Autism x 6 on Discovery Health

[JESW]

I went back and read the blog and saw the link to the t-shirts. Personally, I don't like shirts that say things like:

I have autism, what's your problem?

I can't figure out what it is, but those types of shirts just hit a nerve with me. I never use my ds' diagnose as an excuse for behavior.

The Mom suffers with depression along with other issues. The older boy is from her first marriage so it seems that she may be the one who is the carrier. I am not throwing blame out there, just adding things from the show I saw last night.

Jill

 

[Nik's Mom]

First of all, I will not fight with anyone who has a pic of Moon the Loon as their avitar!!!
Anyway, as you said yourself, after having your first autistic child, you don't know if you would have tried for another knowing the chances of the second (and third, forth, fifth, sixth, etc.) having the same outcome. I know another couple that had their first child, knew SOMETHING (they didn't know what yet) was wrong with her, and got pregnant again. They found out about her issues (I don't remember what they were, but shes pretty severly retarted, and has deformaties), before her brother was born, and thankfully #2 was perfectly normal, but again, you just never know. I supose your right about if the family has the financial and mental ability to have more autistic children, then whats the problem, but to me (and just me) I feel like why not adopt an high needs child if thats what you want? I mean, I guess you could then say, Why should anyone have a child at all - just adopt! And in a way, thats true too.... I don't know, there are no right or wrong answers here. I'm in no way putting you down, or anyone else in your situation, but for this couple, and this couple alone, truthfully, I just don't understand why they kept going??? Not only is it not fair to themselves, its not fair to the kids. People with austic children say that it takes a lot if not all of their attention to care for them - and now they are spreading themselves between 6 autistic children - are they really getting all the attention they need - KWIM?? Again, I didn't see the program, so I don't really know anything about them, just what I read on here, but I almost equate them to the Duggars.

Anyway, were going to see Roger Daultry in concert in November. No Moon, or Entwistle, or even Townshend, but hopefully he will rock!!

The Who fans don't fight with each other. We make friends, not war. This is why I like to clarify what posters are saying instead of jumping down their throat.

I understand what you are saying and respect your opinion. And I don't know why they continued to have children in the first place. They clearly cannot support them. It's sad.


JESW, I don't like the shirts either. It smacks of a bad attitude, in my opinion. And I would not encourage my child to have an attitude like that. But I know some parents like them because they think it adds humor to the situation.

I don't know about the mother's situation. DH and I don't have any other relatives who show signs of autism, so I really have no idea where our children developed it. Hopefully, some day scientists will have a definitive answer.

 

[AllyandJack]

I watched it a while back and had a huge problem with one scene where the mother was sitting in a chair in the living room while the oldest son cleaned up the kitchen. Then, she yelled into him that the younger kids would have to be put to bed soon. I guess that was one of his responsibilities, too. He's also responsible for changing the diaper of his 7yr old sister.

That's a lot to load onto ANY teenager, let alone a teenager with special needs. That just rubbed me the wrong way the same way the Duggar's "buddy system" bothers me....raise your own kids and let your kids be kids.

It also seemed like the nitpicked on things. The girl dancing on the table and her saying, "What will the neighbors think when they see her on the table?" I don't know....likely the same thing someone would have thought if they had looked in my window an hour ago and saw BOTH my girls standing on the table. The boy getting the haircut and how he can't take him to the barber - even though the barber said the boy behaved normally and he was more than welcome to come back. I'm not disputing the diagnosis of their kids, but, geez, some of the stuff they complained about is normal crap. My oldest pitched a fit in Bed, Bath & Beyond where she threw herself on the floor, just like the father said the little boy did at the barber. Kids climb on things - like tables.

They seemed awfully annoyed at normal behavior and really heaped a lot of responsibility on that older boy.

 

[Sparx]

i'm typing this sitting in the living room of my 700sq foot apartment, and sometimes it seems crowded with me, my cat, and dbf. i can't imagine throwing six special needs children in the middle of this, with only one or two more rooms than we have now.

i also can't imagine i would continue to have children (in their situation of a small space/traveling husband)after my first 3 or 4 were all autistic.

i dunno. i doubt i'll watch the show, and i don't want to judge these people, because it sounds like they're in a very sad situation (husband gone a lot, depressed wife, six autistic kids in a small space)

 

[Briarmom]

I watched it a while back and had a huge problem with one scene where the mother was sitting in a chair in the living room while the oldest son cleaned up the kitchen. Then, she yelled into him that the younger kids would have to be put to bed soon. I guess that was one of his responsibilities, too. He's also responsible for changing the diaper of his 7yr old sister.

That's a lot to load onto ANY teenager, let alone a teenager with special needs. That just rubbed me the wrong way the same way the Duggar's "buddy system" bothers me....raise your own kids and let your kids be kids.

It also seemed like the nitpicked on things. The girl dancing on the table and her saying, "What will the neighbors think when they see her on the table?" I don't know....likely the same thing someone would have thought if they had looked in my window an hour ago and saw BOTH my girls standing on the table. The boy getting the haircut and how he can't take him to the barber - even though the barber said the boy behaved normally and he was more than welcome to come back. I'm not disputing the diagnosis of their kids, but, geez, some of the stuff they complained about is normal crap. My oldest pitched a fit in Bed, Bath & Beyond where she threw herself on the floor, just like the father said the little boy did at the barber. Kids climb on things - like tables.

They seemed awfully annoyed at normal behavior and really heaped a lot of responsibility on that older boy.

I missed part of the show, but you said exactly what I was thinking the whole time I watched it.
Their 14 year old son seemed pretty 'normal' to me, in fact most 14 year olds would not change the 7 year olds' diaper/put all the young ones to bed.
I am not a neat freak, but their house was disgusting.

You know, it's almost like they treated every one of their 6 as though they are all on the extreme end of the spectrum, when 4 are clearly not.