What I just watched on CNN with Amanda Baggs playing the role of a low functioning autistic was a disgrace. Low functioning autistics can't type anything. They can barely pay attention to anything, nevermind keep up a conversation by typing 120 words a minute. Cute little girls don't usually turn into fat ugly monsters either.
Did anyone else notice the little blond girl who turned into this beastly brunette? That little girl's eye contact with the camera looked normal to me. Perhaps her whole face changed when she was smitten with schizophrenia. Maybe she's not even the same girl.
How come Amanda can focus long enough to type without stopping to twiddle her fingers? One who deals with autism every day knows that expecting a low functioning person to pay attention to any task for long is expecting a lot. This overacting is a dead giveaway that Baggs functions much too well to be considered autistic. Why didn't she space out in the middle of answering a question and go finger twiddling for awhile? Bullshit, this imposter can focus long enough to make her point for CNN without having any autistic "moments".
She wears a buttoned up coat to go outside in Vermont. That makes sense. Too bad autistic kids don't happen to do that. They'll run outside naked and not be bothered by the cold one bit. With Amanda's layers of blubber, I'm sure the cold wouldn't faze her at all if she really was autistic.
I'm also trying to figure out this loss of speech and eye contact. My son makes great eye contact, doesn't bother him at all anymore but he still can't talk. Should I expect that if he learns to talk, the eye contact will disappear? What if he learns to type? Will that mean he won't be able to make eye contact while he's typing? What if Amanda learns to make eye contact? Will she then be unable to type? Can she type while she's singing or would that be too much sensory overload?
Sorry Amanda and the other jerks at Neuronitwitland. You're trying to pawn off autism as something that can be fixed with a couple of grand for a talking typewriter along with a personal servant. It doesn't work that way for truly low functioning autistics. If they could learn how to talk, they wouldn't forget. Such bullshit.
Addendum: I just watched this again and picked up a couple more questions. Could that facial hair be attributed to too much testosterone? Does that explain her attraction to women? Did the extra testosterone interacting with mercury cause her autism? Did that make the schizophrenia go away or does she still have that too?
She makes comments that she thought were humorous but she never cracks a smile. Did someone tell her that autistics don't smile? Did she get that from Rainman, I don't think he smiled much. My low functioning kid smiles all the time. When something's funny, he laughs. I think whoever prepped Amanda for this role has a poor idea of what low functioning autism is. Even the best comics can't help but grin when they come out with a good joke. Amanda remaining stone-faced looks like overacting to me. Yes Amanda, real autistic people smile a lot. You should incorporate that into your next performance. It will make you more credible.
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OK, you poor excuse for a human being - we are sick and tired of your complete and utter slander of the Autistic condition. You have never sought to understand it because you hate it so much. If you understood a tenth of what Autism is, you'd realize what a fool you just made of yourself. Calling Amanda - who IS Autistic and has scoed a major victory to came as far as she has - a fraud is an act equal to accusing her of being a witch in Salem. You have now gone too far and it is about time you were silenced with your emotionally educated horse manure that has no basis in any fact.
Your opinion does not equal fact. Your opinion equals fiction.
plus she'd look much more presentable if she'd shave her chin hair. ugh
Anonymous Nitwit,
Id say the one who made a fool of herself was the actress who went on TV to lie about what autism is. Go take remedial Grammar lesons.
d,
At least she looks a bit less psychotic with some hair on her head. Frauds like to wear sunglasses indoors to hide their eyes.
Kind of strange, here she is being talked about as an autistic person that can't communicate: http://www.gettingthetruthout.org/pageb001.html
This is a website her friend Laura Tisoncik made 2 years ago. I think you might be onto something Foresam. There are a lot of scams online and this might be one of the better ones.
There seems to be 2 versions of this website? The text is different in the former link I posted. Anyway, this is another version if you keep going throught the next links: http://www.gettingthetruthout.org/page001.html
it is really sad-the vast majority of the public who saw that will think she is some kind of hero or something. like I said before-she for sure has issues. that you can see-but there is no way she is as severe as she claims to be. there is just something that does not sit well with what she "says" and how she "acts". Should she be considered similar to that girl in Autism is a World? Because I believed her. Amanda and her little YouTube videos make me laugh. Why does she keep making them? She should not CARE-autisctic people do not care enough about what other people think and that is how she comes off to me. I would love to know what someone like Dr. Grandin thinks of her-not as a person, but thinks about what she says and how she acts. She seems like she would have great insight. Of course that will never happen because she does her own thing and could care less about making a seen like Amanda.
A through history of Amanda can be obtained on google groups written by
herself under the names of Nightsong@netcom.com
Or Galiganinda Dulin
Just put them in google groups
search engine and everyone can make up their own minds about amanda with sufficent evidence
http://groups.google.com/groups/profile?enc_user=601yBhMAAAAE1VY_FX-xV92u0O0LeRIIWMj6vob75xS36mXc24h6ww&hl=en
her history is one that includes early speech and in fact she says she
talks until the year 2002 when she started not speaking.
She was considered gifted and skipped a year in school and played in the
schools orchestra first chair with the violin and she went to college at the
age of 14 at a college called Simon's Rock college.
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Simon's%20Rock%20College
There you will see her name under people who attended this college.
At the age of 14 or so she used illegal drugs ( LSD) for a few months
and subsequently was hospitalized.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.drugs/browse_frm/thread/ef458c7f16efe01c/b373b7903bedd51a?lnk=st&q=lsd&rnum=2&hl=en#b373b7903bedd51a
well THAT is interesting. people need to keep digging. are you sure that she did all of that?
"Anonymous said...
A through history of Amanda can be obtained on[...]"
This is a portion of her life Amanda Baggs consistantly has had no response for and it really does require closer examination, thank you. The more that can be found about it the better. Its been particularly intriquing that any attempts to query Amanda on these portions of her life go so unanswered, poarticularly noteworthy is when these questions to her her "ballastexistenz" site are summarily deleted by Amanda (as my latest query regarding this was deleted today and instead Amdanda made some cryptic post that is suggestive of their common collected response of accusing anyone and everyone who asks such questions or posts data of being the original autistic woman who's been sourced by Amanda).
For the record I'm not her and I'm going to go out on a limb that the anonymous above who posted data probably isn't either.
Asking questions and obtaining background data regarding someone who's put themselves out there in a public view in such a way as Amanda has -- especialy one who's been drawing such suspicions on the level Amaanda has for as long as it turns out she has -- is precisely the process of verification that CNN should have performed as a standard of 'reliable newscsting' prior to so blindly and irresponsibly slapping such a story as this together for broadcast. That they so completely failed in this is ... well I'm at a loss for words to describe its own profound implications.
She has posted on her website that a guy named Daniel Drucker is forbidden to contact her. He happened to go to college with her. I wonder what He knows, hmmm?
http://amanda.autistics.org/
This would be understandable from someone who's old enough that the only movie cameras available were the 'brownie' home movie film (8mm reel?), but..
why IS it that Amanda has only these still photos of herself as a child anyway? Didn't VCRs and VHS camcorders appear on the market during the 80's? Surely they did by the time she was 14 in 1994..?
Where IS the VHS footage of Amanda's 'autistic' childhood?
Any of it? Why no video sources other than Amanda's own YouTube/LiveVideo productions at all?
In the past Amanda suggested (as 'proof' of various suspect things asked after) that we 'ask her mother' (as well as a brother et al)
There was some indication from Amanda at one point that at very least during the course of what could be called this 'mothers forged college genius phase' of Amanda's life, Amanda and her (omnipotant reality defying document doctoring) mother did not get along well at all.
What if Mom's recollections are a bit different if she were actually asked?
What if Mom also took and still has home movies?
Could Mom's potential to provide home movies -- and the risk of a different set of memories of Amanda's childhood than we're being given -- have provided additional motivation for moving across country towards a collaborator -- and far from Mom's potential to screw it all up?
If so, is it possible and is someone bold enough to actually locate one of these offers (preferably in a public sort of forum that's not been since deleted by Amanda), locate Mom, and then take Amanda up on it?
Re: Danual Drucker, that's very interesting as well. The story Amanda has regarding him was some sort of obscure comment that he 'stalked' her in some obscure sexually provocative online manner. No mention of his collegemate status or of her knowing him or having any history with him in any offlie face-to-face was ever made at the same time as these comment.
Perhaps a quick visit to Danial's house while enroute to visit Mom would be in order.
Any takers?
I ran across Foresam's blog yesterday while I was doing research on mercy poisoning and autism. My best friend has a child with autism and everything is being done to help him develop language skills.
Anyway, I happen to bump into this and alarm bells went off:
Laura Tisoncik is Amanda's friend and Amanda does this documentary on her. Laura doesn't wear a bra and sits in a wheel chair like Amanda? I've taken care of autistic people and Laura is far from being autistic. I suspect she diagnosed herself and is making money off autism. She claims that being clumsy is a sign of autism? I guess my whole family is autistic then.
