Today's show is going to be a little different.
Today’s show is gonna be a little different. I’d like to introduce you to somebody.
[Jason:] My name is Jason. I’m autistic.
[Brett:] How old are you?
[Jason:] I’m seven.
[Brett:] Favorite animals?
[Jason:] Giraffe. Favorite animals.
[Jason:] He’s a giraffe.
[Jason:] Snail.
[Brett:] Your dad is a giraffe?
[Jason:] Snail.
[Brett:] Snail?
[Jason:] Horse.
[Brett:] Horse.
[Jason:] Cow.
[Brett:] Pig.
[Jason:] Horned sheep.
[Brett:] Okapi.
[Jason:] Worms.
[Brett:] Whale.
[Jason:] Horse.
[Brett:] Fish.
[Jason:] Cow.
[Brett:] Snake.
[Jason:] Duck.
[Brett:] I’m out.
[Jason:] Pig! I love animals.
[Off camera:] Do you like dogs?
[Jason:] Yes, we love dogs.
[Brett:] Say what you ought to know about autism.
[Jason:] What you ought to know autism.
Jason is my nephew and he’s autistic. Up until about 18 months old, he was happy, affectionate getting into everything, and learning to talk. Then he started to gradually change. He made eye contact less, he played alone more
and he quit talking.
By the time he was 2 1/2 years old Jason was very different. He screamed and thrashed around uncontrollably. He didn’t seem to hear when his family spoke to him and he would back into a corner, looking at the floor repetitively twisting the hem of his shirt. Which is not normal behavior for a 2 1/2 year old, in case you’re wondering.
For 6 months my brother and his wife hunted for the cause of his behavior. Autism they initially ruled out because Jason wasn’t demonstrating the classic signs. He didn’t flap his hands or have any of the other repetitive motion behaviors. He still wanted to be held and hugged and kissed. And while he didn’t play with other children he still liked being in the same room as them.
Recent headlines point to an autism epidemic. Since the 1990′s the number of people diagnosed as autistic have exploded. It’s true, but it’s not an epidemic. You see, autism is not like down syndrome. It is actually an umbrella for multiple disorders and conditions. Sometimes it is referred to as the autistic spectrum. And as that umbrella is getting larger and larger more and more communication disorders and learning disabilities are being labeled and relabeled as autistic.
When he turned 3, Jason was diagnosed as “autistic spectrum” because he fit under the new autism umbrella of related pervasive developmental disorders. People want to know where autism is coming from.
There has been a lot of noise that autism is the result of governmental vaccination programs. But it seems unlikely. Several independent studies have been done that show no correlation between infant vaccinations and autism. So what’s causing it? There are lots of theories and lots of tests still being done, but nobody really knows. And it may be difficult to narrow down. After all autism is a broad range of developmental disorders.
At the end of this last school year Jason was tested for placement and when my brother went to the meeting with the specialists they told him that Jason’s score showed he was mentally retarded. I’ve read that up to 75% of people with Autism are labeled that way. It’s a good thing the camera guy doesn’t believe in tests, because actually Jason is quite smart.
[Jason:] Hurray for Jason!
When he was much younger he taught himself how to count forwards and backwards.
[Brett:] One
[Jason:] Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
[Brett:] Ten.
And recently we discovered he knows how to read sounding out words he has never seen before.
[Jason:] I can read.
[Brett:] Sing ABC.
[Jason:] Ant, bear, cat, dog, elephant, fox, giraffe horse, iguana, jaguar, kangaroo, lion, mouse nightingale, octopus, pig (q)ana?, rhinoceros, snake turtle, umbrella bird, vulture, whale, x-ray fish, yak, zebra. Now now now now ABC’s next time won’t want you sing with me.
[Brett:] Very good. That was like the animal ABCs.
[Off camer:] It was.
[Brett:] Wow.
It also became very obvious early on that Jason learns differently. He’d make no progress at all and then in one day something would just snap and he’d be amazing at it. He loves animals and would have people draw pictures for him. Pictures of birds and giraffes and snakes. And then one day my brother walked outside and the patio was covered with elaborate animal drawings. Ears, eyes, mouths, hoofs… We’d never seen him do it. Never even seen him draw an animal. All he’d do was scribble.
Low IQ? No. Just different.
Besides, when communication is the problem, how effective do you think an IQ test is really going to be? I think if I ignored the tester and just did whatever I wanted to I’d score pretty low too.
Recent studies have show that autistic brains are mapped very differently from ours. And that brain mapping may be part of the reason why some people who are autistic are also savants. Communication just isn’t the same with Jason as it is with other people. Sometimes he understands me perfectly and sometimes we just don’t quite connect.
[Brett:] Say I am seven years old. I say how old are you
[Jason:] How old are you.
[Brett:] and you say I am seven years old. Go. Look at the camera. How old are you?
[Jason:] Cheese!
[Brett:] Cheese.
One of the hot bed issues right now is early intervention. People are screaming for earlier testing and therapy. And it makes sense, seeing how the brain develops most in the first three years. Unfortunately that is also when autism develops and the signs that it’s coming on are often difficult to isolate. Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a leading researcher in autism, says:
Two major mistakes are frequently made in early intervention. #1 Taking a minimalist approach which doesn’t provide the family enough team support; and #2 Overlooking the family dynamics to such a degree that early intervention becomes, not a support to the family, but another source of familial stress. Intervention has to consider the well-being of the family as paramount and avoid the temptation of viewing the child as if he or she existed in isolation.
