Caveat lector
It is a full-time job to read every single autism book that is published and self-published these days. I am grateful that many authors provide extensive details (and even tables of content and excerpts) about their books, so that “the buyer can beware.”
Irving Chiang is the author of My Way Back: Uncovering the Cause and Cure of Autism Spectrum Disorder in which it is suggested that autism is “likely caused by trauma.”
The book unravels mystique over how the author overcame all odds in conquering the “death keel” to social acceptance. His break came after accepting Christ in his mid-twenties. Five tough years of self-rationalisation were not without fruit; he identified his difficulty as part of the autistic spectrum disorder and appears to have uncovered the cause and cure of the disorder, at least sufficient for him to lead an ordinary life. The current medical definitions of the disorder are limited in scope. They ignore a larger part of the population that have a broader autism phenotype with similar communicative and social disabilities but that are less severe in nature.
Autism caused by trauma a young child experiences?—–This sounds like a variant of the refrigerator mother theory of autism. My Way Back seems to suggest that autism is pathology.
Caveat lector, et emptor librorum de autismo!
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POSTED IN: Books, Diagnosis, Psychology, Religion, Treatment
19 opinions for Caveat lector
Tera
May 15, 2006 at 7:52 am
The book unravels mystique over how the author overcame all odds in conquering the “death keel” to social acceptance. His break came after accepting Christ in his mid-twenties.
Sounds like how Scientology “cured” Tom Cruise’s dyslexia. Bah.
Caveat lector, indeed.
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 15, 2006 at 10:10 am
It’s a self-published book–I don’t want to discount self-publishing (like writing on a blog……) but I get quite alarmed to see mention of “traums” as a cause for autism.
Much appreciate the Cruisean comparison!
Bronwyn G
May 15, 2006 at 4:01 pm
I don’t like the idea of any religion curing autism spectrum disorders.
I accepted my own Autism when I was no longer involved in organised religion so much better.
Science has helped me, as well as finding my place in the world. And so has art and literature.
Humans and animals who have supported me and continue to support me are great.
I’ll write my own book, sometime in the next five years.
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 15, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Bronwyn, I can hardly wait to read it!
Irving Chiang
May 19, 2006 at 3:03 pm
Bettleheim proposed that parents may be the cause of autism in children possibly by indicting trauma through child abuse.
I propose otherwise. That autism is caused by trauma - while in some cases it may be caused by child abuse, in other cases, the traumatic event may be an event otherwise deemed as normal and that does not appear to be traumatic as currently recognised. The event could be a short span of separation from the parent or it could be a nightmare etc, that was traumatic to the young child. We do not fully understand the consciousness of a young child and we do not know what would be deemed traumatic to them.
This also explains why genes also play a huge role in determination of ASD. At a young age, genes play a bigger role than the actual event itself because genes pre-dispose a young child to perceiving an ordinary event as traumatic. For example because of his genetic make-up, a young child may perceive an ordinary event to be traumatic. Hence, for infantile autism, the nature of the event plays an even more insignificant role as compared to his genetic make-up.
I agree that this book is controversial but do keep an open mind - our playing down of Bettelheim’s theories (although flawed) has really led us off the path that could have otherwise brought us nearer to understanding and curing autism. Because of the vanity of parents and the inflexibility of thought of medical professionals, research on autism has been impeded by thirty years……
Also, note that it is not religion itself that cured ASD but faith in God that led to many otherwise seemingly coincidental events that eventually led to me being cured of ASD.
Now you can pass snideful remarks about the book and its theories - but ten years down the road you would view it in a different light - this has happened many times in history when it comes to criticising new discoveries - yet people do not learn from history……
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 19, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Mr. Chiang, thank you for reading my AutismVox post.
The reference to “trauma” as the “cause” of autism smacks of the psychogenic theory of autism–a theory that has been soundly discounted and whose harmful effects are still being felt. It is indeed good to know the history of autism theories, lest we be doomed to repeat them.
Irving Chiang
May 19, 2006 at 7:58 pm
Not that long ago, people with hyperthyroidism were thought to be “mad”.
It is now known that hyperthyroidism is a physiological disease possibly caused by a psychogenic cause, which is “stress”. In the same way, autism is a physiological disease that is triggered by a psychological cause.
Trauma induces a psychological response, which in turn causes a neurological response and consequently a physiological response. How these systems respond depend on the genetic make-up of the person. That is why studies have found that more than one gene (most likely about three or four) genes are likely linked to autism. We can perhaps hypothesize that each gene determine each system response and it is the chain of these responses that cause autism.
The eventual response I believe is permanent serotogenic anomalies in the endocrine system that disrupts the balance and dispersion of serotonin in the Central Nervous System.
Maybe you can give me more insight as to why the theory that autism is caused by trauma has been debunked - has it truly been proven wrong or debunked purely from an argumentative standpoint. Is there empircal evidence to prove that autism is not caused by trauma.