Check out the documentaries on this weird looking lady claiming to be autistic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAM95TntLTE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br1D6KeYVi4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVoWs7zyh1M
Maxima, They don't make bras for whales, do they? I can see the attraction for Amanda. They must make a lovely couple.
so...
what are we going to do with this information we're gathering?
She's just effectively simultaniously spread her bullshit far and wide -- as well as having just effectively psychologically raped a mentally handicaped woman on national tv.
Are we going to sit here being a handful of falks being aware things like this without being able to do a damnd thing about it?
Does anybody know or have any idea when enough data might be suitably collected and verifie, and then, what to do or where to go with it? Is there a lawyer looking on who might help? Something?
Write to CNN for starters. I did.
Wow, your hostility amazes me. I am not commenting specifically about your opinion of Amanda Baggs, but on your overall thoughts on autism. I'm pretty certain that assholes are the most "low functioning" human beings out there. Oh, I'm sorry, am I over generalizing? Seems to be something you do quite a bit. Never mind, I've probably already lost your attention since, to quote you, "...expecting a low functioning person to pay attention to any task for long is expecting a lot."
Amanda took too many acid trips. Check all the links in here, especially the ones on the Google Groups. I assume acid can create enough brain damage and make the person become autistic in behavior. I think that Laura Tisoncik took advantage of it and made her come across as a true autistic person. Laura Tisoncik is the founder of http://www.autistics.org/ and a few other autistic orgs. on the web.
Ange,
I looked at your blog, lady. It looks like your kids are young enough to have a good chance to recover from autism if you get your head out of your ass. Your kids were most likely poisoned by their vaccines.
All of your advocacy message is a load of crap. You are not accepting autism. You are accepting that it was OK for your idiot doctor to shoot mercury into your babies and ruin their lives.
There is no nice way to tell you this because your kids can't wait. Wake up right now, go to www.generationrescue.org and find a rescue angel near you who can help you cure your kids. Stop listening to all the alleged professionals who won't tell you the truth about autism. WAKE UP!!!!!
As stated in my blog, my youngest showed signs prevaccination and my oldest's corpus callosum did not develop in utero, as in complete agenesis. I guess you could blame it all on that tuna sandwich I ate before I knew I was pregnant...
Seriously, I research many interventions and preventions and make the best decisions I can given my children's needs and wants. My qualms with your posts have more to do with your over generalization and seemingly misplaced anger than any interventions you have chosen (or not chosen) for your children.
Thank you for your response and for taking the time to "get to know me" before responding.
Ange, I don't think anger is misplaced when aimed at a fraud who is giving the public a false impression of autism.
Have you had hair tests done for mercury? If not, you have not ruled it out.
There is a maternal instinct that came alive when my son was born. At a certain age I was advised to put him on medication for hyperactive children. I refused to because I knew his energy was part of his personality. I found another doctor that told me he was a healthy energetic 5 year old.
If I ever suspected that my child was autistic because of mercury poisoning I would have gotten him tested right away. Governments have been wrong so many times in the past. Sometimes we have to use our instincts and do what we feel is right instead of what the rest of society says is right.
Microwaves have always been illegal in Russia? Prosaic might cause permanent sexual disfunction but it's still on the market? Smoking was advised for women to lose weight.....
Who has the first say when it comes to our kids well being? I would like to think that the parents do.
Check out this documentary about mercury poisoning when you have the time: http://video.yahoo.com/video/profile?yid=quantumerik
Id say the one who made a fool of herself was the actress who went on TV to lie about what autism is. Go take remedial Grammar lesons.
Is that all you can say? If you think I need remedial lessons in grammar you clearly need remedial lessons in comprehension.
Or are you so stupid that you don't know how to listen? Such as to someone like Ange who provided proof that your hostility is making you more enemies than friends. And rightly!
Anonymous Nitwit, I don't write the blog to make friends.
Anon,
John has more friends then you or the rest of the neurodim can imagine...
"The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend"
Sun Tzu
John, you are a Great Friend
Okay as much as there are osme obvious ongoing personal petty issues going on between some here and as tempting as it is to fall into silly cheap and too-easy shots at things like Amanda Baggs general "lack of beauty", all of this serves to detract from the point of this thread
and it seems like there remains the common goal of finding and exposing a truth and righting wrongs (even if the very idea of what's been wronged varies as much as it possibly could), so can we stay on task here?
Is anyone else writing to CNN aboutt Amanda, is anyone providing them with links and data?
Since its highly unlikely that CNN is ever going to react or respond to this, as that would mean admitting their grossly negligent 'reporting' error, letting them know they screwed up and what the real deal is nice, but what else do we do?
Is there a lawyer in the house? Maybe a lawyer could tell us what we're within our rights to do, what legalities she might have violated with this and how to proceed
I suggest that everyone here who reads this blog (we know it is far more than who post), contact CNN. Clearly this woman is a fraud. They should know. How embarrassing for the ND nitwits.
Here's a post from out buddy from 1999 where she claims it is debatable whether or not she even qualifies as mentally impared
"I am glad to find this site... I have a few neurotypical features but have been told by doctors that I am not, in fact, NT. I hope that my research on PSAD (Pseudo-Simultaneous Awareness Disorder) has been of some help to understanding the sensory and social processes in this condition.
I have found that it helps, in research, to interview sufferers of PSAD about their experiences, but that their words must not be taken literally due to the linguistic manifestations inherent in this perceptual state.
Amanda nightsng@netcom.com
- Monday, July 26, 1999 at 22:29:59 (CDT)"
http://isnt.autistics.org/archived.html
I'm a lawyer - and I say CNN has nothing to worry about. You people who are calling Amanda a fraud will have reason to worry when the slander charges are laid.
Oh and Fore Sam - if you have created this blog to make enemies then I suppose it's working. But I don't recommend making enemies - unless you want an early grave.
How professional of you. A lawyer who makes anonymous threats. What a pussy.
Pussy Lawyer.....Oh John you make me laugh. I really enjoy your in your face style.
Amanda is a fraud. She is a mentally ill lesbian.A am apalled that CNN was reerring to her as a low functioning autistic. Bullshit.
They lazy fat piece of shit doesn't want to walk so she uses a motorized wheel chair. There are people who really can't walk and can't gain access to a wheel chair and that fat ass is riding around in one because she is too lazy to walk.
This is really funny, slander charges? Everything people have stated on here has been posted by Amanda before she claimed to be autistic. She admits in a Google chat room to having done acid. Copy and paste some of the links in here into a browser and see what comes up. BTW, these are posts she made in the late 90's when she claimed to be mentally insane.
I watched the CNN piece and this woman in no way seemed autistic to me. And what is with the wheelchair? Why does she need to be in one?
Did you see Estee Klar's post promoting Amanda? So gullible.
I haven't seen Estee's post. I also haven't seen any Neurodiverse nitwits defending Amanda. They're probably plotting damage control.
I cant even deal with hearing her name any more. I cannot look at her again-after seeing her sitting next to Laura just staring ahead like a statue that did me in. She had her five minutes of fame. Now she can go back to her "world" and live with the fact that she is a fake. She loves the fact that people are talking about her so we should just all stop. It is not worth it. There are bigger things out there to talk about.
I don't think her or any of the nitwits like what's being said here. I doubt Kathleen Seidel likes being shown to be associating with a fraud. That makes her look like a fraud too. And, that makes all of Neuronitwitville look like frauds.
The descrepency between what we read and what we see
What happened to all that grossly disfiguring behavior with 'horrific social skills' 'The Thing That Can Type" is subject to so much of her life? From her writings I really would have expected to see a full on headpounding handbiting rocking scremaing wailing mewoing crashing into walls grunting peeing diaperfiling and overgrown infantilist exstravagancza, one that nobody in a million years would guess had any intelligent capacity at all.
Okay so maybe she's not *always* like that (just enough to warrent 20+ hours of babysitting services, and a descriptive like this: http://www.autistics.org/library/ambweintraub.html
Not ALL the time though..
but what about under stress?
Being stressed with strangers and a camera crew in your house would be completely understandable to anyone. Woujldn't most people be kinda stressed over a thing like that?
when so stressed, so overstimmed etc like she says in her blog about the evidently two days this whole epeisode took to cover, its been like going to conferences but not quite as bad I think is what she's said of the experience,
So what about all those meltdowns outburts and freakouts, falling to the floor, hiding under furniture and rocking while her text must be read on her behalf, crashing into walls at conventions etc?
There was quite a lot of footage taken, you could tell. quite alot of footage shown. Alot of realy pretty good behavior for our trainwreck friend given not only the circumstances but the duration..
