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ORIGINAL: purepleasure

While I do appreciate all the input,what I'm most interested in is what is going on in the mind of someone that is cycling.  He goes from being extremely happy to screaming/shreiking/crying, sometimes within a matter of minutes.  Fortunately this does not happen too often (maybe 1-2 times a year, and usually close to the full moon of the winter and summer soltices, other full moons are not as severe).  I can help him get control of himself again with alot of singing and word games that I (and our mother, she died last Nov.) taught him.  When he is going to cycle, there are indicators that it's going to happen.  If I could understand what is going on in that wonderfully complex head of his, I am hoping to stop the cycle before it starts.

From the input received so far, I am understanding that when people with bi-polar syndrom are manic, they must have something "important" to occupy their time.  Otherwise they are restless.  Knowing this is very helpful to me!

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ORIGINAL: sirsholly

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ORIGINAL: DragonLadysFire

Being retarded, bi-polar and schizophrenic are all parts of low functioning autism.

to the best of my knowledge this is completely false

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Most individuals with autism also manifest mental retardation, typically moderate mental retardation with intelligence quotients (IQs) of 35-50 (approximate numbers). Although often difficult to evaluate with intelligence tests, three fourths of children with autism function in the mentally retarded range. Generally, the lower the IQ, the greater the likelihood of autism. However, the low functioning level hinders assessment for key characteristics of autism in individuals with profound mental retardation and IQs below approximately 20. Thus, diagnostic instruments for autism may give spurious results in children with profound mental retardation.

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ORIGINAL: jlf1961

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Most individuals with autism also manifest mental retardation, typically moderate mental retardation with intelligence quotients (IQs) of 35-50 (approximate numbers). Although often difficult to evaluate with intelligence tests, three fourths of children with autism function in the mentally retarded range. Generally, the lower the IQ, the greater the likelihood of autism. However, the low functioning level hinders assessment for key characteristics of autism in individuals with profound mental retardation and IQs below approximately 20. Thus, diagnostic instruments for autism may give spurious results in children with profound mental retardation.

manifest : to make evident or certain by showing or displaying
Please note, manifest does not mean to ascertain the presence of anything, in medicine, the term literally means exhibiting symptoms common to a particular disorder or disease.

However, that still does not make a conclusive link between autism and mental retardation.  Considering the symptoms associated with  autism, there is no way to actually make a test that would give conclusive results.   It is one of the most  hotly debated issues  concerning autism and as yet, there IS no concrete proof. 

The fact that an autistic child may not show reaction to stimuli, speak, or respond in any fashion makes it IMPOSSIBLE to prove mental retardation.

I find that a doctor that is making such a generalized statement without a way to prove the hypothesis is a freaking quake. 

Now, explain to me how with a non responsive individual you can make a definitive diagnosis?  That would be like a vet sitting down in front of a dog and running a series of tests that require verbal communication and making the determination that the dog is psychotic.

If I may point out the obvious:
Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old.

Mental retardation is a triarchic disorder, characterized by subaverage cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors with onset before the age of 18. Once focused almost entirely on cognition, the definition now includes both a component relating to mental functioning and one relating to the individual's functional skills in their environment.

Now, seems to me that there is two DISTINCT definitions here, totally unrelated.

In point of fact, there has been a dietary program that was once considered 'unproven' until the last few years that have actually REVERSED autism in certain individuals. 

The fact that autism may present after witnessing something causing severe emotional trauma, also indicates a distinguished difference in the two disorders.

Besides this same article continues and discusses the need for early intervention for children with autism.  Now, considering that intervention is not going to change the status of a mentally retarded individual, and the only thing done for these individual is round the clock care, it seems the author is contradicting himself.

Sorry, with the prevailing people who are directly involved in therapy with these individuals constantly speaking in terms of progress, improvement, developmental breakthroughs in dealing with these individuals, some one some where is either spreading Bullshit or not paying attention to what the people in the trenches are saying.

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ORIGINAL: Alumbrado
Some of the the 'people in the trenches' still believe RFK Jr's hogwash about vaccinations, so I'm not going to accept that as any sort of proof that the qualified researchers on autism are wrong....any more than I'll fall for sophistry about the current research.

If anyone wants to support the assertion that those disorders are not 'part' of the autism spectrum, then bring out the studies showing that, I'd like to learn more.

Otherwise the rational proposition that the brain and genetic differences mapped in autism have some overlap in those other areas (interestingly enough, the prevalence of schizophrenia is about the same as the general population), stands.

I simply don't buy the fairy tale that having autism exempts anyone from being any more or less human than anyone else... including diagnoses of other disorders. 

The whole 'we just can't tell because the autistic are sooooo mysterious' theory is fine for Hollywood, not real life.

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For many years, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been characterized as an incurable behavioral syndrome resulting from a genetically caused brain disorder. Today, however, a growing body of evidence shows that ASD is actually a complex spectrum disorder that affects many organ systems besides the brain. More importantly, we are finding that many of its resulting features may be not hardwired, but may be chronic and therefore potentially treatable. Because some of autism’s features cause pain, suffering and reduction of life options, making treatments optimal and available is a very high priority and constitutes a moral obligation for physicians, scientists and policy-makers.
Treatment Guided Research Initiative, 2007