein was a child today, he too would of been labeled with having all these bogus dianosis and probably made up new ones. And we all know the impact that would have on us today if that were to take place. Just because we notice someone acting out of the norm (and just what is the norm these days anyways) does not mean we have to label them, then drug them.
A ten fold increase in a mere few years and you think that is normal?
Savage is finished... He has 5 or 6 major advertisers pull the plug on his show... This DOLT, instead of apologizing this week, spends 3 whole days on his show, defending what he said was an attempt to show how it’s over-diagnosed... No one’s buying it... He should have apologized righr off the bat... Being that he’s hitting our side harder than Air America the past few years, sounding like an abslolute looney liberal with his visceral hate of Bush and all of his policies, including Iraq... And all of his outrageous kook conspiracy theories... Good riddance to bad rubbish
I rarely listen to Savage, but this program I heard. He did not say there was no autism. He argued there was and was very empathetic with families whose children were autistic. What he slammed was that percentage of the medical establishment ready to classify as autistic anyone (including children as young as 18 months) with what I would call an overactive or difficult personality.
Nonsense. My son's good friend was diagnosed with Asberger's and had to switch schools to one equipped to handle "autism spectrum disorders". Meds followed--of course. Turns out the diagnosis was total bullshit. With a new--patient--teacher he is thriving in class, and is the best reader. And a new doctor, who is much older, has told his relieved parents that there was nothing wrong with young Schuyler.
It is VERY "conservative" to support Savage on this, because the Nanny State is front and center in this scandal. Many of the nonsense phony diagnoses are brought on by lazy ass union teachers--the backbone of the Democrat party. In Schuyler's case, his teacher didn't like that he didn't act as well as the girls, and convinced the parents to see a doctor--a specific doctor who is turns out has quite the habit of diagnosing "autistic spectrum disorders" in town. For anyone who read Christina Hoff Summer's book "The War Against Boys" years ago, it is easy to spot how phony "autism" diagnoses are made 85% for boys, because they won't act like girls, which is the liberal state's preference.
Savage had an autism activist (from one of the autism organizations) on the show, and she was critical of his remarks. But she agreed that autism is vastly overdiagnosed, which is all that Savage was saying. (nd Media Matters and this clown from Clarmont know it.)