Last night after my son gave me a million kisses and told me a million times that he loved me, my husband and I sat down to watch The Project.
One segment was on the amazing work of Tom Gleisner and others that are part of an early intervention program in Melbourne for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Being the proud parents of a little boy on the spectrum, my husband and I were delighted in the segment and especially Waleed’s words after it touching on his own experiences as the parent of a child on the spectrum.
Waleed Aly discusses autism on The Project. Post continues after video.
It’s always nice to find others that are familiar with your own experience and can resonate with the journey. Then after the commercial break, the news segment of The Project came on, discussing the horrific death of the young lady in Melbourne named Courtney Herron over the weekend.
When describing the alleged killer, the journalist said he had a delusional disorder as well as autism. Both mine and my husband’s hearts sank. Yet again, autism is viewed in a negative light and it seems the media and the law is using it as an avenue to explain horrific crimes such as this.
The DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder does not classify psychopathic tendencies or violent behaviour as a criteria for autism. The journalist (or lawyer) may as well have said he has brown eyes because that is just as significant as saying he has autism.
I am so angry that cases like these are contributing to the stigma attached to autism, that they show no emotion, are unable to show love or are violent. That is such a stereotype.
Top Comments
Wow, very harsh on the author, it clearly states “Parent Opinion”, she’s giving her perspective as a mother of a child with Autism, a diagnosis does not define them. If you knew a person on the spectrum, you’d know they are all individuals. No better or worse, with goals & hopes. She’s stating that implying that ASD is to blame, is counterproductive and works on the social psyche.
As a parent of a child on the spectrum, all I hope for is inclusion and a bit of empathy.
Alyssa, I would love to know where you got your Doctorate in Psychiatry? As one myself, Australia is in the grips of a terrifying trend in men being left behind in the mental health system. If you did some research, all women who have been murdered (particularly in Melbourne) the men all had severe DSM-5 mental health issues that mostly cannot be treated with just medication alone. Team that with a failing mental health system and a failing Centrelink, the majority with mental health sufferers don't even have enough money to pay for medication. Stop with your uneducated nonsense reporting. Australia has a big problem with not helping mental health sufferers. If they had been assisted and treated, maybe none of this would of happened?