Anyway just my views. Hope that we can respect each others views. Cheers!
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 19, 2006 at 9:20 pm
Mr. Chiang, may I ask what your professional background is?
Have you read Infantile Autism by Bernard Rimland?
I also hope that you can respect the views of autism parents.
Sonya Brindisi RN
Jun 16, 2006 at 8:39 pm
Mr. Chiang, I believe you must have suffered some childhood trama. Thank the Lord you have achieved some level of peace. I have not read your book, but I suspect your level of understanding has not yet arrived. I too had a difficult childhood with social anxiety and now with a child who has Aspergers Syndrome, ADHD, Depression, and anxiety all at the age of 6. This along with a host of medical problems. I have chosen to quite work to be home with him to ease his anxiety and do anything I can do. Trama, did not cause this it is a host of problems starting with his genes. Please, read Bernard Rimland. It may help you understand. God Bless!!
Irving Chiang
Aug 10, 2006 at 6:28 am
Hey,
I believe too that genes is the main cause of autism, especially in a very young child.
For example, the trauma I experienced was not even a conventional traumatic experience. I had a nightmare episode in which I realised, one by one, that my mother, father and sister had slowly turned into evil beings. This possibility entered into my conciousness after I watched a show called “visitors” on TV where aliens camourflaged themselves as humans. After that, I started to have some physical symptoms (that have been linked to autism) and some autistic tendencies.
I think that genes may pre-dispose an infant to perceive an otherwise normally distressful event to be traumatic. For example, an infant may happen to be watching a horror movie with his parent and subsequently have nightmares related to the movie (none of which the parent is aware).
Genes may also pre-dispose the bodily systems of this infant to react in such a manner that leaves a residual effect in the neurological and endocrinological systems.
Perhaps, the increasing depiction of horror and violence in the media may be the key reason for the increasing rates of autism. Or the increase in some other factors that may have caused trauma in the infant (one of which I do not want to raise because of its sensitivity). Moreover, there are probably many possible causes of trauma in infants.
Jannalou
Aug 10, 2006 at 7:50 am
Okay, while I definitely think that people with differently-wired brains probably experience as abuse things that other people wouldn’t blink at, I do think you are way off base here.
Autistic behaviours don’t actually bear a lot of resemblance to trauma-induced or abuse-induced behaviours. At least, not the way ADHD behaviours do.
Irving Chiang
Aug 11, 2006 at 1:13 am
Eh dun think ADHD is caused by trauma.
Anyway, trauma can have various effects, one of which is intrusive and one of which is constrictive.
The intrusive symptoms include hypervigilance, flashbacks, avoidance of cues, etc.
The constrictive symptoms include emotional numbness, etc.
I think that the intrusive symptoms are the effect of trauma on the psyche which is sometimes not permanent (e.g. you can heal from trauma) or permanent (the result of which you get personality disorders such as borderline, multiple personality disorders, etc).
The constrictive symptoms are the effect of the trauma on the endocrinological system, which is sometimes not permanent (e.g. you can heal from trauma) or permanent (these are the emotional numbness and social apathy that Bettleheim observed). The lingering effects lead to serotogenic malfunction and hence the effects of autism. It is more apparent on the “young” because it affects the development of their cognition, as well as the physical development of their brain, as the young infant’s brain is still highly susceptible.
Anashta Celovich
Aug 15, 2006 at 10:05 am
There is some seriously narrow-minded thinking here. I am going to have to side with Chiang. As little as we know about the human mind (or body, for that matter) I don’t think anyone can tell Chiang he’s wrong. Just like we know now that deaf people are not or mad, and like we now know that mentally retarded people are not possessed, like thought in the days of old. A true professional in any medical field would agree that we do not know everything about autism or the human mind and body, therefore to say someone is absolutely wrong is ludicrous. Columbus found the world was round, and you will, too.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Aug 15, 2006 at 10:45 am
Mr. Chiang, Thank you again for commenting here and reading Autism Vox.
Me. Celovich, Thank you for your comment. What is your experience in raising or working with autistic person?
Anashta Celovich
Aug 15, 2006 at 11:31 am
My field of study is analytical sociology with emphasis on the development of alternate means of communication through psychological and pathological impairments.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Aug 15, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Thanks—-are you studying autistic children?
Anashta Celovich
Aug 21, 2006 at 1:05 pm
As part of the field of study - alternate means of communication through psychological and pathological impairments - autism has been a part of it.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Aug 22, 2006 at 5:52 am
Very interesting—thank you for sharing about your research.
Anashta Celovich
Aug 22, 2006 at 7:07 am
You sound so excited. When I get my Web site complete, I will attach a link for your persual. It will contain much of my research, except some of the more recent break-throughs. I would like to present them to the board for publication, first, before I post them.
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