She even handed things to the interveiwer, pointed at and interacted with him pretty well and pretty spontaiously. No sign of that very worst autistic in the world, we've been reading about, that one forever behaviourally stuck at just the very worst of the terrible two's, autistic style
Her legs shook ever so slightly, exhibiting the typical nervous behavior of one keenly aware of a thing like being on tv. It would be pretty abnormal in fact for a person never interviewd on national tv before NOT to do. If you've ever actually been interviewed for anything televised or even observed anyone you've known anyone who has you can attest to this. She kept her head rigidly cocked not only away frrom the interviwer, but from the camera as well, her head turned so far that her ear was away from the interviewer, nearly even straight on at the camera in fact. Of course there was the one minor incident of fwapping herself on the side of the head and clutching what appeared to be a toy to the other side of her head, but really in all, she looked remarkably normal and intelligent, there was certainly no sudden gasping shock or astonishment to seeing her typing or her other interactions or really much else.
er no..
Actualy they're rejoicing and gloating over there and considering this a major victory and evidence of her validity.
DO you think this sounds too incredible, no no that could never happen?
Don't be suprised if not stopepd somehow, book and movie deals come up after this too.
Afterall, a wweek ago if somene had told you she's capable of conning her way onto CNN, would you have believed it? Were any of you aware pre-airing of the CNN fiasco? likely you were not so you had no oppurtunity to protest and prevent. Look for these future bigger and bolder projects to be handled and dealt in much the same way.
Not that there's any indication that CNN necessarily even looked, but bear in mind even if they had, nobody seems to look much beyond a paper slapped up, a complex web of stories with an answer for (nearly) everything, stated emphatically and convincingly if you've no reason to wonder otherwise, this is a very ingenius con-artist who's put some time effort into developing a complex and at leat 7 years worth of background, and managed to develop a papertrail of some sort as well. Now she'll be able to add "I've been on CNN" to her stash of personal victories and trophies. If she's been bold and capable enough to do this, what makes you think she'll be anything other than encouraged to go for more? Can you think of even one reason why she wouldn't?
Consider too that unfortunately people connected to autism are far more reaching that this little online community that's small enough that most of the players here know one another by name.
Amanda's reaching out to all those professionals, teachers, parents etc who are comepletely unaware of your collected existance but will see her's will turn on a tv, or one day pick up a book or go to a movie theatre and that's all they'll see. thousands and thousands of them.
If somebody doesn't come up with and do something, we can all say we sat here and watched it happen.
The one problem we can see that she has is some kind of hormonal imbalance, but not autism. Can her friend at least take her to an Endocrinologist..FAST..and get her a razor!
I suppose that is right-something should be done. I am willing to send an email or something...I looked briefly at CNNs website but was unsure of where to send one. Does anyone have some advise?
I have decided that I just feel sorry for her....I do not feel anything but sadness and disgust at the attenttion she cries out for. Even if she WAS legit-Autism needs a much better role model out there pulling for it. She brings nothing but shame. No class.
Did you guys see this on Gupta's Blog?
Thursday, February 22, 2007
A note on autism
Some of the responses to Dr. Sanjay Gupta's blog about Amanda Baggs raise questions about her diagnosis and whether she is indeed a low functioning autistic. We spoke with her health care providers and reported what they told us. Also, Amanda shared her medical records with us from various providers diagnosing her as autistic. We are not in the business of diagnosing people's medical conditions. But, as in all of our stories, we conducted our own independent investigation, spoke with expert sources and reached informed conclusions.
Posted By Tim Langmaid
So basically at this point they KNOW that Amanda is questionable to say the least. Of course, they won't offer a retraction or anything... they will just move on to the next story to butcher.
And it is probably not difficult to fool her doctors either. After all, there is no blood test or X-ray or any tangible test for autism. If she's expert at fooling people, it would be easy for her to put on her act for doctors also.
It seems as though Amanda went "Shopping" for a diagnosis.
There is not a health care provider who hasn't encountered a patient who wanted to be diagnosed with a specific condition. Maybe for the sake of insurance, a disability rating or just beacuase it's currently a trendy diagnosis.
Schizophrenia to Autism is a long leap, I wonder how many of the providers involved in determining curent diagnosis, were fully aware of her earlier diagnosis? Also how far back did Dr Gupta's fact checkers go?
My mother was a Psychiatric nurse for years. We were discussing Amanda's case the other day and she told me that most of her long term Schizophrenic patients, hated that label. She thinks most of them would do anything they could to remove that label.
It all just makes me wonder.
This is like watching a car accident. Lord help my children growing up in a world like this. I thought it was enough to worry about my children having to prove themselves as contributing members of society, never occured to me that I should be worried about them having to prove their diabilities to people in disability world as well. Wow.
Ange, If your kids are not frauds, they'll have nothing to worry about. Amanda Baggs is a fraud and her publicity has the potential to be harmful to your kids and mine. I don't understand why you can't appreciate that.
To the anonymous lawyer:
I seriously don't know how you passed the bar when you cannot even distinguish between slander and libel
Sit down, you ambulance chaser.
It's the constant analyzing of each little observable behavior that amazes me...my children fluctuate situationally, daily, hourly... comments like "really in all, she looked remarkably normal and intelligent" describes both my boys by "societal" standards.
Regardless of whether Amanda Baggs is a fraud or not (I have no more proof of her than I do of what's written here), I can appreciate that people with disabilities (autism or not) have every right to lead productive lives in the community. Last I looked, intelligence level is not used as diagnostic criteria for autism. Nor does the DSM define every stinking behavior down to how much someone's knees shake in order to be diagnosed with autism.
Fore sam, it seems that it doesn't matter who my kids are or what abilities and disabilities they have...it's how the world chooses to define them or society chooses to "peg" them...and that is what concerns me.
In any case, this debate (if you can call it that) has been interesting. I try to learn from these things rather than become defensive; sometimes I fail at the latter, but...
Ange, Amanda is the spokesmodel for Neurodiversity which exists solely to discredit every doctor and parent who helps cure children of autism. Neurodiversity does not want any children to be cured because it helps prove that they were poisoned by negligent drug companies who never tested thimerosal for safety. Neurodiversity is not something that benefits any disabled people. It claims to be that but that is the lie they use to try to make themselves credible.
This is where you have to ask yourself if any sane parent would try to discredit people who help cure autistic children.
If you have deduced the correct answer, you can keep reading here to see why it is important to discredit Amanda Baggs and all of her associates. Amanda is giving uneducated parents a false hope that their mercury poisoned kids will outgrow their autism and be able to function as well as she does. Amanda can only function as well as she does because she is not really autistic. Nobody outgrows autism.
Pooch,
can you give us a link to Gupta's blog?
I thought it was enough to worry about my children having to prove themselves as contributing members of society, never occured to me that I should be worried about them having to prove their diabilities to people in disability world as well. Wow.
Ange, I agree with you that this is troubling. However, I must say, if in fact there are discrepancies and/or lies coming from Amanda then that is fair game to look at. If she went to college at the age of 14, that's great. What happened after that to make her so "low functioning" in many ways? What caused her to lose her speech in her teen/early 20's? Did she really take LSD? Are there really other "issues" associated with her story? That is fair game to ask since she has put herself out as a public figure. She chose that path.
I don't know how long you have been following the debate and I'm not sure if you are aware of the "ND philosophy". If you haven't been following it or if you aren't aware, let's just say that they use this tactic all the time. Superanalyzing children who have done well on biomedical treatment, etc. It works both ways.
It is difficult BUT again, Amanda did put herself out there and if some of the stories are true about her than it does make you wonder...
I'm not caught up in the "amanda debate" as much as I am in the means people are using to question her "autismness." As I said above, I haven't concluded one way or another if amanda is real or not, and frankly I don't have enough energy to read everything there is to know about her and decipher what is factual and what isn't. It's more the comments about how normal looking and intelligent she appears or how certain things she does aren't autistic enough or too autistic or just not quite as autistic as one should think she should be. It's more the debate of "what is autism really and who defines it?" that I see underlying here and in other places that fascinates me. I question everything, and always have. To me what is interesting is looking at and disecting various people's and group's purposes and experiences and how those lead to their interpretations, questions, and decisions regarding autism. I agree that amanda as an individual has put herself out there to be questioned, but the overall generalization in this blog often seems to have difficulty in separating amanda from all of autism / all of neurodiversity. I have anxiety and OCD, so apparently by this blogs definition I am a "ND nitwit" or whatever term one prefers to choose. I am not about curing my children or about waving my hands up and down saying look at my kids and how great they are because of autism. I'm about raising happy kids who are great because they are who they are. I don't feel that one can separate out their disability for good or for bad..it just is. Yes I believe in acceptance of human diversity in all aspects of life, but with comments as ridiculous as amanda needing to shave her chin, it's clear that acceptance on even a basic human level seems so far away...
So anyhow, since this blog is about amanda, I will stop posting my thoughts...but I felt that the undertones of the comments and original post should be addressed.
Amanda trying to pawn herself off as a low functioning autistic gives a false impression of low functioning autism. It makes the condition look a lot less severe than it is. This is called muddying the waters and it is something that Neuronitwits are quite good at. They intentionally try to do anything they can to make the drug companies look blameless. They are the scum of the Earth.
