http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/07/22/cho.autism.uproar.cnn

7/22/2008 11:52:48 AM

what a dick

perhaps he's getting autism mixed up with ADHD


someone needs to watch a little Rain Man

7/22/2008 11:55:15 AM

When I read the title, I thought "drama queen "

Then I saw the video, and the title's not too bad.

7/22/2008 11:58:26 AM

he's a retard, and other retards love him

7/22/2008 12:04:27 PM

Quote :

"perhaps he's getting autism mixed up with ADHD "

I could agree with him on that. But going after autism is a dick thing to do. Although Savage has proved that again and again. I have a friend who tried to get me to listen to his show. I didnt make it through one show. Horrible. He just blows himself constantly.

7/22/2008 12:05:55 PM

7/22/2008 12:06:18 PM

the video is not loading for me (at work), but based on this article:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nyauti0722,0,4585333.story

1) Michael Savage is a dick and always will be
2) "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. ... They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. ... Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "" - this is not true and very insulting

however

3) "My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as 'autistic,'" - this is true, although not to the extent that Savage is claiming. The recent "surge" in autism rates most likely is due to overdiagnosis in part, but more likely just from greater awareness and attention to the symptoms. i.e. there were probably a lot of autistic people in the past that were never diagnosed, not the other way around.

7/22/2008 12:08:15 PM

autism is never over diagnosed, as the doctor said...its under diagnosed if anything.


you're confusing it with ADHD again

[Edited on July 22, 2008 at 12:24 PM. Reason : ]

7/22/2008 12:21:21 PM

here's a pretty interesting article raising one possible explanation for the surge in autism diagnoses:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers_pr.html

it's pretty lenghty, so i won't post the whole thing, but interesting read.

7/22/2008 12:22:39 PM

^^ ok, you're right in that I do not have any evidence that autism is over-diagnosed.

I was mostly reacting to the other extreme of the hate-o-meter of Michael Savage - the celebrities and parent groups who have all jumped on the anti-vaccine bandwagon, claiming the government/FDA are basically poisoning all of us with vaccines. These people are just as bad as Savage, and actually even worse, since they're stance is to push people to avoid getting themselves or their children vaccinated. The reaction to these people should be basically that 1) the diagnosis criteria for autism was changed in the mid-90s (the bar was effectively lowered), so yes, there were some people who "became" autistic literally overnight because of changing criteria, and 2) combined with #1, with increased awareness and knowledge of autism, doctors are now (properly) diagnosing it more often where it would have been missed before - perhaps where a kid would have been diagnosed instead with a learning disability.

Here's some recent autism news from a neuroscientists blog
study showing more evidence autism is genetic - http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=336
another celebrity jumps into the ring, this time on the right side. Amanda Peet calls people who don't get their kids vaccinated parasites - http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=339
and the latest thing with Savage - http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=340

7/22/2008 1:34:28 PM

to be fair, I would believe an over-diagnosis of aspergers syndrome (otherwise known as nerd syndrome or as the article put it, Geek Syndrome)

however, I have met... we ALL have met... people who definitely fit in the category of "so fucking socially awkward that there is probably something wrong with them"

autism is a spectrum disease... this probably allows for overdiagnosis

...

but, there are many people with children who have REAL autism

those children are not faking. you would imagine that the parents of autistic children would give ANYTHING to make their child's autism go away. i've gotten the impression it make their lives pretty miserable

that's what makes his comments so absurd

it's a miserable affliction, it's like telling parents with a kids with down's syndrome to get their fucking kid inline or something... it's so horrible

[Edited on July 22, 2008 at 1:59 PM. Reason : .]

7/22/2008 1:53:20 PM

I didn't realize how awful this guy was.



He's a snake oil salesman, too.

The fact that he's the third most listened to AM talk show host doesn't speak well of AM listeners.

7/22/2008 2:13:06 PM

I always try and tune in once every few weeks or so to get my does of ultra conservative politics, and I just can't stand his style and delivery. He comes off as the most hate filled arrogant prick in existence. I can handle his borders/languages/culture point of view and actually agree with it for the most part, but I just can't stand listening to the man. And it's made worse when the majority of his callers are on his side and always blow him when they get on the air.


[Edited on July 22, 2008 at 2:19 PM. Reason : a]

7/22/2008 2:19:05 PM

America played right into his hands. The United States of the Offended. This is just like the Imus situation, except, ACLU is not going after him so he might actually keep his job. Savage is known for his crazy rants and raves. Nothing new.

I do admit that I tune into his show once in a blue moon when I'm in a bad mood. Especially if I had a long day at work. It's fun to get worked up over nothing sometimes.

[Edited on July 22, 2008 at 3:57 PM. Reason : blah]

7/22/2008 3:53:09 PM

Quote :

"America played right into his hands."

that's probably true. Whenever I happen to tune him in (usually when I'm driving through Greensboro on a Friday night, and NPR is playing blue-grass or some shit, i'll try 101.1) he's always going on about how some group or another is trying to shut him down because of something he said. He loves this shit - he just says all sorts of crazy shit and sees how many people he can offend, then when those people demand [an apology, for him to be fired, a fine] he just goes on about how he is speaking the hard-truths that people just don't want to hear. Then people will call up and praise him about how brave he is and how more people should listen to him, blah blah blah

7/22/2008 4:38:58 PM

he is to the right what al franken is to the left. nutty as squirrel turds.

7/22/2008 4:57:13 PM

He is to the right what Mao Zedong is to the left.

And he's the third most listened to conservative talk radio host.

[Edited on July 22, 2008 at 6:53 PM. Reason : .]

7/22/2008 6:47:50 PM

Thomas Sowell:

Quote :

"There have already been many casualties in the crusade against autism, and there may be far more if recent recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics are carried out to have every child tested for autism twice by age two. Think about it: How many people are qualified to diagnose autism? Enough to test every child in America? Not bloody likely. Professor Stephen Camarata of Vanderbilt University has tested and treated children with autism for more than 20 years. "While it is relatively easy to identify a five year old as autistic," according to Professor Camarata, "it is much more difficult to reliably diagnose a preschooler or toddler." The word "reliably" is crucial. Anybody can unreliably diagnose autism, just as anybody can unreliably predict the weather or the stock market."

Kind of reminds me of Boss Jim Black trying to shoot business towards his optical-pals by calling for mandatory eye exams before children could attend school.

7/22/2008 7:11:14 PM

Keep in mind this guy's *real* last name is Weiner.

7/23/2008 2:44:04 AM

Quote :

"but, there are many people with children who have REAL autism those children are not faking. you would imagine that the parents of autistic children would give ANYTHING to make their child's autism go away. i've gotten the impression it make their lives pretty miserable that's what makes his comments so absurd"

No doubt that children with real autism and their families have a hard way to go. But what if a major chunk of funding for those with real autism is being funneled to over to those who are being overly diagnosed? Wouldn't it help autism and research into a cure if we were sure that those children being diagnosed with it actually had it, and were not just being labeled as autistic because they don't talk as early as other children do?

7/23/2008 12:33:52 PM

^ it's been established here and in the links that there is no evidence for this over-diagnosis that Savage is speaking of

7/23/2008 1:11:44 PM

nice, even more reason to never listen to anything Savage says regarding medicine or health
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Savage_(commentator)#Books_as_Michael_Weiner
Apparently in his previous life (before he became Michael Savage), he wrote books on homeopathy and naturopathy.
"The Complete Book of Homeopathy"
"WEINER'S HERBALThe Guide to Herb Medicine"
"Healing Children Naturally"

what a douche......

7/28/2008 11:18:46 AM