Comments on: What’s in an IQ score?

By: Liz

Liz — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:56:44 +0000

But what happens Donna when because of disruptive behaviors a child with autism cant cope in a mainstream setting The only option for most of them here right now in Victoria is a special school education. And a lot of children with autism will score as having an intellectual disabillity becasue of language issues so its where they end up.

By: donna

donna — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:28:35 +0000

thanks for your lovely comment Emily. Many people have an autism fruit salad, of which ADHD is often a part. It really depends on the most problematic features at a given time and how the combined effects present developmentally, behaviourally, cognitively. Although ADHD runs on my father’s side, so does bipolar and I cope well on a small amount of Seroquel which happens to knock out much of the ADHD as well as Exposure Anxiety, tics and OCD in my case. There are stats that 50% of those dx’d with ADHD actually have rapid cycling bipolar (or both) and that in those cases the bipolar must be medicated first. I have a friend with AS and ADHD who is on Ritalin which has saved her I’m sure. But in my case I don’t think I need speeding up, I’m already so sped up its hard to consciously experience my thoughts except through typing, music, art, but I know they’re cohesive in there, just consciously they are sort of like static unless I’m using my hands. That organises them.

By: Emily Peak

Emily Peak — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:07:20 +0000

donna,
I am reading your book “Nobody nowhere” for the second time, and I wanted you to know how inspiring you are to me. I decided to look you up on the internet, and found this site. I cant believe how talented you are! Your artwork is awesome! I began crying last night while reading your book, as I thought back to difficult times in my childhood. I sought help on my own in my mid 20s and was diagnosed with ADHD. I had a psychologist tell me that he wouldnt expect me to have a bachelors degree in anything, based on an intelligence test he gave me. later, a psychiatrist started me on ritalin, which basically changed my life. But I remember in college trying to figure out what was wrong with me while taking psychology classes, and I thought “maybe I am very mildly autistic, or mildly retarded” it was a frustrating journey! And although I think ADHD is a big part of the problem, I dont think it’s the whole picture. Anyway, I just wanted you to know how inspired I am by your story, and I also love your music! I love that mutations song. Take care, Emily

By: AnneC

AnneC — Sun, 17 May 2009 04:46:57 +0000

Hi Donna. This is very interesting to read and I am intrigued to read it also because I have been thinking of doing a post about “uneven” abilities myself. Because I have noticed that a fair number of autistic people seem to get accused of being “inconsistent”, as if this somehow connotes falsity in how they are presenting themselves.

When in fact it looks very much to me in reading, for instance, Kanner’s original paper on the children he observed, that the “inconsistency” was a *defining feature* of autism, NOT a contradiction of it. In fact, the opposite of contradiction!

I am diagnosed with Asperger’s myself (prior to that PDD-NOS, prior to that ADHD and social phobia, and prior to *that* was described as having “emotional disturbance”). I was born in 1978 and attended special education preschool due to “concerns about [my] social and emotional development” but was not officially diagnosed with anything “spectrum” until my twenties (I’m 30 as of December 2008).

I had very clear and precise-sounding verbal expressive language at a fairly young age but it included a lot of “scripting” and often took the form of long run-on narratives and lists and such. I think there very well could be a subset of auties who have more difficulty with receptive language than (at least superficially) expressive language. I know that for me I often did not understand what I was saying or what was being asked of me and could not report things like many internal sensations until fairly recently. Everything was pattern-matching.

IQ tests are indeed odd. I also had very uneven scores; “bright to superior” in some subtests, but “borderline” in others. Was very surprised to learn that there were other people with that sort of pattern as I’d grown up in a climate where it seemed to be presumed if you were “smart” you were good in everything and if you were “stupid” you were unskilled in everything. When those categories in addition to being crude are far too narrow for real people.