Severe Autism and Perpetual Self Injury: 109 Hits Per Hour

109.

As in 109 hits per hour by an autistic child injuring himself/herself. This information was provided as part of a case study reported in a recent Johns Hopkins Newsletter. The study reported that, ECT, or electroconvulsive therapy, was used to treat an autistic child who was hitting himself/herself 109 times per hour. The report states that the therapy resulted in a reduction from 109 to 19 hits per hour, permitting behavioral therapy and even attendance at educational programs - a substantial improvement in the child's quality of life.

Apart from the outcome of the ECT therapy, about which therapy Christine has commented and raised some very serous concerns, the perpetual nature of the self injury engaged in by this autistic child shows how utterly absurd the idea is that we can not discuss autism in terms of functioning labels or degree of severity. It is extreme denialism to suggest that a child who injures himself/herself 109 times per hour is not severely affected by his/her autism. It is extreme denialism to suggest that such a child is anything other than low functioning. It is extreme denialism to suggest that a child, or an adult, who injures himself 109 times per hour, who injures himself perpetually, does not suffer from a serious medical disorder. It is extreme denialism to suggest that a person who is perpetually injuring himself, herself does not require treatment and, if possible, a cure.

Ari Ne'eman, Amanda Baggs and Michelle Dawson can appear on CBC, and other ill informed, gullible news media, pretending to speak for all persons with autism, and declare that they do not want to be cured of their autism. But they have no right to make such declarations on behalf of those autistic persons like the child in the Johns Hopkins report who injured himself/herself 109 times per hour until treated.




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