McLoser apparently thinks autism is the same thing as Down's syndrome

[KamaAina]

The good news: The word "autism" was uttered in a presidential debate for the first time. Four times, in fact.

The bad news: Three of those four times, it was growled by McLoser. Check this out:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/debate.transcript

McCain: Well, Americans have gotten to know Sarah Palin. They know that she's a role model to women and other -- and reformers all over America....

She'll be my partner. She understands reform. And, by the way, she also understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we've got to find out what's causing it, and we've got to reach out to these families, and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special needs children.

Reality check: Trig Palin has Down's syndrome. He does not have autism. There is no connection or correlation between the two. None whatsoever.

In fact, even if he did have autism, it wouldn't really be possible to get a firm diagnosis in a six-month-old infant -- which brings me to my next point: As yet, Bible Spice really does not have a clue what it is like to raise a special-needs child. An infant with Down's is pretty much like a typical infant, except perhaps for more doctor visits (people with Down's often have a heart defect that requires surgery). The real challenge will come when Trig reaches school age:

But to have a situation, as you mentioned in our earlier comments, that the most expensive education in the world is in the United States of America also means that it cries out for reform, as well.

And I will support those reforms, and I will fund the ones that are reformed. But I'm not going to continue to throw money at a problem. And I've got to tell you that vouchers, where they are requested and where they are agreed to, are a good and workable system. And it's been proven.

Not even an ex-governor (by then, we fervently hope) will be able to go to a private school and say, "John McCain gave me this voucher. Can I use it to enroll my special-needs son here?" :eyes:

[southpaw]

1. Yeah, I caught that

And what does the mother of an infant with Down's know about raising a child with special needs. As you pointed out, other than certain possible medical issues, infants with Down's are no different than infants without.

But what did Obama mean when he gave credit to the work that Gov. Plain had done on special needs issues?

Has she done anyhing in this regard beyond claiming to be an advocate/expert on the issue, seein' as how she's got a 6 month old with Down's?

[gblady]

2. and....

wasn't there talk of her cutting special needs programs in Alaska???

[KamaAina]

3. Slate's Dahlia Lithwick, one of the very best, picked up on this too

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/archive/2008/10/15/whole-new-ways-to-not-get-it.aspx

Color me baffled. In response to a question about Sarah Palin’s qualification to be president, John McCain talked first about her credentials as a reformer and then moved swiftly to explain that Palin "understands special-needs families. She understands that autism is on the rise, that we've got to find out what's causing it, and we've got to reach out to these families and help them, and give them the help they need as they raise these very special-needs children. She understands that better than almost any American that I know. I'm proud of her." Later on, he added—again regarding autism—that "Sarah Palin knows about that better than most." Now, we know Palin has a special-needs child: Her infant son, Trig, has Down Syndrome. So it's fair to suggest that she understands special-needs families and that — even though it's not clear what she's ever done or even proposed doing for them — she might one day be an advocate for them. But I can't figure out why McCain was coupling Palin with autism, rather than Down Syndrome. Yes, his comment started as a testimonial to her concern for those with special needs, but it came off sounding like he just didn't know that autism and Down Syndrome are very different. A quick Web search reveals that the main connection between Palin and autism appears to be that, like McCain, parents of autistic kids are blogging hopefully that she will have some special sensitivity to their situation. (Also, it seems Palin has an autistic nephew.)

As panders go, I am finding this autism gambit baffling. Did McCain just get confused about the fact that Trig has Down Syndrome? Or was he trying for some kind of broad-brush special-needs appeal, only to end up awkwardly implying that all special-needs families are the same? So much so that you can swap out diagnoses and nobody will notice? That same broad brush was slapping around later when, in discussing abortion, he started sneering about the trickiness of allowing exceptions for the mother's health. No nuance here. Just the bold implication that all health exceptions represent some kind of female trickery. Last time I checked, women thought their health was sort of important. Toss in his eye-crossing claim that anyone who supports abortion rights is, by necessity, not going to be qualified to sit on the Supreme Court, and it was time to kiss women voters goodbye. How can a man who can see all the complexity and subtlety in foreign policy and health care reform talk to and about women and families in terms that persistently read like cave drawings?

McCain really proved tonight that his brand of feminism is frozen in 1960 — an artless pander to the mommies tacked onto the claim that he is "proud" of his vice president. It's all reminiscent of the ad men on Mad Men, chivalrous but wrong.

Oh. I didn't know Bible Spice had a nephew with autism. That makes her an expert after all, I guess. :sarcasm:

[onenote]

4. the palistas are defending this

by claiming mccain was referring to the fact (at least they claim its a fact -- i have no idea if its true or not) -- that Palin has a sister with an autistic child.

Laughable attempt at spin, in my view.

[KamaAina]

7. Obama went to high school one block from where a person with autism would live twenty years later

so I guess he's an expert, too. :P

[SKKY]

5. Let's dispel this rumor once and for all. Autism IS NOT on the rise...

...we're simply becoming more acute in its diagnosis. That's why more people are falling into what's called "The Spectrum". Silly thing for him to say actually.

[KamaAina]

6. Opinions differ markedly as to whether increased diagnostic awareness alone

is responsible for the observed spike in cases of autism spectrum disorders. Markedly enough, in fact, that we've had a couple of barnburner GD flame wars on the topic. :-)

[HughMoran]

8. People have less kids and people expect higher performance from their kids in todays technological

world. It is true that diagnosis is up, but the reason for that is because people are less likely to want to write off a kid as "the black sheep" when they have only 2 versus 8. I can vouch for that as it practically took an act of Congress to get an Aspergers diagnosis for my oldest daughter even though it's pretty obvious to anybody who knows what to look for.

[crankychatter]

9. I saw a Pentecostal preacher try to cast the "demon of MS" from a guy with Cerebral Palsey once

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