Are autism kids being misdiagnosed? Well, according to radio talk show host Michael Savage, 99% of the kids who are diagnosed with autism are in fact misdiagnosed. They’re just brats “who (haven’t) been told to cut the act out.” Why, according to Savage, are these kids being misdiagnosed? Because doctors and drug companies are being greedy.
I could understand his claim if he said that many parents allow their kids to act like brats or little terrors. That would be more legitimate. Everyday at work, when I am shopping, or when I am anywhere else in public I see uncontrolled children running amok with the occasional parent uttering a soft-spoken, “Now please stop that.” However, to claim that autism kids are just misdiagnosed brats is a long stretch. Does Savage even know what autism is? These are not uncontrolled children who run amok. Maybe if he had claimed kids with ADHD were really misdiagnosed brats it would be a tiny bit more realistic. Key word being tiny.
99% is an awfully high number. It is probable that a few kids have been misdiagnosed. Nobody is perfect, but 99%? I need some evidence to back this up. However the only “evidence” Savage offers to back up his claim is another one about how doctors and drug companies are greedy with no evidence to back up that claim either. Sure there are a few greedy doctors out there, but does that make all doctors greedy? No sir it does not.
So what is the moral of this little story? When you make a claim, make sure it is realistic and be able to back it up with evidence or else you will come off as an idiot. Or worse.
Like you, I have to wonder if Savage even knows what autism is. I have two cousins that are autistic and one that has Asperger's. I wish they had just been misdiagnosed. It would certainly be a lot easier on them if we could tell them to get over it and they miraculously learned to talk correctly, didn't hide under tables or, for 13 year old Tabs, no longer felt a need to carry a barbie doll every waking moment.
Is autism misdiagnosed? No doubt. But to say 99% of cases are misdiagnosed is just ridiculous and makes me wonder how in the world 8 million people happily listen to someone so obviously ignorant.
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~Fallon~
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I agree. Anyone who has dealt with an autistic child for any length of time should be able to tell whether the child was just looking for attention, or some other such nonsense, or not. My sister is high functioning autistic, and just graduated high school. She's smart, but she's very recluse and has trouble talking now. She reminds me more of my 12 year old sister (who has a learning disorder, as well as ADHD), than of the almost 19 year old girl that she is.
~C
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I agree with the blog. Autism is nothing that could be compared to being a brat. A child with autism wouldn't be asking for things or would be begging for attention.