Thanks for writing this JB. Cecelia has an AB therapist and has been doing a great job helping Cecelia to communicate through her ‘yes’ ‘no’ board. I now better understand why there is sometimes a long delay before her choice. You can see her moving her head as if she’s deliberating her answer, which I was mostly assuming was primarily to her cortical vision impairment. Looking forward to the new year working with her communication.
i was very impressed by your full length video, and mentioned it to a work colleague. It turned out that she used to be a special needs nursery worker; she mentioned to me a child of 3 years old who experts considered didn't even respond to her name, and was considered to have pretty much 0 cognitive ability, and had recently started banging her head on the floor. I was (without knowing very much about this child and obviously could ask only limited questions) trying to work out whether these children in your video could have any practical relationship to my colleague's case. Do you have any ideas about what proportion of non speaking autistic children these cases might relate to?
I think parents of autistic children need to listen more to autistic adults. We’ve been speaking out against ABA for years. We’ve been saying to presume competence for years. We’ve been fighting for communication rights for years. And against abuses like restraint and seclusion.
I must say, seeing this video of you JB and you talking about presuming competence, communication rights, and all the things neurodivergents have been fighting for for many years was a beautiful sight to behold. I’m happy for Jamie most of all, and your whole family that you are getting to know this beautiful human.
It took courage to admit you were wrong and I admire you for it. I hope you shift your focus and platform onto the humanization and rights of autistic people and away from the other stuff.
I made a video a while back to simulate what school was like for me as an autistic person. (It sucked) I had selective mutism, was mainstreamed into GenEd in the 70s, but spent half my days in a seclusion cell. I was behaviorized, traumatized, punished for being a multiply diagnosed neurodivergent. They thought I was intellectually disabled too because I couldn’t read a single word until 4th grade because I’m acutely dyslexic, ADHD too, a whole fun cornucopia of diagnoses. My teachers despised me. I was the “behavior problem.” But what was really happening is I wasn’t being appropriately accommodated for a stack of disabilities and then punished for their failure to accommodate me.
Listen to autistic adults…please. I was your child when I was 5. Lost, not very bright, (so they thought) a couple teachers told my mom I was “mildly retarded,” and just bad. One teacher told my mom because I never gave eye contact it meant that I was a pathological liar, and a very “sick little girl.”
School was a sensory hell for me. Every breath, every cough, the blaring of fluorescent lights, voices, birds chirping. Every day, at some point, I’d be so overwhelmed, I’d get up and run the hell out as far and as fast as I could. I had no friends. I was bullied and constantly ridiculed. Teachers talked down to me and threatened to punish me all day long.
If your autistic child is sensory defensive, this is likely what their day at school is like. I recorded actual sounds in a classroom and amplified them to how they are for me. I used my voice to show how teachers talked to me all day long every single day. Would you run if this was your day? Would you scream, scratch and kick? Would you weep when they restrained you and locked you in seclusion? Would you feel dehumanized by reinforcers and aversives? Would the sound of bullying and ridicule from other children not make you hate them, but hate yourself even more? Would the well of your own self-contempt be bottomless? Would you feel lonely with no friends? Would you fear perpetual failure?
Stop talking about vaccines and cures please. Help us fight for personhood and against the discrimination of low expectations. We’re better than how we’re treated. There is so so so so much inside of every single autistic child. I beg all to do whatever it is you need to to rescue your autistic child from the pain of non-personhood.
God bless you all. Thank you JB for rescuing Jamie.
It seems part of the reason for parents to grossly underestimate the cognitive abilities of their children on the spectrum is their unreserved trust in the (government sanctioned) voices of authority, over their own intuition and observations.
It is sad as well as frustrating to see parents who are not willing to even entertain the idea that their child is a capable person, trapped inside a body that doesn't respond as they wish.
Or to be unwilling to consider other options then those presented and funded by the schools and autism 'specialists'.
I'd like to add, that this faith in the official methodology of 'care' that is demonstrably failing is not limited to parents of autistic children.
The answer for parents, imo, is not in changing a system that is weighted so heavily towards keeping the balance of power in the hands of organizations and governments, but in taking the reins back to those who have the greatest personal investment in the well-being of the children.
Time and personal involvement is essential in the development of the child; we have to pick our priorities.
This is amazing, and I wanted to cry reading your story. I think we all know kids with less than ideal verbal skills, and this method is so wonderful to bring out their voices.
This is amazing, and I wanted to cry reading your story. I think we all know kids with less than ideal verbal skills, and this method is so wonderful to bring out their voices.
J.B., I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you writing the book How to End the Autism Epidemic. It is one of the best research books I have ever read and has given me language to communicate with our family doctor and it has certainly helped to inform our approach to vaccinating our small children - for that I am extremely grateful. I was also very surprised to see that you live in my hometown of Portland, OR and are also a finance guy. Let's grab coffee sometime. Best, Jeremy Haug
What a wonderful and inspiring story! I can't wait to hear more about Jamie's journey. I had no idea any of this was happening in this field. It's so exciting and hopeful. 😊😊
We love your updates! Thanks for sharing Jamie’s advancements an blowing our minds and shattering our perceptions. Keep up the great work Jamie!
I have read your book twice, and consider it perhaps the most moving book I have ever read. Could not put it down.
Very kind, thank you
Absolutely incredible! You guys are thrilling to me...I'm just blown away!
Hearts find a way. So grateful for Jamie's and yours! Thank you for sharing.
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing. All the best!
I'm so touched by this. A million thank yous for sharing.