Ange,
I wouldn't call you an ND nitwit unless you went out of your way to critcize parents who chose to treat their children biomedically (or are open to the idea that it could benefit some children). Also, if you admitted that injecting babies with mercury was a terrible and possibly very dangerous idea than I would not consider you an ND nitwit. You see, it takes a certain kind of person to be considered an ND nitwit... you have to earn your title. It is a title that most rational people would not get. Don't get confused. There are people who believe in neurodiversity (in the sense that we need to treat all people with respect, etc) and there are ND nitwits. Two different things.
"What happened after that to make her so "low functioning" in many ways?"
Must have been all of those Flu shots she keeps getting.
"As stated in my blog, my youngest showed signs prevaccination and my oldest's corpus callosum did not develop in utero, as in complete agenesis."
Ange
Do you have mercury fillings? A mercury toxic mother can mutate the fetus DNA while it is being developed. If your son showed signs pre vaccination could it be that he had mutated genetics from your mercury toxicity and adding vaccinations caused more regression at that point?
Or since most babies get a Hep B shot in the hospital that contains mercury could he have "shown signs" prevaccination b/c you were not considering that he could have become mercury toxic at 2 days old? My sons Hep B shot in the hospital when he was 2 days old contained over 30x's the EPA's "safe" amount of injectible mercury.
I have never responded to your blog, I figured your hate filled messages don't need my input...but...Holy crap...you are an absolutely awful human being...
Does your autistic son know how much you hate him??? My god, that poor boy...I hope that he has people in his life that aren't so full of rage and so petty that all they can think of to do is to belittle those with disabilities.
Get a life man...and I - as a parent - sure wish someone as obviously evil as you wasn't part of our community.
Maybe YOU need some meds. Most of us stop name-calling and gossiping around 3rd grade. Grow up.
Gee, another coward who wants to give me some grief. I'll set your feeble mind at ease.
I am not part of your community. I am part of a community that recognizes the fact that autism is mercury poisoning and should be dealt with accordingly. I also recognize the fact that an obese slug of a person with paranoid schizophrenia who masquerades as an autistic person is putting autism in a false image in the media. This false image harms all autistic children, especially the ones who have morons like you for a parent. Those of us who have recognized the cause of this epidemic would like to educate idiots like yourself so that you can help your children. Amanda Baggs is part of a cult of lunatics who want these children to spend their entire lives suffering from mercury poisoning to benefit the drug companies who poisoned them.
How many times do I have to spell this out before dumb fucks like you understand the truth?
ROFL
http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Amanda_Baggs
I seriously don't know how you passed the bar when you cannot even distinguish between slander and libel
Well aren't we the armchair critic? Are you practising by the way? I could create a slander case right now and have the owner of this blog bankrupt in nanoseconds.
And I see my last message was deleted. Way to blog-lawyer, sir. Selective deletion to make a person look bad. I rather think the enemies you are creating can do an excellent job making you look like the fool you are with just your words.
If I want a preacher, I'll go and see my local clergyman.
Encyclopedia says "no text".
Phoney Lawyer,
If I deleted your message, it was because you were insulting me from anonymity. I don't mind insults from morons like you but you have to be brave enough to put your name there. BTW, I thought a lawyer would know how to spell practice, or is that a British spelling?
For some reason blogger cuts off the link??
It's on
http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/
then add: Amanda_Baggs
at the end of the link, he he.
Oh, I'm sorry - I thought you said your son has Autism, apparantly he doesn't - he has mercury poisoning. Different treatment and lucky you, he CAN be cured.
My mistake.
From - the "dumb fuck" with a son who was born with Autism.
OK Dumb Fuck, Show me that your son was born with autism. Show me the genetic testing. You are showing off your stupidity by claiming you knew that your kid was autistic as soon as he was born. Save your sarcasm for another moron as dumb as yourself.
Dear Foreskin,
Show me proof yours wasn't. Are you saying you did genetic testing the day he was born?
I'm not pro-vaccine, so spare yourself calling people you don't know ignorant - there's crap in there that pharma companies have been "hiding" for more than 30 years, I'm not an idiot.
But yes, in fact, it was evident from the day he was born.
Name calling coward,
How do you know your kid was autistic as soon as he was born? Was it because he couldn't recite the Gettysburg address? Or, was he unable to field a pop fly?
Oh I see that you're a little sensitive to name calling are you? Yet you call me dumb fuck, and every other person names who "dares" to contradict your beliefs, eh? Pretty funny.
Worse than anything, calling any disabled person out the way you have, it's sickening.
Watch out for Karma there buddy.
My god, if you worked with your son with all the passion you have to hate, I can only imagine how much bigger a world you would open up for him.
Dumb Fuck, I'm not bothered at all by name calling. I just like to point out that you are too much of a coward to use your real name when you insult me. That says a lot about you.
I also notice you won't explain how you knew your kid was autistic when he was born. That probably means you're a liar. That explains how you fit right in with the lying Amanda Baggs.
All I can say is that despite the fact that Fore sam has a bad habit of lashing out at people with not so acceptable names; I respect him for standing up to what he feels is the truth in his son's condition.
Hating a disease that has taken your loved one away from a normal life is a normal reaction, accepting it is insane. I'm losing a family member to parkison and I hate that disease and I will never accept it or come to terms with it. I'm not going to sit back and say; "Yeah, we should just accept this condition and not question what might have caused it". Parkison's and MS are another group of nerological disorders that have been increasing in the past 20 years? There has got to be something on our food, drugs, air, etc. Just look around you and count all the young women you know that have cancer....
Foreskin,
I don't use my real name because I've seen that you like to harrass people - giving you my name serves no purpose in my life, I certainly don't need some freak who hates children like mine calling my house. Good enough?
How did I know? Because I never had the "typically developing" child, he was my third child, and I know what "typical behavior" looks like. He wasn't typical in the birthing room. I have a slew of other "reasons" but you really could care less, so why bother?
I appreciate anyone who works to remove the poisons from the medicines, but I detest the hatred you spew on those who have harder paths to walk than you.
I hope that someday, you can learn to accept all people, regardless of color, size, belief, ability. You're missing out on some great human qualities.
Dumb Fuck, You said:"I appreciate anyone who works to remove the poisons from the medicines, but I detest the hatred you spew on those who have harder paths to walk than you."
This makes no sense. I oppose a bunch of psychopaths who advise parents to let their children rot instead of helping them. They tell all sorts of despicable lies, including presenting a fat, schizophrenic wack job who lies about being autistic to obfuscate the realities of autism. This has nothing to do with hating anyone. It simply points out insanity.
And, your lame excuse for being too cowardly to give your name continues to prove that you are a sissy. You remind me of Kevin Lietch who is also a well known coward.
And what do you call yourself, who chooses to insult rather than ask questions?
Did you ask me what treatments I'M doing? Did you ask me what testing my son has been through? Did you ask if I just sit by and let my son live in a world by himself or ask what progress he's made in his 10 years of life?
No - you didn't. You have decided that any of us (namely me, and I don't know anything about you except what you've written on this blog which I've only recently discovered) that don't appreciate your hate-filled messages at people who obviously have some very real medical and neurological issues, are what? "psychopaths".
I'll spell it out for you again.
1. I appreciate those who try to get the government to get the crap out of our kids medicines.
2. I don't appreciate you slamming people that have the disorder my son does, JUST because they're different.
You should know - if you've truly done your research - that there are many flavors and many layers of Autism.
Go ahead, be miserable at what you lost, and just forget about being thrilled at the progress our kids have made - go ahead if that's the life you want. Me, I'm going to relish in the strength of my son and how far he's come, and how far he will continue to grow. He is a far better, stronger, braver man at 10 than you have proven to be. IMO.
From the sissy, psychopath, dumb fuck mother, who chooses to remain anonymous.
Anon,
If you recently discovered this blog, perhaps you missed a lot that was written earlier. A lot of it has been deleted.
I'll say it again. This is not about bashing any disabled people. It spells out the truth of the matter and puts some psychopaths calling themselves Neurodiverse in their place. These Neurodiverse are ALL phonies. Most of them are not autistic at all and their message that autism should not be cured is a load of bullshit. The ONLY reason anyone would not want to cure autism is because curing it proves the drug companies caused the epidemic. Of course, I may have to make allowances for stupid people who are dumb enough to believe anything that is said by neurodiversity.
And lady, my son made zero progress for 7 long years until we began chelation. Now, at age 10, he has become human. Before that, he was completely oblivious to everything around him. So, I don't need your crap about your kid being braver or stronger than I am. If I didn't have a little strength and valor, I never would have had the guts to go against my doctors advice and help my kid. I suggest you learn how to help your kid too instead of accepting his brain with mercury floating around it keeping him disabled. Wake up! Autism is nothing to accept, it should be obliterated.
If I deleted your message, it was because you were insulting me from anonymity.
Seems par for the course around here. And I refer to the insults. You need to be very careful because your deleting appears very inconsistent.
I don't mind insults from morons like you but you have to be brave enough to put your name there.
