Wow! I stopped listening to Dr. Laura ages ago and yes I am very interested in interpersonal relationships and how our minds and emotions work.
I am also the mother of a child with an autism spectrum disorder, who also has very poor fine and gross motor skills. These are brain based problems and not something that he can help. He was one of those kids on the baseball team that one of our coaches continually benched. You cannot imagine the hurt that caused him and me. Seeing a kid sooo young and so eager to play like the rest of the kids. To this day he remembers that. IF I called in and someone gave me such cruel advice I'd be livid! My son has a very high I.Q. and autism problems are very complicated. To say that you should put your own child in a home, and go party is again cruel and ill informed! I cannot believe any professional would give such harmful advice.
Her responses lack empathy. In fact people who are self aggrandizing and lack empathy are said to have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The more I see about Dr. Laura the more I think she has NPD!
There are sooo many good "reparenting" programs out there if you have childhood issues to deal with ( and who doesn't LOL!) that I really think I'd steer clear of a person such as Dr. Laura. I'm glad to know she has helped some people though I do think people like her are truly dangerous and would be best taken with a grain of salt.
Sorry to get carried away but, her responses really struck a personal nerve with me. Most kids with autism are perfectly fine and better off with their own loving family. If it gets to the point that someone NEEDS a different solution that is NOT the type of advice that someone who does not know you at all and who has heard you talk about a problem for five minutes should be offering over the radio. Dr. Laura should have advised the woman who called in to discuss her options with a local professional who was familiar with autism. She could have even had the woman call her back and get a referral to such services. It is very unprofessional to give such advice over the radio. And harmful and exploits people with very real problems. Some people believe she has their best interests at heart when clearly she is only all about ratings! ug! Sad, sad, sad.
Even if her book was really good I would not buy it after some of the cold, ill informed, and out right harmful statements she has made for all the world to hear.
*steps off soapbox and apologises* I don't usually discuss such things online but, wow! what a mean thing to advise to this mom with an autistic child!!