The New York Times Understanding Autism

by The New York Times

For many decades, autism was misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mishandled. In recent years, though, enormous strides have been made, beginning with the broadened recognition of the “autism spectrum,” and with it a new appreciation for the capabilities of those with autism. Successful engagement therapies, including dance, horses, even Disney movies become a source of joy. Yet the stress of autism upon families remains severe, and the critical search for genetic answers, while promising, has a long way to go. The New York Times through articles and profiles has documented the progress and the pain of autism diagnosis and treatment to provide greater understanding, including “Child and Family,” “Autism and Science”, and “Aiding the Autistic,” among other subjects. Please note that this product is an authorized edition published by the Meredith Corporation and sold by Amazon. This edition is printed using a high quality matte interior paper and printed on demand for immediate fulfillment.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder

96 pages, Single Issue Magazine

Published March 27, 2020

About the author

The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. Founded in 1851, the newspaper has won 112 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other news organization. Its website receives 30 million unique visitors per month.

Reviews

[Kailani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying that I am autistic.

I picked this up hoping to find maybe some up to date studies, tips for neurotypicals on ways to accept and include autistics, and maybe resources for autistics. I got none of these things.

The best way to understand autism is to talk to someone who is actually autistic. Out of all the articles in this magazine, only one is written by an autistic person. And it was a short piece about how hard it is for her to get people to listen and understand her differences. The rest of the articles are basically just saying that autism is a grim diagnosis to receive, and that it will prevent you from living a happy, productive life.

Here are some of the awful things in this magazine that really pissed me off:

One article praises the work of Hans Asperger, a literal Nazi who sent autistic children to a child euthanasia clinic.

Another says that autism is an illness like schizophrenia.

One was written by a woman who's reaction to her autistic son's behavior was to lock him away in his room so he wouldn't embarrass her when they had company over.

The only thing in here that was good was the piece saying that vaccines don't cause autism. That was it. If you're interested in learning more about autism, find things that were actually written by an autistic person. Not this.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource of educational material for parents of special needs children. Please read if you need current information on what is going on.