Given your history of attacking people who you are aware of, I think anonymity is a fair and reasonable application of the fifth amendment. Do you respect the constitution in it's entirety? Or do you only believe in the first amendment?
Anon, You have a good point about the 5th ammendment. When your guilty of being a coward, it's good to have something to hide behind.
"These Neurodiverse are ALL phonies. Most of them are not autistic at all and their message that autism should not be cured is a load of bullshit. The ONLY reason anyone would not want to cure autism is because curing it proves the drug companies caused the epidemic. Of course, I may have to make allowances for stupid people who are dumb enough to believe anything that is said by neurodiversity."
You are completely misunderstanding us! God, Foreskin! Meh, you remind me of 315 years ago, in the Salem Witch Trials, when everyone thought everything was caused by evil spirits. *sigh*
I guess some people are just naturally ignorant....
"OK Dumb Fuck, Show me that your son was born with autism. Show me the genetic testing. You are showing off your stupidity by claiming you knew that your kid was autistic as soon as he was born. Save your sarcasm for another moron as dumb as yourself."
God. If that isn't flaming, then what is?
Hey, everyone, I'm possessed by an evil spirit! I also knockedover a little wine glass that, over a course of events caused 9/11! I also have a monkey familiar who calls himself "Wofasmartica" and hides in my bathroom sink during the day, and I suckle him using a little mole on my chest I once tried to scrape off, accidentally getting a mercury-induced government tracking chip out of me! And the only reason why the news outlets have never heard of me is because they're deliberately hiding it so I can gradually takre over the world using the power of unspeakable evil and dissolve everyone's brains into nothign and then remove their spleens and somehow turn them into nuclear bombs for use on cute little bunnies!
That's what I have to say to ya.
Anon, Back in Salem, they probably would have thought autistics were possessed. Now, we know it's mercury poisoning. Isn't it great that we learned that and we don't have to let our kids rot and do nothing to help them! That should be great news to you! Why aren't you happy to learn it?
"Anon, Back in Salem, they probably would have thought autistics were possessed. Now, we know it's mercury poisoning. Isn't it great that we learned that and we don't have to let our kids rot and do nothing to help them! That should be great news to you! Why aren't you happy to learn it?"
Like mercxury poisonign and demon possession are any different concepts! Basically, the mercury-poisoning stuff the demon-possession myth repackaged to look like science.
And I'm not happy to learn it because I understand those kids. I understand their suffering at the hands of curebies and people who subject them to torture due to people tihnking they're possessed / poisoned! I can see myself in them, and Fore-Sam can't see the troubles of anyone but himself. He can't see into Sam's mind, he can't understand that Sam might be living a nightmare, too, due to Fore-Sam's messing with him and disregarding everything he does, Fore-Sam putting his faith in DAN to try and ease his suffering.
But something else happens when Sam's environment is slightly different, when Fore-Sam is likely ignoring him. Sam is quiet suddenly, and isn't making certain motions that people like Fore-Sam apparently don't make because they always sit still like little angels..... Fore-Sam looks over briefly and thinks "oh my gosh, DAN is working!!!". In realiy, all Sam's energy is drained from crappy GFCF food and from all the shit Fore-Sam subjects him to, and is now completely drained.
Oh, how good would that be if Fore-am could finally turn his son successfully into a little normal robot? Only robots are truly normal and sane.
Fore-Sam also appears more like a Nazi to me than anything else.
Anon, It sounds like you need to be chelated. When you remove the mercury that is eating your brain, you should be able to think more rationally.
You don't understand these kids at all. They've been poisoned and need medical treatment. They don't need some twerp that thinks they understand them. They need to have the poison removed.
I think that post calling you a Nazi was word perfect, Fore Sam. You need to be locked up as a matter of urgency because you are a serious threat to the good order of society. Put your abuse back in it's box - it only makes you look bad and the people you want to educate will go look elsewhere. This is not an educational blog. It's a rant space for a deranged lunatic who has completely lost touch with the real world. All because your son is different.
Spend a month off the Internet. Switch your computer off. You need it.
Anon, Insulting me doesn't do anything to absolve Amanda Baggs from lying to the world about autism.
Maybe Ms. Baggs is LFA with a moderate to high IQ, whereas those with LFA who you know are also MR?
Sawcnn, No, We've established that Baggs is a schizophrenic. She is a liar.
To many quacks, schizophrenia equals autism. Get that through your apology for a brain, Foreskin.
Nitwit, Baggs was diagnosed long after doctors stopped calling any sort of autism schizophrenia. If the lying hog really was autistic, she would have been daignosed as such as a young child.
If you ever took the time to research REAL LIFE you'd know that the majority of doctors don't know what the hell they're doing and many MANY kids have been misdiagnosed over the years.
But you just keep taking your son to the quack doctor whose new boat, a new house, and a ski trip to Colorado you've recently funded. He and his family thank you for your stupidity.
Anon, The only misdiagnosis that happened was calling mercury poisoning autism.
If you'd read much of what's in this blog, you'd know I get my chelation advice from Andy Cutler and the Autism Mercury group so no doctors are making any money from me.
wow, pretty harsh comments about the woman's looks! how does her size, facial hair, attractiveness or whether or not she is wearing a bra have anything to do with anything? it reminds me of the catty, gossipy girls in high school. not a way to tip the balance in your favor if your trying to help those who are undecided about this issue.
maxima,
i checked out the getting the truth out website. it's really not some mysterious conspiracy. it isn't 2 different websites. you actually have to read the whole thing, not just skim over a page or two. if you had read the whole thing you would have seen that it is all one website. it uses 2 sets of the same pictures, one set explaining the pictures in a way that autistics are perceived by many and the next set explaining how amanda really felt when each picture was taken. or that's what i got out of it when i read the whole thing.
At the age of 14 or so she used illegal drugs ( LSD) for a few months
and subsequently was hospitalized.
well it's not exactly unheard of for autistics, add, adhd kids to self medicate.
why IS it that Amanda has only these still photos of herself as a child anyway? Didn't VCRs and VHS camcorders appear on the market during the 80's? Surely they did by the time she was 14 in 1994..?
hmmm, well i was around before the 80's and there is no film footage of me in the 80's. no one i knew had a camcorder in the 80's except some rich people. they weren't exactly everywhere. why is that so odd???
Re: Danual Drucker, that's very interesting as well. The story Amanda has regarding him was some sort of obscure comment that he 'stalked' her in some obscure sexually provocative online manner. No mention of his collegemate status or of her knowing him or having any history with him in any offlie face-to-face was ever made at the same time as these comment.
Perhaps a quick visit to Danial's house while enroute to visit Mom would be in order.
Any takers?
hmmm, who's the stalker???
Kathy, Any young woman who weighs 400 pounds has no self respect. I doubt any low functioning autistic 14 year old would have the social connections to be able to get her hands on some LSD. Perhaps a drug user like Kevin Lietch could shed more light on the underground world of illegal drugs.
I wonder if she could talk to ask the drug dealer about it or if she had to use sign language? Do they have a PECS symbol for LSD so non-verbal kids can make their needs known to the drug dealers?
Sorry Kathy, this woman is a walking contradiction. She's nothing like the low functioning autistics she tries to portray in her acting roles for Neurodiversity. She deserves no respect.
i've only read a small portion of her blog but she states that she was verbal and she mentions experiencing regressions. i only had to read for a few minutes to get that out of her blog.
sensory issues can be the cause of over eating. in fact a large number of autistic kids have eating disorders as well. obsessive compulsive behaviour is very very common amongst autistics. how does that have anything to do with self respect?
Kathy, The only sensory disorder Amanda has is that she has no sense. Maybe she lost that to the LSD.
"The ONLY reason anyone would not want to cure autism is because curing it proves the drug companies caused the epidemic."
Sorry, John, I disagree. It's not the only reason. Here are about one hundred other reasons:
http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/autism-medication-trade-name.html
Or, perhaps just one other...
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Anon, Thanks for correcting me. You're right, we are hurting the economy by trying to cure it.
"Anon, Thanks for correcting me. You're right, we are hurting the economy by trying to cure it."
John, perhaps Amanda Baggs or any other ND activist can explain why taking medication for a life-time to mask the symptoms of autism, and for anxiety and depression, is preferable to finding cures for the symptoms.
Anon, Yes, their standard explanation is that curing it kills the autistic person. That makes as much sense as saying wearing glasses kills people with poor vision. That's why they can all be dismissed as wackos.
"wow, pretty harsh comments about the woman's looks! how does her size, facial hair, attractiveness or whether or not she is wearing a bra have anything to do with anything?"
Well it reminds me of why we do biomedical on our hormonal inbalanced mercury toxic children.
Nitwit, Baggs was diagnosed long after doctors stopped calling any sort of autism schizophrenia. If the lying hog really was autistic, she would have been daignosed as such as a young child.