Now this show, like all the others, isn’t meant to be all encompassing. And while Jason has autism, he isn’t as severely effected as some of his peers. Jason’s behavior may be different, even bizarre, but he is not dumb.
[Jason:] I am smart.
His developmental disorder is by no means a measure of his capability or his intelligence. And that is something you ought to know.
[Brett:] Wave. Bye-bye.
[Jason:] Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. I love you.
I looked out the window and what did I see. Popcorn popping on the apricot tree. Spring has brought me such a nice surprise. Popcorn popping right before my eyes. I can take an armful and make a treat. A popcorn ball that would smell so sweet. It wasn’t really so. But it seemed to me. Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.
Autism Links:
Support Sites:
Autism Speaks
Autism society of America
Autism Research Institute
Information:
Autism Overview
Autism: Treatment, Prognosis
Autism Fact Sheet
People and Stories:
Scientists Reconsider
A Rare Map Of Autism’s World
Stanley Greenspan’s website
Other:
Is the Autism Epidemic a Myth?
Vaccines & Autism: Myths and Misconceptions
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44 Comments
Brain.RCG
I have Autism and you hit the nail on the head.Roaring Fork Autism Network Newsletter
[...] new furniture, flooring), build ramps, landscaping. Short (and humorous) intro to autism: http://www.whatyououghttoknow.com/show/2008/07/18/autism/ Sample homework/ project task ...Colby
One of the families in my church have an autistic son and they were told he would never read or ...raxxie
he's adorable.oohshiny
One of my friends is autistic and he just does what he wants and is happy. I love you too ...meggiebean
he's so cute! And honestly, i dont think i even could sing an animal alphabet. he did it so easily. ...Carolyn{207}
Are you guys mormon? cause there is only one place I have heard the song "Popcorn Popping"... my mormon churchsocalcutie82 [22]
I was browsing through old videos and am so glad I found this one!! Jason is adorable, and I LOVED ...Nevin
Love you too Jason =)kjeracarroll
Hey there thank you so much for doing this show! I have an autistic son and this video has helped ...Star
How cute! I didn't know that Jason was autistic... I guess he was still a baby when I last saw ...andreacro
Great show! Nice kid! :)William Wallace
I think you're a little too quick to rule out vaccinations. The CDC is stonewalling researchers on obtaining data ...pkw
Loved the Show. We watched it several times 'cause the kids wanted to see Jason again. Thanks for ...mike ike
@Ingrid: I respectfully disagree. From what I've read, your IQ is your score and is directly related to the test and ...JenC
My son is deaf and I couldn't agree more with your brother and his wife disagreeing with the Early Intervention ...Rabble of Redheads
Way to go Uncle Tickles!!rossel [22]
A friend of mine is autistic. He is absolutely incredible with calendar dates and a joy to be around. When ...mfinz [22]
Fascinating. What a great episode, thank you for introducing us to Jason. You're a great, and very smart kid!!kbombbilly
Excellent! One of your best shows!Ingrid
@Mike Ike I think there can be a lot of confusion about the deffinition of IQ. Of course it stands for ...mike ike
Loved this episode! I have an autistic brother and shows like this are great for educating people. But how can you ...Holly
Hooray for Jason! What a doll. As a mother I really, really appreciate this show. What a kid, you are ...Meandering
Winn Boys, I've loved your episodes and come to visit everyday I can. This episode however is the best not ...Soul Sister
Uncle Tickles--Loved the show. Great job guys. Yay for Jason! :)Beta
Thanks so much for this podcast! My nephew is also autistic, but "rocket-scientist smart" as his teachers put it. However, ...Lodinkinni
Cute kid. Good Episode. I, a psychology major, approve the messages herein. So does the DSM-IV, believe it or not.kd
wow!! awsome show, i have a nepehw who has autism...he doesn't speak at all and he is 5 he knows ...Laura B
Thank you for covering this topic. I have known and respected several with Autism. Jason! Awesome job! ...Ian
This is a great video and it looks like Jason had lots of fun! I have mentioned this video on the ...Catherine
Wow, love Jason! Love Camera guy and your talking head! You folks NEVER fail to make me smile and now ...Rob
He really is very intelligent. He correlated animals with the alphabet and made his own song! That is something I ...Bob
What a great little guy. I'm so glad you had an episode on this. It was really good. Amazing really. And ...Lee
Hey Jason, the ten people in this room all the way down here in New Zealand think your cool!. All ...Rebecca
You guys did an awesome job. Thank you so much. And say "hi" to Jason from us! He is amazing!Emrys
My boss's brother and his friend are currently walking from San Fran to Washington DC to raise money for Autism. ...Rabble of Redheads [22]
Thanks guys for doing that. Once again the Winn's show they are the coolest family in paradise.FrootLoopColorSorter [22]
Little Mr. Winn, that is one of my favorite songs to sing and to play, and you did a fantastic ...Edward A Robinson
This was one of your best videos yet! Huge fan of the show keep them coming, oh and when can ...Ingrid
Now I know it was worth staying up all night, being jetlagged as hell... Loved this show, it was perfect. ...Curtis
Powerful show! Best wishes to Jason and his family!steph
sorry i just had to get the first comment in =] anyway that was a good video. ur nephews cute ...Nospinplease
Awww He is so cute! He does seem really smart actually!steph
great video =]