Thankyou . My son is 5 and this has given me inspiration to get him communicating with us. Looking forward to getting the book!
So incredibly beautiful, JB. Absolutely thrilled for you, your wife, Jamie and the world! What remarkably wonderful promise this offers for so many.
Thanks for writing this JB. Cecelia has an AB therapist and has been doing a great job helping Cecelia to communicate through her ‘yes’ ‘no’ board. I now better understand why there is sometimes a long delay before her choice. You can see her moving her head as if she’s deliberating her answer, which I was mostly assuming was primarily to her cortical vision impairment. Looking forward to the new year working with her communication.
If she can do a yes/no board she can do a letter board, get after it!
i was very impressed by your full length video, and mentioned it to a work colleague. It turned out that she used to be a special needs nursery worker; she mentioned to me a child of 3 years old who experts considered didn't even respond to her name, and was considered to have pretty much 0 cognitive ability, and had recently started banging her head on the floor. I was (without knowing very much about this child and obviously could ask only limited questions) trying to work out whether these children in your video could have any practical relationship to my colleague's case. Do you have any ideas about what proportion of non speaking autistic children these cases might relate to?
I think parents of autistic children need to listen more to autistic adults. We’ve been speaking out against ABA for years. We’ve been saying to presume competence for years. We’ve been fighting for communication rights for years. And against abuses like restraint and seclusion.
I must say, seeing this video of you JB and you talking about presuming competence, communication rights, and all the things neurodivergents have been fighting for for many years was a beautiful sight to behold. I’m happy for Jamie most of all, and your whole family that you are getting to know this beautiful human.
It took courage to admit you were wrong and I admire you for it. I hope you shift your focus and platform onto the humanization and rights of autistic people and away from the other stuff.
I made a video a while back to simulate what school was like for me as an autistic person. (It sucked) I had selective mutism, was mainstreamed into GenEd in the 70s, but spent half my days in a seclusion cell. I was behaviorized, traumatized, punished for being a multiply diagnosed neurodivergent. They thought I was intellectually disabled too because I couldn’t read a single word until 4th grade because I’m acutely dyslexic, ADHD too, a whole fun cornucopia of diagnoses. My teachers despised me. I was the “behavior problem.” But what was really happening is I wasn’t being appropriately accommodated for a stack of disabilities and then punished for their failure to accommodate me.
Listen to autistic adults…please. I was your child when I was 5. Lost, not very bright, (so they thought) a couple teachers told my mom I was “mildly retarded,” and just bad. One teacher told my mom because I never gave eye contact it meant that I was a pathological liar, and a very “sick little girl.”
School was a sensory hell for me. Every breath, every cough, the blaring of fluorescent lights, voices, birds chirping. Every day, at some point, I’d be so overwhelmed, I’d get up and run the hell out as far and as fast as I could. I had no friends. I was bullied and constantly ridiculed. Teachers talked down to me and threatened to punish me all day long.
Here’s my simulation.
https://youtu.be/yNl4B-NB0rM?si=uVAbSIDoCY2TqcMF
If your autistic child is sensory defensive, this is likely what their day at school is like. I recorded actual sounds in a classroom and amplified them to how they are for me. I used my voice to show how teachers talked to me all day long every single day. Would you run if this was your day? Would you scream, scratch and kick? Would you weep when they restrained you and locked you in seclusion? Would you feel dehumanized by reinforcers and aversives? Would the sound of bullying and ridicule from other children not make you hate them, but hate yourself even more? Would the well of your own self-contempt be bottomless? Would you feel lonely with no friends? Would you fear perpetual failure?
Stop talking about vaccines and cures please. Help us fight for personhood and against the discrimination of low expectations. We’re better than how we’re treated. There is so so so so much inside of every single autistic child. I beg all to do whatever it is you need to to rescue your autistic child from the pain of non-personhood.
God bless you all. Thank you JB for rescuing Jamie.
It seems part of the reason for parents to grossly underestimate the cognitive abilities of their children on the spectrum is their unreserved trust in the (government sanctioned) voices of authority, over their own intuition and observations.
It is sad as well as frustrating to see parents who are not willing to even entertain the idea that their child is a capable person, trapped inside a body that doesn't respond as they wish.
Or to be unwilling to consider other options then those presented and funded by the schools and autism 'specialists'.
I'd like to add, that this faith in the official methodology of 'care' that is demonstrably failing is not limited to parents of autistic children.
The answer for parents, imo, is not in changing a system that is weighted so heavily towards keeping the balance of power in the hands of organizations and governments, but in taking the reins back to those who have the greatest personal investment in the well-being of the children.
Time and personal involvement is essential in the development of the child; we have to pick our priorities.
This is amazing, and I wanted to cry reading your story. I think we all know kids with less than ideal verbal skills, and this method is so wonderful to bring out their voices.
This is amazing, and I wanted to cry reading your story. I think we all know kids with less than ideal verbal skills, and this method is so wonderful to bring out their voices.
J.B., I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you writing the book How to End the Autism Epidemic. It is one of the best research books I have ever read and has given me language to communicate with our family doctor and it has certainly helped to inform our approach to vaccinating our small children - for that I am extremely grateful. I was also very surprised to see that you live in my hometown of Portland, OR and are also a finance guy. Let's grab coffee sometime. Best, Jeremy Haug
What a wonderful and inspiring story! I can't wait to hear more about Jamie's journey. I had no idea any of this was happening in this field. It's so exciting and hopeful. 😊😊