Idiot - there are still quacks around today who mis-diagnose autism as schizophrenia. So what happened to Amanda is perfectly feasible. Once you get one diagnosis, getting it changed is very difficult.
I wouldn't be surprised if she had parents who were too involved in their own problems to even notice their daughter's issues - or they labelled themselves as bad parents and behaved accordingly.
How old is Amanda? If she's older than 30 the DSM-IV would have missed her. That would explain plenty.
Anon, No autistics have been misdiagnosed as schizophrenic, ever. There are no similarities. Baggs is an actress who just wants to harm autistic children. Her brain is screwed up from LSD and she should be institutionalized again.
No autistics have been misdiagnosed as schizophrenic, ever.
WRONG!!!!!
There were HEAPS of them before the DSM-IV! If you did any research you'd know that. But you don't want to know do you?
Anon, Autism could not possibly be misdiagnosed, even by a nitwit like you. I think what you mean to say is that some quirky people were misdiagnosed as nerds instead of as having Asperger's. Of course, they probably were simply nerds who jumped on the diagnosis to escape criminal convictions or to collect social security.
Anon, No autistics have been misdiagnosed as schizophrenic, ever.
Do your research - post on a few public (non-biased on either side) boards and see what you find. You are completely wrong about this.
After reading this comment from you, I know for sure not to believe anything you post here. Your reality is so far from the truth it's just plain scary.
Anon, If I find one of those boards, I'll be sure to educate the people there. Why do I have to keep explaining this to you? You must be a slow learner.
Go to any of them, just post, you'll see rather quickly.
How old is Amanda? If she's older than 30 the DSM-IV would have missed her. That would explain plenty.
Ms Baggs was born in 1980. She is twenty-six.
You can read about what she said about her early life by searching here:
http://groups.google.com/groups/profile?enc_user=601yBhMAAAAE1VY_FX-xV92u0O0LeRIIWMj6vob75xS36mXc24h6ww&hl=en
She went to college at 13 and was a psych major.
She wasn't diagnosed with anything until 1994 when she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after using LSD "pretty extensively".
At 16/17 she attended a special school with autistic children and worked with an autistic girl about her age who "didn't speak much" and "whose body language is so much more expressive than most people's". and who tried to bury her face in the pastry dough.
In 1998 she wrote about "finding out about atypical autism".
In 1999, at 18, she was officially diagnosed with PDD-NOS/atypical autism but didn't like using it because it sounded "pretentious" and she didn't think people would believe her.
By October 2000, she had been diagnosed with Autistic Disorder DSM IV.
The impression that her CNN interview and her YouTube video gives is that she has severe autism and has had it since early childhood, that she learned to read at elementary school, she would go longer and longer without speaking until her spoken language disappeared altogether so in order to communicate she learned to type.
That is not what she has written about herself - she spoke early, could read at 9 months, and is left-handed so found typing assignments much easier than writing them longhand.
Did Ms Baggs have severe autism as a child?
This is how she described herself - "I was a very well-behaved child who only had to be told once not to do something",
And this is how her elementary schoolteachers described her - "You were such a delight in the classroom." and she wrote, "I was tested 'gifted' in school".
Is she therefore qualified to describe what autism is like for children?
And should she speak out against effective treatments and therapies for children who do not have the type of "autism" she has?
I think she should remember back to when she said how grateful she was for the medication she received, and how fortunate she had been that the doctors and staff at the residential treatment centre.... had dragged her "kicking and screaming out of" her "little psychotic hole into reality again".
But, of course, she was talking about paranoid schizophrenia. I suppose she thinks it's okay to treat that...
Anon, Give me links. I'm always happy to educate people who don't know how to cure autism.
Anon, Thank you. This is great information about our lying little Amanda.
amanda's name is EVERYWHERE. half of the mom's who blogs I read think she is a hero. I just want to scream at them. seriously-someone needs to expose her. this is just wrong. these are just nice, normal moms who have kids on the spectrum....who see that damn video and think she is a messenger of GOD or something. I can't deal.
make it all go away......
and OH MY GOD she is only 26? she looks 46.
not that that matters-her looks mean nothing and that is rude to say but enough is enough.
Shame on you Amanda....if you are reading this just know that the truth will come out honey.
Anon, Give me links.
OK...
"college at 13":
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.schizophrenia/browse_thread/thread/94f1d2eca8d21a24/8464a4602d04d340?lnk=st&q=college+at+13&rnum=1&hl=en#8464a4602d04d340
"psych major":
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.lefthanders/browse_thread/thread/a4d4e2c78c79353b/00fb05f562d881d1?lnk=st&q=psych+major&rnum=1&hl=en#00fb05f562d881d1
"I used LSD pretty extensively", "wasn't diagnosed with anything until afterward" "my diagnosis now (and most accurate) is paranoid schizophrenia."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.drugs/browse_thread/thread/ef458c7f16efe01c/b373b7903bedd51a?lnk=st&q=extensively&rnum=3&hl=en#b373b7903bedd51a
"working with an autistic girl"
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.schizophrenia/browse_thread/thread/a917aa23bd456b4f/d7e6cbdd2376a1a4?lnk=st&q=&rnum=6&hl=en
"she tried to put her face in the dough "
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/9e140d98fdd26c59/6d4a6739d0e44d14?lnk=st&q=cookies&rnum=1&hl=en#6d4a6739d0e44d14
"In the autistic class at the special-ed school"
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/74c8258a7b7735b/e49682eb8ce4f15c?lnk=st&q=special+school&rnum=5&hl=en#e49682eb8ce4f15c
"I have ptsd and now find out about "atypical autism""
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/fe9c1fb726e8d732/037e6c67c49b92de?lnk=st&q=&rnum=102&hl=en#037e6c67c49b92de
"I also never had the speech delay", "I spoke and read early. " "I don't know how to get diagnosed... I'm 18."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/62222e7fc23f4813/3002d53f7e9a0a4e?lnk=st&q=spoke+early&rnum=3&hl=en#3002d53f7e9a0a4e
"my symptoms were atypical", " Not officially diagnosed until I was 18":
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/95af519c9d81cda/623de26dc584586e?lnk=st&q=officially+diagnosed+18&rnum=1&hl=en#623de26dc584586e
"When they hear you've read something on the web, they often think you're following a "fad diagnosis". At least, that's what they thought with me":
http://groups.google.com/group/bit.listserv.autism/browse_thread/thread/7d4a470ac4b25cc9/83e17c311e48c416?lnk=st&q=FAD&rnum=1&hl=en#83e17c311e48c416
"Now I have an official diagnosis of atypical autism (pdd-nos)", "pretentious"
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/b78191025a5ae657/1f2120ab700f21c9?lnk=st&q=pretentious&rnum=1&hl=en#1f2120ab700f21c9
The diagnosis of Autistic Disorder DSM IV appears on a doctor's prescription pad in 2000:
http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?page_id=289
"did most things early (including talk)":
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/11c7ae7c1e5472e9/10f88f27ae287a23?lnk=st&q=&rnum=62&hl=en#10f88f27ae287a23
"left-handed"
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.lefthanders/browse_thread/thread/c375da234350d15/acb511302d74064f?lnk=st&q=left+handed&rnum=1&hl=en#acb511302d74064f
"Writing hurt my hand"
http://groups.google.com/group/bit.listserv.autism/browse_thread/thread/a9f1a5213fbfc4d1/efb69144e366d3da?lnk=st&q=left+handed+typing&rnum=2&hl=en#efb69144e366d3da
"When I learned to type, I started liking "writing"-type assignments as long as I could type them":
http://groups.google.com/group/bit.listserv.autism/browse_thread/thread/a9f1a5213fbfc4d1/6a32210598be2741?lnk=st&q=assignments&rnum=1&hl=en#6a32210598be2741
"I was a very well-behaved child who only had to be told once not to do something":
http://groups.google.com/group/bit.listserv.autism/browse_thread/thread/8e3d32ed9ed362d8/796ca73a52ef938f?lnk=st&q=well-behaved+child&rnum=1&hl=en#796ca73a52ef938f
"You were such a delight in the classroom.":
http://groups.google.com/group/bit.listserv.autism/browse_thread/thread/1c7f3dc1fe3f0f2c/e016436143b78610?lnk=st&q=delight+in+the+classroom&rnum=1&hl=en#e016436143b78610
"I was tested 'gifted' in school".
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/5e02eef49d4da465/92532168bd52ea95?lnk=st&q=gifted+in+school&rnum=1&hl=en#92532168bd52ea95
"reading around age 9 months"
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/1f5190e74f56df49/c3ab28a5c9044523?lnk=st&q=gifted+in+school&rnum=2&hl=en#c3ab28a5c9044523
"dragged me kicking and screaming out of my little psychotic hole into reality again."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.trauma-ptsd/browse_thread/thread/d39099692ab66681/40ca8277d785801b?lnk=st&q=kicking+and+screaming+&rnum=1&hl=en#40ca8277d785801b
Anon, Thank you. This is great information about our lying little Amanda.
Not necessarily lying, John, could be deluded...
This is a most interesting post from 1998:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/2099b1524cdb8832/648eb16d2730cc7a?lnk=st&q=factitious+disorder&rnum=2&hl=en#648eb16d2730cc7a
Factitious Disorder:
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3125.htm
One more quote...
"a lefty with a high-functioning form of atypical autism." "I'm also "gifted"
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.lefthanders/browse_thread/thread/38128c7ed5179492/78b5c6bfad20b059?lnk=st&q=can+count+myself+in+as+a+lefty+with+a+++high-functioning+form+of+atypical+autism&rnum=1&hl=en#78b5c6bfad20b059
Anon, Autism could not possibly be misdiagnosed, even by a nitwit like you.
Are you a psychiatrist? You're wrong. I know one person who was misdiagnosed in 1986. The meds nearly destroyed him. The diagnosis was corrected in 1999 thanks to a bright spark who realized what was going on. And that person said that it was a COMMON MISTAKE!!
Amanda is 26? Well, that means it's possible she came across a real quack who ignores the DSM-IV. Or the disgnosis was before 1990 (when she was younger than 10) and confirmed later by a lazy quack.
Fictitious disorder explains why this nutcase doesn't want to be cured. She knows she's delusional, not autistic.
I wonder how long it will be before she gets sick of playing the same role for Neurodiversity. Maybe she'll be like Susan Lucci, playing the same role on that soap opera for 40 years.
Anon, The only people who could have been misdiagnosed in 1986 were adults with Asperger's who didn't feel like working and were trying to collect social security. Any 5 year old can spot a "train wreck".
What intrigues me is how Ms Baggs could have been officially diagnosed with PDD-NOS in 1999 and have "Autistic Disorder DSM-IV" by 2000.
If, as she said, atypical autism "explained everything", why would she have bothered to seek an alternative diagnosis?
And how could she have failed to meet the criteria for Autistic Disorder in 1999?
amanda's name is EVERYWHERE. half of the mom's who blogs I read think she is a hero. I just want to scream at them. seriously-someone needs to expose her. this is just wrong. these are just nice, normal moms who have kids on the spectrum....who see that damn video and think she is a messenger of GOD or something.
And that's what concerns me.
Posted by Amanda Baggs May 21 1997
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.depression.manic/browse_thread/thread/897f114baa0d905/d420ad9741240669?lnk=st&q=was+God&rnum=1&hl=en#d420ad9741240669
Maybe she lost that to the LSD.
Or cannabis...
http://www.schizophrenia.com/prevention/street.html#street
"Researchers in New Zealand found that those who used cannabis by the age of 15 were more than three times (300%) more likely to develop illnesses such as schizophrenia."
"Additionally, the younger a person smokes/uses cannabis, the higher the risk for schizophrenia, and the worse the schizophrenia is when the person does develop it."
"A recent Dutch study showed that teenagers who indulge in cannabis as few as five times in their life significantly increase their risk of psychotic symptoms"
"Victorian studies had revealed that regular use of cannabis by adolescent girls could trigger long-term depression. And for those vulnerable to a psychotic disorder, even a small amount of cannabis could pose a threat."
Posted by Amanda May 28 1999
http://groups.google.com/group/bit.listserv.autism/browse_thread/thread/64bc10b5bd42a62c/ddda40550d8b1eb7?lnk=st&q=cannabis&rnum=1&hl=en#ddda40550d8b1eb7
Does anyone know what kind of drugs Leech used? Is being a drug user a prerequisite for joining the Neurodiversity cult? It is easier for the cult leaders to control the followers if they're screwed up on drugs.
I just checked one of the links and this is what she posted in the Google group:
"There is a group of beings that created the universe, but they only watch over it; they don't "run" it. And I should know -- I am one of them, and I am in contact with several of them. We
do not demand belief."
Yeah, she's a nut; I've never heard of a delusional Autistic thinking they run the Universe.
this is the link:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.depression.manic/msg/7c38816e3b9d65f8?dmode=source&hl=en
Whoever keeps defending this nutcase has lost all my respect. Her name is signed on there and her old e-mail address. This is Google that is hosting this so I doubt someone was faking being her in 1997. Wake up people!
Thanks for posting that Maxima, I hope more people spread that link far beyond this one blog. It needs to go to the forums that amanda trolls autismweb.com and autism-pdd.net among many others. People on those boards praise her and it is very disturbing.
Maxima, people won't wake up because they are hearing exactly what they want to hear, and believing what they want to believe.
Just like they hear and believe "Vaccines are safe".
Trusting the experts doesn't require any effort on their part - so why bother to use their brains?
I've never heard of a delusional Autistic thinking they run the Universe.
Neither have I! Perhaps she no longer believes she is one of the creators of the universe, but I do think she demands belief in everything she says about autism. And ND activists have been right behind her, pushing her into her current position as autism guru.
According to Axinar's blogspot, Axinar told Amanda that she would one day be "a Great Leader of the Neuroatypicals".
(February 22 - Amanda Baggs (Ballastexistenz) Makes It To The Mainstream Media)
Temple Grandin, it seems, wasn't suitable for the position because she isn't autistic enough, and didn't quite fit the bill for doing "outreach".
This is what she says about Amanda's resolve:
http://axinar.blogspot.com/search/label/Autism
Sunday, March 04, 2007 On Autism And CNN
"NOBODY would think of Ballastexistenz as having a mild case of Asperger's or autism.
She has some serious, serious challenges, and yet she has two things going for her that make her good for doing outreach - one, of course she does write very well, but, more importantly, she has been filled with a terrible resolve to, by whatever means she is capable, to attempt to get it through the neurotypical cast rhodinium skull that they, in many cases, are doing great harm to people with autism and Asperger's and they seriously need to become aware of this as soon as humanly possible."
Educate neurotypicals "by whatever means"?! MMmmmm...
She might indeed have some serious challenges, although in 1999 she couldn't possibly have been as physically disabled as she appears to be today, for in Jan that year she was repeatedly jumping off her porch for fun and climbing trees.
" I jumped off the porch yesterday so many times. "
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/466bf71e3637b2c4/7d36fc041ae1ab47?lnk=st&q=&rnum=3&hl=en#7d36fc041ae1ab47
"I still love to climb trees"
http://groups.google.com/group/bit.listserv.autism/browse_thread/thread/d007d31dd355d1c3/771ff255df17fb37?lnk=st&q=climbed+trees&rnum=1&hl=en#771ff255df17fb37
And late the previous year she was thinking about taking driving lessons:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/d7726cc0d03fa8b2/c711dd7961789c67?lnk=st&q=driving+car&rnum=1&hl=en#c711dd7961789c67
I've never heard of anyone with severe autism who could drive.
Is Amanda faking severe autism to get her message across to the "Mundanes"? (That sounds very JK Rowlingish, doesn't it? )
Now, I'm quite certain she is.
"There is a group of beings that created the universe, but they only watch over it; they don't "run" it. And I should know -- I am one of them, and I am in contact with several of them. We
do not demand belief."
Sounds like schizophrenia to me!
There is, (wrongly) a stigma, ignorance and fear of this mental illness and I think Amanda decided being "autistic" would be a better option than being labelled/known as "schizophrenic".
It's pretty telling that the onset of schizophrenia is generally around the late teens to early twenties.
Isn't that when Amanda's difficulties started?
Anyone who does believe this woman is actually autistic, knowing her capabilities up until her teenage years, must be very naive.
Autism does not develop in this way.
I feel so sorry for you, but even more sorry for your child. (see even autistic-spectrum adults like me can feel empathy after years of practice.
When my eldest child was 5 he was low functioning. I was told to institutionalize him. I didn't. Instead I made my autistic child my own autistic purpose. At 17 he graduated on the honor roll from a regular high school curricullum. Now at age 25, he works full time, attends college for computer programming part time. He hasn't had a serious relationship yet but I think he will one day be married and offer the same wonderful and amazing autistic focus of love on his own child/children.
If you don't believe your child can be and achieve more....the poor child never will.
Its on you.
You may have accepted your responsibility for providing whatever you consider appropriate medical care for your child but you have a long way to go as far as parenting responsibility goes.
I commend you on looking for ways to improve your child's functioning via medicine....but brain health involves acceptance, training and love every bit as much.
P.S. My 22 year old daughter has an IQ of 130 and is married and attending college. My 13 year old asperger's syndrom son has every intention of matching the success of his siblings.
If I didn't believe my son could achieve anything, I wouldn't bother chelating him. The mercury kids got 25 years ago was much less than they got 10 years ago.
An interesting little 'audio/visual rendition' of Amanda's 'group of beings' statement can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88ahwuKabxU
Here's Amanda's immediate (damage control) response:
http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=333
At least this time it wasn't "my psychiatrist brainwashed and made me do it."
To her credit, she does keep it 'fresh' by periodically swapping the excuses around.
No, this time no conspiratorial mothers, no evil brainwashing shrinks;
this time it was merely the drugs, one little anti-depressant to be exact
-- one taken in 1999, a full two years after she posted this in 1997 -- that's a really amazing drug!
Amanda has a long list, advising of which things she's said that you can believe and which ones you can't.
"This was real, no that part wasn't, okay THIS was real, that part wasn't.."
Just how many of these selective instructions are people willing to take anyway?
When does not only the very existance of these instructions, but so many of them finally begin to raise its very own set of questions and doubts in people's minds?
I see the video has been removed.
"This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by a third party."
I wonder who the third party is....
The sly minx.
Oh what a tangled web she weaves!
I didn't get to see Amanda on CNN. Does anyone know if it's on you tube or anywhere else?
I don't think so, but the transcript is here:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/21/acd.01.html
Oh what a tangled web she weaves!
That's EXACTLY what I thought.
Amanda has a long list, advising of which things she's said that you can believe and which ones you can't. "This was real, no that part wasn't, okay THIS was real, that part wasn't.."
Yes. Reading through her posts on various forums, on her own blog and elsewhere, it's very difficult to know what's true and what's not. Although what she wrote before she found out about atypical autism is probably more accurate.
I wonder how she explains away earlier hallucinations, delusions and voices which definitely pre-date the anti-depressant....
"I have seen things all my life that weren't there, but I only started hearing voices regularly when I was eleven."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.schizophrenia/browse_thread/thread/c712bdb543fb0f16/bb73479c04694fc0?lnk=st&q=eleven&rnum=3&hl=en#bb73479c04694fc0
"As soon as I stopped speaking to her I started having memories from the elf-forest. And those memories guarded me against her continued (psychological) attacks on me." "Is it also coincidence that soon after I broke off contact with her I started showing signs of schizophrenia?"
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.schizophrenia/browse_thread/thread/62dab6bf34e3391/1bf028da398e92d2?lnk=st&q=Abby&rnum=4&hl=en#1bf028da398e92d2
"I would have hallucinations that I didn't know were related to any of this, like seeing spiders and/or butterflies literally covering the floor, crunching under my feet. I didn't like seeing flower petals and would go to great lengths to avoid them, thinking they were dead butterflies. " (Click on quoted text in first post):
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.trauma-ptsd/browse_thread/thread/4360e1b8d7daa26f/d494dbb6f8b6e185?lnk=st&q=&rnum=69&hl=en#d494dbb6f8b6e185
This, after Clorazil which she took at 15-16:
"Elves, while on Clozaril. I was forced not to believe in them, and not to connect with trees in the way I had before them. I was especially not
allowed to believe that I was not human (which I'm not, for what it's worth)... those medications can take a lot out of you. I had never believed in things like demons, but I don't think it's a coincidence that it was /after/ these medications when I stopped looking to the trees and the stars and the elves and started looking to the glowing red eyes in the window... "
"They said I was "depressed" at that point, but it was a direct result of taking things out of me. There was a "hallucination" they couldn't seem to get rid of (well, they couldn't get rid of the voices most of the time either but they got rid of good things) which involved a large, spiny, fractallene, black, sometimes flashing hole."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.schizophrenia/browse_thread/thread/9e999a9424875de/c33adaad3cb8a902?lnk=st&q=Wellbutrin&rnum=35&hl=en#c33adaad3cb8a902
This is what Amanda said about the anti-depressant:
"the Wellbutrin keeps me awake I think... I'm on Seroquel/Wellbutrin/Lithium now... it doesn't make me psychotic particularly..."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.schizophrenia/browse_thread/thread/456e1a991b21d0a1/39dc0c0ce356d2db?lnk=st&q=Seroquel%2C+Lithium+and+Wellbutrin&rnum=9&hl=en#39dc0c0ce356d2db
I found this exchange from December 1998, before her PDD-NOS/atypical autism diagnosis, very interesting:
"The Others are still up there, I'm still an elf (despite other people's beliefs on that one :)) and as far as I know the "place" I came from still exists, complete with intact elves (not stuck in a human body) and whatever their kind of humans are there... and trees. And I have "thought as one" with the Others, while on medication... since this medication tends to take away that which is psychotic in me, I don't think this other stuff would be possible now if it weren't real. ":
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.schizophrenia/browse_thread/thread/9e999a9424875de/c33adaad3cb8a902?lnk=st&q=Wellbutrin&rnum=35&hl=en#c33adaad3cb8a902
After reading that, it occurred to me that despite her new diagnosis, Amanda might still believe she is an elf, sent by the Others to study humans.
Then I came across this:
http://www.autistics.org/library/conversation.html
Conversation on Institutions
Amanda: Like in my case I'm supposedly out because I'm not schizophrenic, which in part is not diagnosed simply because I stay away from the sorts of people and saying the sorts of things that worry people.
Laura: Yes. Yeah. Well in a purely practical sense, I think anybody who can get any loophole to get out of that system, can and should use any loopholes they have. Because they have no right to keep anyone, so therefore anything and everything that will keep someone out of there, including if necessary lies, it's perfectly fine with me."
So what if by not talking about delusions and hallucinations, schizophrenics can have their diagnosis changed to "resolved schizophrenia", or, like Amanda, "single episode, full remission", and then, given the 'right' background, they could fit the criteria for atypical autism - and be free to call themselves autistic?
Perhaps adults who claim to be autistic or say they have autistic traits in the family are confusing mental illness and eccentricity with autism.
For instance, Amanda wrote in 1998:
"Genetically, I have a family history on both sides of schizophrenia and on one side of perceptual disorders sometimes like autism..."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/86be5a79713db563/b8503c223bc3d350?lnk=st&q=Wellbutrin&rnum=29&hl=en#b8503c223bc3d350
But today, she talks about her successful brother who was once a low-functioning autistic who smeared, and Gupta says in the CNN transcript:
"There is a belief, though, a strong belief, Kiran, that it is genetic. Even in the case of Amanda, her brother and her father had autism as well. "
I guess he got that from Amanda, but that's not what she would have told him in 1998:
"Genetically, I have a family history on both sides of schizophrenia and on one side of perceptual disorders sometimes like autism..."
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.autism/browse_thread/thread/86be5a79713db563/b8503c223bc3d350?lnk=st&q=Wellbutrin&rnum=29&hl=en#b8503c223bc3d350
I guess "autism" is currently a far more socially acceptable diagnosis - and suits the agenda.
Thanks Watson,
"I guess "autism" is currently a far more socially acceptable diagnosis - and suits the agenda."
I totally agree.
I think that everyone who has contributed to this thread with information and links etc, have proven without a doubt and exposed Amanda Baggs for what she really is - a lying manipulative schizophrenic, pretending to be autistic.
BTW anti psychotic drugs do not cause auditory or visual hallucinations, but LSD does...
You can fool some of the people, some of the time...
The games up Amanda.
Thanks for posting all of those links Watson. I wonder if the intake of LSD and the rest of the drugs made her lose her ability to speak.
She sounds like she comes from a rich family and getting diagnosed as autistic is probably more socially acceptable than schizophrenia.
I know one person that took LSD and never came back as himself. I guess he could be diagnosed as autistic; has lost all ability to speak, repeats movements, can't move if there is too much noise going on around him. Before he took the drug he was considered a genius and was very articulate.
She failed big time by going on CNN with all that information available about her on the web.
Some advice for Amanda: "put a quarter up your ass cause you just played yourself..."
-Beasty Boys
It's a real pleasure, anon, I only hope word gets out.
You know, John, my son (16) has never had delusions or hallucinations..... He doesn't have an unstable family, doesn't live in a fantasy world, doesn't hear voices, has never been on drugs, hasn't had a paranormal experience, hasn't seen demons, doesn't think he is the reincarnation of anyone, isn't a savant, doesn't have a genetic disorder, has normal genitalia, and never uses a persona.
....How about yours?
Read paragraph 18 of "Assorted things I've meant to say, from the other side of the time-barrier" on this page of Amanda's blog:
http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/
I don't know...a lot of low functioning autists have unusual areas of skill. I wouldn't be shocked if some of them turned out to be high speed typists, even the non-verbals. Besides, fingertyping could potentially act as a sort of "brain gym," building inter-hemispherical connectivity through the demand for coordination. Playing the piano is supposed to be a popular therapy for some forms of autism, and typing at a comp could have a similar effect. Some of those who are non-verbal just don't have control over their vocal motors, so try putting your kid in front of a computer. Online classes might be an option if there's no chance of him learning to speak. Besides, it might give him chances at social interaction that he'd otherwise miss out on.
I'm not sure about Amanda. Autism manifests in a variety of ways, though, so your conspiracy theory still isn't as plausible as her being a bonafide autist.
I used to believe Amanada Baggs, but I confess I am now having serious doubts about her truly being autistic. She had too much in common with a schizophrenic woman I knew. She is obviously brilliant and extremely egocentric. The truth will come out whatever it is. If she is not autistic then she is misleading people as to the truth about autism and doing genuine autistics a terrible disservice.
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